End of Day – Thu 21 Oct

Marcus Today Market Updates

• The ASX 200 rose 2 points to 7415 in a muted session with one eye on Evergrande and the other on AGM and business updates. Most updates are positive, but sentiment is being held in check by a fall in Evergrande in China.
• Mixed across the board, banks slightly higher with the Big Bank Basket up to $187.92. WBC the standout today up 0.6%. MQG continue the march to $200 up 0.9% and fund managers fighting back with MFG up 2.3% on its AGM and PPT up 7.8% on FUM. Even AMP look to be turning a corner rising 4.0%.
• Industrials mixed with WOW off 0.9% and ALL rising 3.3% after its return to trade following the capital raise and acquisition. REITS firmed, tech slightly higher with APT up 0.1% and the All-Tech Index up 0.5%. In the resource space, BHP continue to find friends but down 0.2% at the close and RIO and FMG eased slightly.
• Energy stocks fell after production reports from both STO down 1.1% and WPL down 2.3%. In other corporate news, BRN released news that developers could now buy their chips to trail. One cost $5k the other $10k. HLS rose 4.40% after a positive update driven by CV19 testing. 29M fell 3.3% after its quarterly report.
• On the economic front, weekly payrolls and wages numbers out with a rise of 0.2% in the last two weeks up to 25th September. 10 -year yields fell 2bps to 1.79%.

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