Between the Bells

Wall Street closed in record territory on Friday after cooler-than-expected inflation data in the U.S. boosted investor optimism that the Fed can continue on its rate cutting journey. The Dow Jones rose 1.01% to close at a record over 47,000 for the first time, while the S&P500 added 0.8% also at a fresh record and the Nasdaq rounded out the trifecta of records closing the day up 1.15%. September CPI in the U.S. came in at a rise of 0.3% taking annual inflation to 3%, below the 0.4% and 3.1% readings economists were expecting.In Europe on Friday markets closed higher as U.S. inflation came in lower than expected. The STOXX 600 rose 0.2%, Germany's DAX added 0.13%, the French CAC closed flat, and in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.7%.Across the Asia region on Friday, markets closed higher as reports surfaced that trade negotiations between the U.S. and China will resume this week. Japan's Nikkei rose 1.35%, South Korea's Kospi Index added 0.11%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.74%.The ASX200 posted a 0.15% loss on Friday as President Trump ended trade talks with Canada and negotiations with China failed to progress on Friday especially over rare earth supplies, causing investors to remain concerned over the instability of the global trade landscape.Mount Gibson Iron tanked over 25% on Friday after the Australian iron ore producer announced a significant rockfall event at the company's Koolan Island operations has forced the halt of production at the operation of the 80-year-old mine. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.5% lower at US$61.50/barrel, gold is down 0.34% at US$4111.89/ounce and iron ore is flat at US$105.55/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.47 US cents, 100.02 Japanese yen, 48.84 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.3%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Elsight (ASX:ELS) with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of $1.90 on the tech company that specialises in creating secure, continuous, and reliable communication solutions for unmanned systems like drones and robotics. Elsight is a buy  from Bell Potter's analyst because it provides a mission-critical communication platform for unmanned systems, positioning it as a pure-play enabler of the rapidly expanding global drone and defence markets. With strong validation from repeat OEM orders, accelerating sales investment, and a scalable, recurring-revenue model, ELS offers compelling growth and valuation upside.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on New Hope Corporation (ASX:NHC) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 28-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $4.00 to the range of $4.80 to $4.95 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Record sales couldn't save Nasdaq listed Tesla and Netflix from steep share price falls this week, as the companies navigated everything from expiring tax credits and global regulatory risks to intense competition. Meanwhile, the ASX200 posted a 0.39% slide (Mon – Thurs), as a slump in materials stocks weighed on market gains. In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:26): why Tesla's latest results show record sales but falling profits (1:10): why Netflix missed third- quarter expectations (2:02): how Coco-Cola is navigating the tough market environment (2:49): earnings results from Woodside, Adairs & Air New Zealand (5:13): how the ASX200 performed this week so far(5:53): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients (6:22): economic news items to watch out for. 

Wall Street closed lower on Wednesday as investors assessed further updates out of Washington signalling dwindling progress on the trade front between the U.S. and China. The Dow Jones lost 0.71%, the S&P500 declined 0.53% and the Nasdaq ended the day down 0.93%.In Europe overnight markets in the region closed mixed as investors assessed corporate earnings results out in the region. The STOXX 600 fell 0.2%, Germany's DAX lost 0.74%, the French CAC declined 0.63% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.93%.Asia markets traded mixed on Wednesday as investors assessed key trade data out of Japan alongside the country's new leadership transition. For September, Japanese exports increased 4.2% YoY to snap four months of declines, however, the data came in lower than economists were expecting of 4.6% growth. Japan's Nikkei closed flat on Wednesday while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.94%, South Korea's Kospi Index rose over 1.5% and India's Nifty 50 ended the day up 0.1%.The local market closed the midweek session 0.71% lower as a materials sell-off of more than 3% weighed on gains among energy and tech stocks. The price of gold slumped over 6% overnight amid widespread profit taking and strength in the USD which spooked investors into panic sell mode out of gold miners on Wednesday. Genesis Minerals, Evolution Mining and Ramelius Resources each fell over 10% at the closing bell on Wednesday.Homewares retailer Adairs (ASX:ADH)  jumped 8.3% yesterday despite downgrading group sales forecast guidance for H1 to between $319.5m to $331.5m, down from the prior guidance of $324.5m to $336.5m, however margins were upgraded to the higher end of the forecast region at 59%-59.5%. Investors likely welcomed the pullback in promotional activity announced by the company amid moderated sales growth.And weaker-than-expected revenue and rising jet costs hit Air New Zealand (ASX:AIZ) yesterday with shares in the airline falling 1% after the company announced it expects to report a pre-tax loss between NZ$30m and NZ$55m for the first half. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 4.25% higher at US$59.67/barrel, gold is down 0.52% at US$4103/ounce and iron ore is up 0.03% at US$105.53/tonne. The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.92 U.S. cents, 98.64 Japanese yen, 48.51 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.Ahead of Thursday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.17%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Aeris Resources (ASX:AIS) from a buy to a hold and have raised the 12-month price target on the copper producer following the release of the company's September quarterly report including results meeting the analysts' expectations for lower 1HFY26 production. The reason for the downgrade is simply due to recent share price appreciation of the company.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Viva Energy (ASX:VEA) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 22-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $1.74 to the range of $1.54 to $1.58 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

 Hedley and Grady dive into the key themes shaping the commodities market heading into 2026, from gold's price rally to the outlook for copper, iron ore and beyond. Hedley & Grady discuss:(0:52): Drivers of the current gold price run & how far it can go(4:15): gold miners to watch in 2026(8:46): the importance of mining companies having multiple assets(10:22) outlook for copper with supply-demand equilibrium mismatch anticipated(14:06) copper names to watch in 2026(15:40) iron ore outlook and blue-chip mining giant diversification(17:12) metrics to monitor when considering mining investments in 2026(21:25) Hedley's commodity ‘clock' and what time it is in the cycle right now(24:00) commodities Hedley & Grady are bullish on for 2026(28:00) where investors have been buying recently in the commodities space(32:00) Hedley & Grady predict the gold price / ounce a year from now.Note: This interview was filmed on 21 October 2025.

