ASX 200 Soars 1.1% to Finish at Over 2-Month Peak

The ASX 200 surged 99 points, or 1.1%, to end at 9,129 on Tuesday, marking its second session of gains and the highest close in over two months. Stronger Dow and S&P 500 futures buoyed sentiment as traders bought the tech dip, while oil prices fell further after U.S. President Trump signaled that further military strikes on Iran were unlikely. Meanwhile, China's Jan–Sep trade surplus topped USD 1 trillion, helped by a solid September surplus. However, gains were capped by fresh data showing weaker Australian consumer and business mood amid elevated cost pressures and higher rates. All sectors rose, led by industrials, tech, and logistics. BHP Group rose 1.4%, while Rio Tinto added 0.4%. Gold miners Northern Star Resources and Evolution Mining gained 3.0% and 2.1%, respectively, on hopes that lower energy costs would ease inflationary and interest-rate pressures. Qantas Airways soared 6.3% on bets of lower fuel costs. Monadelphous Group jumped 15.3% after securing major new contracts.

Australian shares climbed 100 points, or 1.1%, to 9,130 in Tuesday morning trade, extending recent gains to an 11-week high. Sentiment was boosted by a strong Wall Street rally, led by tech stocks and a sharp drop in oil prices. However, gains were tempered by fresh data showing weaker consumer and business mood in Australia amid elevated cost pressures and higher interest rates. In key trading partner China, October inflation data hit a three-month low, while producer prices rose the most in over four years, highlighting diverging price trends that could complicate Beijing’s efforts to revive consumption and support industrial activity. All major sectors advanced, led by industrials, logistics, and transport. Miners BHP Group (1.3%) and Rio Tinto (0.9%) gained alongside gold producers Northern Star Resources (1.1%) and Evolution Mining (0.7%). Tech stocks such as Nextdc (4.5%) and WiseTech Global (1.7%) also surged, while three of the four major banks advanced, led by ANZ and Westpac.

The ASX 200 added 21 points, or 0.2%, to end at 9,030 on Monday, swinging from early losses amid gains in non-energy minerals, tech, and logistics. Stronger U.S. stock futures lifted sentiment as traders assessed the tech sector's recovery ahead of key inflation data and earnings from major AI companies. Locally, RBA data showed the value of transactions through Australia's New Payments Platform jumped 29% yoy in September. In main trading partner China, annual inflation slowed to a three-month low of 0.7% in October, while producer prices rose the most in over four years amid firmer commodity prices and improving industrial demand. Goodman Group gained 1.9% after partnering with Digital Realty to buy a 9.9% stake in Nextdc. Gold miners also advanced, led by Evolution Mining (5.3%) and Northern Star Resources (0.8%), while mining giant BHP climbed 2.9%. In contrast, all four big banks fell, with ANZ down 3.4% after reporting slightly weaker-than-expected FY 2026 operating income.