ASX 200 Ends Quiet Ahead of U.S.–China Talks

2026-09-21 06:46 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

The ASX 200 closed flat at 8,732 on Monday, reversing early weakness as stronger U.S.

stock futures lifted sentiment ahead of a bilateral summit between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on September 24, expected to cover tariffs, minerals, and broader economic ties.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Bessent described his weekend talks with Chinese VP He Lifeng as “successful.” Consumer non-durables, financials, and utilities advanced, while healthcare, non-energy minerals, and logistics retreated.

It was the second subdued local session, as traders continued to weigh Reserve Bank Governor Bullock’s warning that inflation remains stubbornly high, keeping rate-hike risks alive.

Investors now await Australia’s flash September PMI and August labor data.

Ramelius Resources jumped 6.2%, followed by Paladin Energy (3.4%) and Viva Energy (1.9%), while the big four banks rose between 0.4%–0.9%.

On the downside, BHP Group (-0.4%), Xero Ltd. (-4.3%), and Lynas Rare Earths (-2.6%) lagged.



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ASX 200 Ends Quiet Ahead of U.S.–China Talks
The ASX 200 closed flat at 8,732 on Monday, reversing early weakness as stronger U.S. stock futures lifted sentiment ahead of a bilateral summit between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on September 24, expected to cover tariffs, minerals, and broader economic ties. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Bessent described his weekend talks with Chinese VP He Lifeng as “successful.” Consumer non-durables, financials, and utilities advanced, while healthcare, non-energy minerals, and logistics retreated. It was the second subdued local session, as traders continued to weigh Reserve Bank Governor Bullock’s warning that inflation remains stubbornly high, keeping rate-hike risks alive. Investors now await Australia’s flash September PMI and August labor data. Ramelius Resources jumped 6.2%, followed by Paladin Energy (3.4%) and Viva Energy (1.9%), while the big four banks rose between 0.4%–0.9%. On the downside, BHP Group (-0.4%), Xero Ltd. (-4.3%), and Lynas Rare Earths (-2.6%) lagged.
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Australian shares fell 24 points, or 0.3%, to around 8,705 on Monday morning, marking a second subdued session. The decline came even as oil prices eased on signs of progress in efforts to defuse the Middle East conflict. Locally, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock struck a hawkish tone in parliament, warning that inflation remains stubbornly high, keeping the risk of further rate hikes alive. Still, losses were capped by a notable rise in U.S. stock futures, as investors focused on the upcoming bilateral summit between U.S. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House Thursday. Healthcare, non-energy minerals and industrials led declines, while gains in consumer durables, utilities and technology provided some offset. Two of the four major banks slipped, while Nextdc Ltd. (-1.6%), Xero Ltd. (-1.5%) and Reece Ltd. (-1.3%) posted notable losses. Investors now await Australia’s flash September PMI and August labour-market data later this week.
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The ASX 200 finished flat at 8,731 on Friday, following recent gains, with strength in tech, industrial services, and non-energy minerals offset by weakness in healthcare, energy names, and consumer non-durables. Early gains faded after Reserve Bank of Australia's Governor Michele Bullock struck a hawkish tone in parliament, warning inflation remains stubbornly high and upside risks are materializing, keeping the door open for further hikes. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures firmed on softer oil prices and U.S. Treasury yields. Heavyweight BHP Group climbed 1.4%, while gold miners Evolution Mining (4.4%) and Northern Star Resources (2.4%) also advanced. In contrast, the big four banks slipped between 0.2% and 1.9%, with Xero (-4.1%) and Bluescope (-3.1%) also lagging. For the week, the benchmark index eased 0.1%, its third straight decline, as caution grew ahead of Australia's labor data for August, due next week, after July’s surprise rise in unemployment and drop in jobs.
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