In the US overnight, Wall St closed trading mixed higher as investors responded to stronger-than-expected corporate earnings results out of key names like Coca-Cola and 3M. The Dow Jones is closed up 0.47%, the S&P500 is closed flat and the Nasdaq closed down 0.16%Across Europe overnight, markets closed higher led by strong gains for defence stocks in the region. The STOXX 600 rose 0.2%, Germany's DAX added 0.3%, the French CAC climbed 0.64% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.25%. The Asia markets closed mostly higher as Japan's first female Prime Minister was announced and investors continued to assess trade negotiations in the region. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.27%, South Korea's Kospi Index added 0.24%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.76% and China's CSI index ended the day up 1.53%. The local market extended its green run this week into Tuesday's session with the key index gaining 0.7% at the closing bell driven by the materials sector after Australia and the US agreed to invest a combined US$3bn in critical minerals projects, as part of Prime Minister Albanese's visit to the White House. Gold reset its record yesterday topping US$4381/ounce for the first time which propelled local gold miners higher, while rare earths producers were bought into on the back of the US-Australia critical minerals deal.HUB24 (ASX:HUB) surged over 10% yesterday after platform funds under administration rose 8% over the September quarter to $122bn, while DroneShield (ASX:DRO) also rose 8.7% as investors bought back into the counter-drone technology company. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.7% higher at US$57.42/barrel, gold is down 5.56% at US$4116/ounce as the US dollar strengthened and profit-taking kicked in following the price of the precious commodity hitting a fresh record over US$4382/ounce on yesterday, and iron ore is up 0.14% at US$105.50/tonne. Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.5%. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has maintained its buy rating on HUB24 (ASX:HUB) and increased its 12 month target price from $125 to $135 off the back of better than expected Q1 FY26 results and significant market momentum. And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Super Retail Group (ASX:SUL), indicating that the price may rise from the current close of $17 per share to the range of $17.80 to $18 per share over a period of 21 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street started the new trading week in positive territory as investors looked toward a potential end to the government shutdown now in its 3rd week, and as Apple shares boosted tech stocks following an upgrade to a buy rating from Loop Capital. The Dow Jones rose 1.12%, the S&P 500 also climbed 1.07% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 1.37%.In Europe overnight markets closed mostly higher as defence stocks drove gains in the region. The STOXX 600 gained 1%, Germany's DAX added 1.9%, the French CAC climbed 0.4% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.5%.Across the Asia markets on Monday, it was a positive session as key economic data out in the region boosted investor sentiment. Japan's Nikkei rose 3.37% to a fresh record high, while China's CSI index added 0.53%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 2.52% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 1.76%.China's Q3 GDP data out yesterday weighed on investor sentiment with the reading coming in at expansion of 1.1% over the September quarter, which exceeded analysts' expectations of 0.8% expansion, and over the 12-months to September the Chinese economy expanded 4.8% which met forecasts, signalling a material rebound in economic recovery post pandemic is potentially finally underway.The local market started the new trading week lower early on Monday before turning positive to post a 0.4% rise at the closing bell led by a rally for financials and REIT stocks on Monday.Neuren (ASX:NEU) shares took off yesterday with a gain over 4% after the pharmaceutical company announced it has received US FDA Fast Track Designation for its drug candidate NNZ-2591 for the treatment of Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Currently, there are no FDA-approved treatments for Phelan-McDermid syndrome which places Neuren at the forefront of care for this condition when the drug reaches commercialisation.Vehicle parts provider Bapcor (ASX:BAP) tumbled over 17.5% on Monday after the company reported a profit downgrade and disclosed a $12m pre-tax earnings hit due to challenging operating practices in its trade division.Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) also dived over 18% after the uranium company announced the immediate exit of its Chief Executive, John Borshoff, and will be replaced by the company's CFO, Craig Barnes as acting CEO until a permanent appointment is made. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.3% lower at US$57.47/barrel, gold is back in record territory with another gain of 2.72% to trade at US$4365.85/ounce and iron ore is down 0.2% at 105.35/ounce.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.16 U.S. cents, 98.18 Japanese yen, 48.5 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.5%. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has reduced the 12-month price target on Beach Energy (ASX:BPT) from $1.25 to $1.10 and maintain a hold rating on the energy exploration and development company. The price target was decreased despite strong quarterly results because the medium-term earnings outlook worsened, with the analyst reducing EPS forecasts in FY27 (-18%) and FY28 (-9%) due to factors like unsuccessful exploration (e.g., Hercules-1) and ongoing high capex. The Hold rating was maintained as near-term production is steady and cash flow is expected to improve, but the longer-term growth and returns remain uncertain.And Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Austco Healthcare (ASX:AHC) with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of 55cps. AHC manufactures sophisticated nurse call systems, enterprise reporting and analytics tools, for the purpose of improving patient outcomes and reducing cost for healthcare organisations. AHC is rated a Buy by Bell Potter's analyst due to its strong revenue and earnings growth, underpin

Wall St closed higher across the key indices on Friday as investor hopes of easing trading tensions between the U.S. and China rose a day after credit concerns sparked a sharp selloff for U.S. regional banks. The S&P500 rose 0.53% on Friday while the Nasdaq added 0.52% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.52%.Across Europe on Friday markets closed lower amid credit concerns of bad debts looming across regional banks in the U.S. The STOXX 600 fell 0.95%, Germany's DAX lost 1.82%, the French CAC fell 0.18% and, in the UK the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.86%.Over the Asia markets on Friday, it was a mostly positive session as trade talks with the U.S. continue to make progress toward a sustainable solution. South Korea's Kospi index rose to a record high for a third day, ending the session up 0.01% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 2.48% and India's Nifty 50 gained 0.48%.Locally on Friday the key index lost 0.81% to end a very volatile trading week triggered by increased trade war tensions between the US and China on Thursday, while the gold rally worked to offset some of the market losses.The price of gold hit yet another record high on Friday topping US$4350/ounce for the first time in history. This boosted local miners further into the green with Newmont (ASX:NEM) adding 3.32% while Northern Star (ASX:NST) gained 2.75% and Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) ended the day up almost 2%.EROAD (ASX:ERD) tumbled over 33% on Friday after the company announced a restructure of plans to focus more on the ANZ market and step back from its North American expansion plans.Lynas (ASX:LYC) shares fell 5.7% on Friday amid increased investor concerns that easing tensions between China and the US over rare earth export controls could lead to a deal, potentially lowering rare earth prices and pressuring suppliers like Lynas. Comments from China's Ministry of Commerce suggesting openness to trade talks triggered the sell-off.