End of Day Report – Friday 4 April: ASX 200 follows US lower | Banks hit, defensives find friends

The ASX 200 tried hard but ultimately failed falling 192 points to 7668 (2.4%) for a 4.0% loss for the week. It feels like a lot more. After the drubbing of the iron ore stocks yesterday, all held up better than the market, BHP down only 0.5% and FMG off 0.6%. Elsewhere copper and base metal stocks were slashed, S32 down 5.4% with NIC off 8.0% and MIN falling 9.9%. Lithium once again under pressure, PLS down 4.9% and LTR off 3.1%. Oil and gas stocks were under serious pressure on OPEC+ moves, WDS fell 9.1% and STO down 9.4%. Uranium stocks found little support, BOE up 2.7% and PDN down only 0.7%. Some big moves in JHX down 7.8% and DNL (IPL in old money) dropping 8.2% Gold miners were mixed. GOR up 2.4% and RMS gaining 2.1% but NEM down 2.5%. Banks gave up the unequal struggle with the Big Bank Basket down to $246.87(-1.9%) and ANZ down 3.7%. MQG fell a huge 9.0% with financials under pressure. A report of hacking of some superfund managers did not help. MPL rose 1.1%. At least it wasn’t them this time. WOW and COL rose on defensive aspects, retail stumbled and REITs falling, GMG down 5.0%, WES fell 2.5% and SGH off 5.3%. Healthcare stocks eased. In corporate news, ANN bounced 3.0% after saying it would fully offset tariff rises. Nothing on the economic front. NFP in the US tonight. Asian markets muted, China and HK closed for a holiday, Japan down 3.6%

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