End of Day Report – Tuesday 18 March: ASX closes up only 6 points as enthusiasm fades | NAB down 2%

ASX 200 finished up only 6 points to 7860 (0.1%) as enthusiasm waned ahead of the Fed.US futures negative again. Banks slid with NAB and MQG under pressure, the Big Bank Basket down to $235.85 (-0.1%). REITs were solid with GMG up 1.1% and GPT up 0.9%. Industrials were mixed, ALL fell 2.8% with JBH off another 2.2% but WOW rose 1.2% with TLS quietly creeping higher. QAN jumped 2.5% with tech going nowhere. The All-Tech Index flat, XRO down 0.8%. Resources too were mixed, gold hit its 12th record this year, NEM up 2.5%. GOR fell 4.9% on production downgrades, GMD up again, 2.0% with VAU finding friends too. Lithium stocks still seeing shorts cover, LTR roared up 5.1% and PLS up 1.3%. MIN added to yesterday’s gains up 1.5% with iron ore stocks down slightly. Oil and gas stocks a little better, Uranium seeing small gains, and coal dominated by good results from NHC up 8.9%. In corporate news, ASB rose 7.6% as Hanwha raided the register. Nothing on the economic front, Asian markets stronger again, Japan up 1.4%, HK up 1.8% and China up 0.2%. 10-year yields 4.39%, little changed.

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