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.14% higher at US$57.54/barrel, gold is down 1.81% at US$4250/ounce and iron ore is down 0.2% at US$105.35/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.88 U.S. cents, 97.35 Japanese yen, 48.50 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.08%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has reduced the 12-month price target on Avita Medical (ASX:AVH) from $1.50 to $1.20 and maintain a sell rating on the therapeutic acute wound care company following the release of the company's September quarter update including revenues down 12% on the PCP and the departure of the company's CEO. The analyst sees in the absence of a bid for the company, which remains highly uncertain, we maintain our Sell rating. FY25 revenues have been exceptionally poor capped off by the 3Q25 decline.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Suncorp Group (ASX:SUN) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 15-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $19.56 to the range of $18.50 to $18.80 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Markets tumbled this week as renewed US–China trade tensions reignited volatility across global equities. Social media fuelled tariff threats and retaliatory sanctions have reminded investors how quickly sentiment can shift. With headline risk back in focus, flexibility and diversification remain key for navigating the uncertainty.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:29): trade tensions in the news again - the market's worst day in months(1:45): how investors' strategy needs to change during this period of volatility(3:15): the impact of the trade war on ASX listed stocks(4:17): how the local market performed over the last trading week(5:18): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week(5:50): economic news items to look out for next week.

Wall Street edged higher on Wednesday as strong earnings results out of the Bank of America and Morgan Stanley boosted the major averages into the green at the closing bell. The Nasdaq added 0.6%, the S&P 500 gained 0.4%, and the Dow Jones ended the day flat. Cooking oil stocks surged in the U.S. on Wednesday after President Trump threatened to cut off U.S. purchases of Chinese cooking oil.In Europe overnight markets closed mixed as luxury brands across the region led markets gains. The STOXX 600 rose 0.7%, Germany's DAX fell 0.1% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.3%.Across the Asia region on Wednesday, it was a sea of green despite renewed trade threats between the world's two largest economies. Japan's Nikkei rose 1.76%, China's CSI index added 1.48%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 2.06% and India's Nifty 50 ended the day up 0.74%.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 posted a 1.03% rise on Wednesday as gains from the healthcare stocks, the major banks and gold miners boosted the key index to a positive finish.Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) soared over 15% yesterday after the radiopharmaceutical company released a positive Q3 trading update including a 53% increase YoY in unaudited revenue to US$206m, the receipt of full reimbursement for its Gozellix Product from the US Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the company raised its full year revenue guidance range to US$800 to US$820m from US$770 to US$800m.And the competition watchdog launched a probe into the merger between Southern Cross Media and Seven West Media due to concerns it may reduce competition in an already consolidated market.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.15% lower at US$58.50/barrel, gold is up a further 1.51% at a fresh record US$4205.90/ounce and iron ore is down 1.2% at US$105.25/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.08 US cents, 98.45 Japanese yen, 48.77 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.Ahead of Thursday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down just 0.04%. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Jumbo Interactive (ASX:JIN)from $11.50 to $11.85 and maintain a hold rating on the digital lotteries business following the company's acquisition of Dream Car Giveaways for an enterprise value of $109.9m. The analyst sees the acquisition is another positive step in diversifying revenue and the hold rating is maintained due to risks in market share as new players enter the lotteries market and key competitors strengthen their offerings.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Vicinity Centres (ASX:VCX) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 96-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $2.54 to the range of $2.74 to $2.78 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

The US saw a volatile trading session overnight ultimately end mixed across the 3 major benchmarks. The S&P500 closed down 0.2% and the Nasdaq closed down 0.8%, although they had fallen as low as 1.5 and 2.1% throughout the day. The Dow Jones despite opening down 1.3% rallied to close up 0.4% - the volatility comes amid continuing trade tensions between the US and China.  Europe too saw a mostly a negative session ovvernight. The STOXX 600 fell 0.4%, Germany's DAX lost 0.62%, the French CAC fell 0.18% and the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.1%. Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mostly lower as China's Ministry of Commerce sanctioned five US-related units of Hanwha Marine Corporation in direct retaliation to the US' investigation of Chinese maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries in a step backward in the trade negotiations. Japan's Nikkei fell 2.58% on Tuesday, while China's CSI index lost 1.12%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.74% and India's Nifty 50 ended the day down 0.55%. The local market traded lower on Tuesday before closing the session up 0.2% as US-China trade negotiations showed signs of progression on Monday, Middle East tensions continued to ease, and the AI rally marched on in the US. NAB Business Confidence data for September came in at a rise to 7 index points for last month, up from 4 points in August, but short of the 9 points the market was expecting a rise to. The small rise though signals greater optimism from a business perspective in Australia following a mostly negative year on the sentiment front for businesses in FY25.Australian consumer confidence on the other hand weighed on the market gains yesterday as the latest ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence survey unveiled sentiment weakened in October to a 1-year low.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.22% lower at US$58.83/barrel, gold is up 0.43% at US$4145/ounce and iron ore is up 0.75% at US$106.53/tonne.Ahead of Wednesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.83%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains its Buy rating on Uranium producer Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) and has raised its target price from $10.30 to $11.35, off the back of record Q1 FY25 production as well as steady increases in the average realised Uranium price. And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal on CSL (ASX:CSL), indicating that the price may rise from the current close of $211 to the price range of $228-232 over a period of 37 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall Street started the new trading week with a strong rebound after President Trump said trade relations with China will be fine, a few days after threatening massive tariff increases on the region. Investor sentiment eased and stocks surged as a result of Trump's message to start the new trading week higher. The S&P 500 added 1.56% on Monday while the Nasdaq climbed 2.21% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 1.29%.In Europe on Monday markets closed higher led by a mining rally as investors keep an eye on trade negotiations between the US and China. The STOXX 600 rose 0.44%, Germany's DAX added 0.6%, the French CAC climbed 0.21% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.16%.Across the Asia region on Monday markets closed lower as investors pulled back amid trade tension uncertainty between the world's largest two regions. China's CSI index fell 0.5%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 2.04%, Japan's Nikkei lost 1.01% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 0.72%.Locally to start the new trading week, investor sentiment was dented by Wall Street's Friday tumble and Trump's renewed tariff threats, which led to a broad sell-off on the ASX to start the new week with the key index ending the day down 0.94% in the worst session since mid-September.Gold scaled to a fresh record high again on Monday amid renewed macro and trade uncertainty which fuelled a buying frenzy among the gold miners on Monday with Northern Star (ASX:NST) and Ramelius Resources (ASX:RMS) rising over 1% each while Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) soared over 7%.Treasury Wine Estates (ASX:TWE) tumbled over 11% on Monday after the wine maker scrapped earnings guidance due to weaker-than-expected trading in China, with the company also halting its $200m share buyback which signals elevated trading uncertainty.Margin contraction hurt Fletcher Building (ASX:FBU) on Monday with shares in the company falling almost 2% after a trading update unveiled margin contraction in its heavy building materials volumes.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 2.41% higher at US$59.64/barrel gold is up 2.3% at US$4105/ounce and iron ore is up 0.84% at US$105.74/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.21 US cents, 99.27 Japanese yen, 48.96 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.3% tracking Wall Street's gains overnight. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on COG Financial (ASX:COG) from $2.25 to $2.70 and maintain a buy rating on the diversified conglomerate of Australian distribution businesses following the announcement that the company will acquire a non-controlling interest in its subsidiary Fleet Network for a consideration of $23.9m.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on SGH (ASX:SGH) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 16-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $47.80 to the range of $46.60 to $46.90 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street tumbled on Friday in the worst session in months after Trump took to his social media platform to announce plans for a “massive increase in tariffs on China” amid rising trade negotiation tensions. The S&P500 fell 2.71%, the Nasdaq tumbled 3.56% and the Dow Jones ended the day down 1.9%.In Europe on Friday markets closed lower after Trump threatened heightened tariffs on China which threatens to disrupt the stability of the global trade landscape once again. The STOXX 600 fell 1.3%, Germany's DAX lost 1.4%, the French CAC declined 1.53%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.9%.Across the Asia markets on Friday, it was mostly a sea of red as investors assess the state of trade and economic environments in the region. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.01% on Friday while Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.84%, and China's CSI index ended the day down 1.97%. South Korea's Kospi index was the only market to close with a gain of 1.73% on Friday.The local market ended Friday's trading session with a 0.13% loss as a Gaza peace plan prospect through Israel implanting a ceasefire deal in the strip led to a selloff in gold and oil stocks, while iron ore miners also dipped on further price disputes between China and BHP.L1 Group (ASX:L1G) soared over 11% on Friday after Bell Potter increased the 12-month price target on the company by almost 30% to 90cps amid the stability of growing funds for L1, the increased scale of the combined group, the upside from further cost synergies between L1 Capital and Platinum under the new L1 Group and further acquisitions of teams to bolster the strength of the company.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 4.24% lower at US$58.90/barrel, gold is up 1.02% at US$4015.59/ounce and iron ore is up 0.84% at US$105.74/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.07 US cents, 98.83 Japanese yen, 48.58 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.94%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Develop Global (ASX:DVP) from $5.10 to $5.40 and maintain a buy rating on the hybrid mining services and critical metals producer following the release of the company's updated DFS for its Sulphur Springs Zinc-Copper mining project. DVP's updated Sulphur Springs DFS shows a major uplift in project value (pre-tax NPV8% of $921m) driven by higher metal prices, increased plant throughput (1.5Mtpa), and a 19% reduction in operating costs. This enhances project economics and supports a valuation upgrade to $5.40/share.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Universal Stores (ASX:UNI) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 247 days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $8.87 to the range of $11.50 to $12.20 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Global markets saw a shakeup this week, as AI optimism cooled, global trade tensions rose, and the US government shutdown continued into week two. The uncertainty saw investors pile into gold, sending it above US$4,000/oz for the first time in history, and with central banks stockpiling bullion and rate cuts expected, the gold rush could still have plenty of room to move in FY26. The renewed drivers and tailwinds are fuelling greater momentum for the gold price, with hedge books winding down at a rapid rate.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:• (0:34): rate cuts and valuation gaps – factors driving the gold rush• (2:23): how the record run is affecting Aussie mining stocks• (3:26): highlights from emerging names in the gold sector• (4:51): how the local market performed over the last trading week• (5:33): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week• (6:03): economic news items to look out for next week.

Wall St closed the midweek session back in record territory as investors overlooked the recent AI concerns and government shutdown and bought back into undervalued areas of the market. The S&P500 rose 0.58% to a fresh record close, the Nasdaq added 1.12% to also post a new record high and the Dow Jones ended the day flat. Investors also showed little reaction to the Fed's latest FOMC meeting minutes which were released overnight and covered the first rate cut out of the Fed for 2025.In Europe on Wednesday markets closed higher as investors welcomed tariffs proposed to be imposed on steel imported into the EU. The STOXX 600 rose 0.8%, Germany's DAX added 0.87%, the French CAC climbed 1.07% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.7%.Across the Asia region on Wednesday markets closed mixed while China, Hong Kong and South Korean markets remained closed for a holiday. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.45% on Wednesday while India's Nifty50 ended the day down 0.25%.Locally on Wednesday the ASX200 posted a 0.1% loss at the closing bell as declines in retail and tech stocks, the rate sensitive sectors, outweighed strength within the healthcare sector. Investor concerns around the sustainability of profits among AI providers was the key factor behind the tech pullback yesterday.James Hardie's (ASX:JHX) shares jumped 10% after better-than-expected Q2 sales, led by strong U.S. siding and trim performance. Stable distributor inventories and good cost control helped margins for the building materials maker. While new home construction is soft, renovation demand for premium materials remains resilient, highlighting how well-positioned companies can still perform despite ongoing sector challenges.The price of gold reached new heights on Wednesday topping US$4000/ounce for the first time in history which extended the recent rally for some local gold miners including Minerals260 (ASX:MI6) soaring over 10%, while investors took the chance to take some profits off the table from key gold miners like Northern Star (ASX:NST) and Newmont (ASX:NEM) following a prolonged period of share price appreciation.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.07% higher at US$62.39/barrel, gold is up a further 1.24% at US$4035.14/ounce and iron ore is up 0.07% at US$104.29/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.88 US cents, 100.59 Japanese yen, 49.06 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.Ahead of Thursday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up a sharp 0.42%. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of CAR Group (ASX:CAR) with a buy rating and 12-month price target of $42.20. The analyst has a Buy rating on CAR Group due to its strong global portfolio, consistent earnings growth, and exposure to underpenetrated markets with clear pathways for value creation. Trading at a 24% discount to peers, CAR offers an attractive risk-adjusted return profile compared to other ASX-listed classifieds like REA (ASX:REA) and SEEK (ASX:SEK).And Bell Potter maintains a Buy rating on Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) and raises its price target to $10.30/share due to stronger uranium market fundamentals, stable ramp-up at Langer Heinrich Mine, and upward adjustments to cash and share estimates. The stock remains undervalued relative to peers, with further upside potential as its Patterson Lake South project is de-risked.

In the US, all 3 major indexes snapped their winning streaks with overnight slides. The Dow Jones fell 0.2%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.4%, and the tech heavy Nasdaq was hit the hardest, closing down 0.7% , largely spurred by Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) stocks losing steam. In Europe overnight, markets closed mixed on Tuesday as government shake ups weighed on key areas of the market, while a materials rally offset some weakness. The STOXX 600 lost 0.15% on Tuesday while Germany's DAX added 0.03%, the French CAC climbed 0.04% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.05%.  Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed in the region as chip-stocks saw volatility while Japanese government bonds rose to all-time highs. Japan's Nikkei closed flat on Tuesday, and India's Nifty 50 rose 0.12% while Hong Kong, China and South Korean markets were all closed for a holiday. The local market started the new trading week lower amid with a 0.27% decline on Tuesday amid lower trading volumes and a broad sell-off amongst the market. Gold miners offset some of the losses again yesterday with the price of the precious commodity once again soaring to new heights amid looming US interest rate cuts and the prospect of a prolonged US government shutdown driving demand for the safe-haven commodity. Australian Westpac Consumer Confidence data for October came in at a sharp decline of -3.5%, starkly different to the forecast rise of 3.1% as family finances weaken and economic uncertainty remains a concern. This weighed on the consumer discretionary sector yesterday as investors see falling consumer confidence as a sign of lower discretionary spend to come.Web Travel (ASX:WEB) shares jumped over 2.5% after the hotel B2B organisation spun out of WebJet Group announced it was on track to deliver record EBITDA for FY26, while Brisbane Broncos (ASX:BBL)shares fell 12.8% a day after climbing over 20% as investors took some profits from the winning NRL team's record close on Monday. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.24% lower at US$61.54/barrel, gold is up 0.63% at US$3987/ounce and iron ore is down 0.25% at US$104.22/tonne.Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.04%. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter have maintained their buy rating on biotechnology company Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) and raised the price target to $4 per share, after recent developments that its flagship drug Ryoncil has received a brand new J-Code in the US, allowing hospitals broader access to reimbursement when ordering the drug, and therefore increased projected revenue for Mesoblast. Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in QBE Insurance Group (ASX:QBE), indicating that the share price may rise from the close of $21.20 per share, to the range of $22.30 to $22.60 according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall Street closed mostly higher on Monday as investor optimism increased for M&A as two major deals were announced for Comerica and AMD separately. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, the Nasdaq gained 0.8% on Monday and the Dow Jones ended the day down 0.1%. AMD shares rose 23% on Monday after the company reached a deal with OpenAI to supply the leading AI generator with AI chips which could ultimately end up giving the ChatGPT maker a 10% stake in the chipmaker. Meanwhile, Comerica shares jumped 10% after Fifth Third Bancorp reached a deal to buy the fellow regional U.S. bank for US$10.9bn in an all-stock transaction.In Europe overnight, markets closed mostly lower with the STOXX 600 closing flat as did Germany's DAX closed flat, while the French CAC lost 1% after the country's new prime minister called it quits after less than a month, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.13%.Across the Asia region on Monday, markets closed mixed led by Japan's Nikkei soaring 4% to a fresh record after the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected conservative Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, positioning her to become the country's first female Prime Minister. Elsewhere in the region, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.67% and India's Nifty 50 ended the day up 0.74%.Locally to start the new trading week the ASX200 closed just 0.07% lower as a tech and healthcare sell-off offset strength among the materials and utilities stocks.  Gold and copper spot prices reaching a record and 16-month high respectively buoyed local producers yesterday with the outlook for continued momentum for both critical metals to extend for some time to come.Brisbane Broncos (ASX:BBL) shares soared 27% on Monday to a record close after the club's 19-year grand final winning drought ended on Sunday with the team taking out the winning title for 2025.What to watch today: On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.5% higher at US$61.79/barrel, gold is up a further almost 2% to yet another record US$3962.58/ounce and iron ore is up 0.25% at US$104.36/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy 66.19 U.S. cents, 99.47 Japanese yen, 49.19 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.16%. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has resumed coverage of Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) with a buy rating and 12-month price target of $30.00, up from $20.85 as the analyst sees NST as a stable, low-risk gold producer entering a phase of free-cash-flow harvesting in FY27 following the $1.5bn investment in the KCGM mill expansion from 12 million tonnes per annum to 27 million tonnes per annum.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Ventia Services Group (ASX:VNT) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 15-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $5.24 to the range of $5.85 to $6.00 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

This week's news was a mixed bag on the commodities front - the gold rush continued as the precious commodity soared to fresh record highs, while on the other end iron ore and lithium saw volatility off the back of major news coming out of China. Meanwhile, the US Federal Government saw its first shutdown in 7 years, sending ripples through global markets for investors.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:36): gold's record-breaking run & what's driving the rally(2:04): China's ban on BHP imports; what it means for investors(3:24): another twist in the tale for Lithium(4:12): the impact of the US Government shutdown on the market(5:39): how the local market performed over the last trading week(6:27): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week(6:57): economic news items to look out for next week.

Overnight Wall St saw second consecutive record setting day, with the S&P500 closing up 0.34% to a new all time high. The Nasdaq also rose 0.42%, and the Dow Jones added 0.09% as investors remain confident that the US Federal Government shutdown will be brief and have little impact on the economy. European markets also saw a positive session, largely spurred by gains in the healthcare sector. This comes as a deal between Pfizer and Donald Trump to lower prescription drug prices in the Medicaid program in exchange for tariff relief was announced, sparking relief and optimism for the sector. The Stoxx600 gained 1.15%, the UK's FTSE index added 1.03%, the German DAX closed up 0.98% and the French CAC gained 0.98%. Locally yesterday, the ASX closed nearly flat, declining just 0.03%. Despite 8 of the 11 sectors closing in the green, the market was weighed down by declines in the materials and consumer discretionary sectors. Lithium in particular was hit hard upon further news that Chinese mining giant CATL had received government approval to reopen its biggest mine, sparking oversupply worries. The defence sector, specifically counter-drone technology stocks continued their remarkable run yesterday, continuing its momentum from the EU's recent commitment to the drone wall along its Eastern flank. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) surged 21%, while fellow company in the space Elsight (ASX:ELS) added 29%.What to watch today:Looking ahead to today, the SPI futures indicate that the ASX200 will open up 0.5% tracking the recent gains overseas recently. In commodities, crude oil is trading down 1.02% today at $61 us dollars and 73 cents per barrel. Gold is trading up another 0.07% at 3861 US dollars per ounce, and silver is trading up another 1.27% at 47 US dollars per ounce, adding to its over 7% surge so far this week. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained its Buy rating on Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) and upgraded its price target to $49 per share on the back of its strong expected cash flow from iron ore sales. Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CUV), indicating that the share price may rise from its current closing price of $12 per share, to the range of $15.10 to $15.90 over a period of 25 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall St closed higher on Tuesday as investors overlooked government shutdown fears to post an unusually strong month of September. The Dow Jones rose 0.18% to close at a fresh record high while the Nasdaq added 0.31% and the S&P500 ended the day up 0.41%.With a potential government shutdown looming, investors have been wary about a slowing labour market, the risk of stagflation and elevated stock valuation, so although government shutdowns aren't usually market-moving events, this time we could see market movements as a result. In Europe overnight, markets closed higher led by Germany's DAX rising 0.57%, while the STOXX 600 gained 0.5%, the French CAC climbed 0.19% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.54%. Across the Asia markets on Tuesday, markets traded mixed as the latest data out of China showed manufacturing activity contracted for a 6th straight month, with the manufacturing PMI index coming in at 49.8 points. While still in contraction mode, the reading was better than economists were expecting and the strongest reading since March. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.25%, and South Korea's Kospi index lost 0.19%, while China's CSI index gained 0.45%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.95%.The local market closed 0.2% lower on Tuesday following a lacklustre session on Wall St on Monday and investors digested comments out of RBA Governor Michele Bullock after Australia's central bank maintained the current cash rate at 3.6% for the next period. Materials and industrials stocks bucked the trend yesterday to close higher while energy stocks were the hardest hit amid declining oil prices.Ms Bullock said market services inflation remains sticky and has been a key sticking point for the RBA's rate journey over the last year adding to the difficult decisions made around Australia's rate outlook pathway. For this reason, the RBA was content in holding the cash rate at the conclusion of yesterday's meeting for the period ahead.Seven West Media (ASX:SWM) and Southern Cross Media (ASX:SXL) shares rose over 7% and over 6% respectively yesterday on news of a proposed merger between the Australian media giants, while Restaurant Brands New Zealand soared almost 60% after receiving a takeover offer from its majority shareholder, Finaccess Restauracion, a Mexican company.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.5% lower at US$62.51/barrel, gold is up 0.33% at yet another record US$3845.83/ounce and iron ore is trading 0.09% lower at US$105.35/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback overnight to buy 66.16 US cents, 97.82 Japanese Yen, 49.17 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.12%. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Pantoro (ASX:PNR) from $2.15 to $2.80 and maintain a hold rating on the diversified mining services group as shares have climbed 130% in one year but some key catalysts and tailwinds including the gold price and new contract wins, are driving a strong growth outlook for the company which led the analyst to increase the 12-month PT and maintain a hold.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Infratil (ASX:IFT) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 54-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $10.73 to the range of $9.40 to $9.70 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed higher across the major averages on Monday as investors bought back into the AI darlings a week after scepticism rose around the sustainable growth of the sector. The S&P500 gained 0.2%, the Nasdaq rose 0.48% and the Dow Jones ended Monday's session up 0.15%. Shares of game maker EA Games rallied 4.5% after the company announced it's going to be taken private in an acquisition worth US$55bn.In Europe overnight markets closed higher to start the new trading week in the green. The STOXX600 rose 0.34%, Germany's DAX added 0.02%, the French CAC climbed 0.13% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.16%.Across the Asia region on Monday markets closed mixed with Japan's Nikkei falling 0.69%, while South Korea's Kospi index added 1.33%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.9% and China's CSI index gained 1.54%.Locally to start the new trading week, a healthcare rebound pushed the ASX to a positive close with the key index rallying 0.9% while the spot price of gold also reset a fresh record, propelling gold miners to new heights.Defence stocks were all the rage for investors yesterday with DroneShield soaring over 18% while EOS climbed almost 13% amid a tense backdrop in Europe with NATO boosting air-defence assets in response to new drone incursions at a key military base in Denmark last week. EOS also released a sales update yesterday revealing it is expecting full year revenue from existing contracts to be $115m to $125m in FY25 however, new orders could boost this by $25m in addition to its contract backlog with an estimated value of $299m.Synlait Milk share jumped 15% following the release of the company's full-year results yesterday. The dairy processor reported a more than twofold increase in underlying EBITDA, reaching NZ$107.2 million for FY 2025. Additionally, Synlait announced an agreement to sell its North Island assets to global healthcare giant Abbott Laboratories in a deal expected to generate around NZ$307 million in proceeds. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 3.86% lower at US$63.18/barrel; gold is up 1.63% at a fresh record US$3829/ounce and iron ore is down 0.09% at US$105.35/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.78 US cents, 97.75 Japanese yen, 48.91 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 14 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.17%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on Electro Optic Systems (ASX:EOS) from $5.70 to $11 and maintain a buy rating on the Australian defence manufacturer specialising in advanced weapon systems and satellite tracking technology company following an update out yesterday including revenue guidance weaker than Bell Potter expected in the near term but strong tailwinds driving the long-term growth of the sector. Bell Potter has upgraded the 12-month TP reflecting a higher CY26e EV/EBITDA multiple due to strengthened confidence in longer term revenue growth.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on HMC Capital (ASX:HMC) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 29-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $3.23 to the range of $2.55 to $2.65 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed higher on Friday after personal consumption price index, the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, came in as expected at 2.9% for the month of August. The major indices snapped a 3-day losing streak on Friday with the S&P500 rising 0.6%, while the Nasdaq added 0.44% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.65%, but for the week the key indices each posted a loss.In Europe on Friday markets closed mostly higher led by the French CAC and FTSE 100 rising 0.97% and 0.96% respectively while the STOXX 600 added 0.8% and Germany's DAX ended the day up 0.87%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets closed lower as investors assessed the 100% healthcare tariffs announced by Trump and continue to monitor trade tensions between the world's largest economies. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.35%, India's Nifty 50 declined 0.95%, Japan's Nikkei lost 0.87% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 2.45%.Locally on Friday the ASX200 posted a 0.17% rise on Friday as a materials rally offset weakness among healthcare and utilities stocks.Healthcare stocks tumbled on Friday after President Trump announced 100% tariffs on pharmaceutical companies.Pro Medicus (ASX:PME), CSL (ASX:CSL) and Telix (ASX:TLX) dropped between 2% and 3% on Friday, and even Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) and Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CU6) were caught up in the sell off despite both companies confirming their products were exempt from the new tariffs.Vulcan Energy (ASX:VUL) jumped 15% on a new contract signing to the value of $179m with a consortium to develop and build a geothermal power plant in Germany, while IperionX (ASX:IPX) rose 5.4% after receiving an additional US$25m award from the US department of War to strengthen the country's defence strategy. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.32% higher at US$65.19/barrel, gold is up 0.5% at US$3768/ounce and iron ore is down 0.09% at US$105.44/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.45 US cents, 97.92 Japanese yen, 48.91 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 13 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.24%Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on Pantoro Gold (ASX:PNR) from a sell to a hold and have raised the 12-month price target on the gold production and development company from $4.40 to $5.35 following the release of the company's FY25 results including a $112m turnaround from a $46m loss in FY24 to a $66m profit in FY25. PNR has demonstrated a step-change in cash generation and is on track for gold production growth YOY, as well as multiple production sources are now established, de-risking the outlook which led to the rating upgrades.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Karoon Energy (ASX:KAR) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 19-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.73 to the range of $1.87 to $1.91 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

September's volatility carried into this week, with global AI concerns, inflation, and visa uncertainties weighing on sentiment. Meanwhile, gold surged to record highs, giving local miners a boost.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:12): Global market volatility and gold hitting new record highs(0:35): Australia's latest monthly CPI print and implications for the RBA(2:30): unemployment holding at 4.2% and what this means for stability(2:58): GDP growth of 0.6% QoQ and signs of a rebound in per capita terms(4:45): how the ASX200 performed this week so far(5:35): most traded stocks and ETFs by Bell Direct clients this week(6:07): key data to watch next week – RBA decision, trade balance, US jobs & China PMI

Wall St continued its slide overnight, with all 3 of the major indices closing in the red for the second straight day. Investors continue to pull back from the AI industry with Nvidia sliding 1% and Oracle nearly 2%, as concerns about overvaluation persist. The broader market closed down 0.28%, the Dow Jones fell 0.37%, and the Nasdaq ended the session down 0.34%, as the AI slide was countered by a nearly 6% surge for Intel, after Bloomberg reported the chipmaker is seeking an investment from Apple.Europe saw a mixed session overnight – the UK's FTSE and German DAX both saw overnight gains or 0.29% and 0.23% respectively, while the French CAC fell over half a percent, and the broader STOXX 600 closed down 0.19%.Locally yesterday, the ASX saw its worst trading day in 3 weeks, ending the session with a 0.92% decline. A large catalyst for the drop was ABS report that consumer prices rose 3.0% in the year to August, which was higher than economists had predicted – indicating that inflation remains sticky.  9 of the 11 major sectors closed lower, with only energy and utilities seeing gains, largely driven by a rise in oil prices. The financial sector took the biggest hit, especially the big 4 banks, which all slid between 1.5% and 3% on the day. What to watch today: Looking ahead to today, the SPI futures indicate the ASX continue to slide, predicting a 0.47% drop at the open.In commodities, Crude Oil is trading up 2.09% at 64 US dollars and 73 cents per barrel after Donald Trump ramped up his hawkish rhetoric against Russia, sparking concerns about supply limitations.Gold is trading down 0.62% at 3740 US dollars per ounce, and Iron or is trading flat at $105.50 per Tonne.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has maintained its buy rating on Regal Partners (ASX:RPL) and increased the target price from $3.55 per share to $4.10 per share, off the back of a report that the company's end of August funds under management (FUM) reached $19.2billion, which beat forecasts.Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Champion Iron (ASX:CIA), indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $4.59 per share to the range of $3.30 to $3.50 per share over a period of 101 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

In the US overnight Wall St closed lower as investors pulled back from the recent AI run on comments made by Fed Chair Jerome Powell around equity prices being highly valued at present. The S&P500 closed 0.55% lower in afternoon trade, while the Nasdaq saw the biggest fall of 0.95%, and the Dow Jones is closed 0.19% lower so far on Tuesday.In Europe overnight it was a different story with markets closing in the green following the record strength on Wall St on Monday. The STOXX 600 rose 0.4%, Germany's DAX added 0.36%, the French CAC climbed 0.54% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day flat.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mostly higher buoyed by a tech rally in the region after Nvidia announced a partnership with OpenAI. Taiwan's Taiex index rose 1.42% to a record high, while South Korea's Kospi index climbed 0.51%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.99% and India's Nifty 50 ended the day down 0.13%.The local market started the new trading week with an extension of last week's rally as investor optimism has been boosted by strength on Wall St and the gold price soaring to new records which has boosted gold stocks to new heights. On Tuesday, the ASX200 posted a 0.4% gain at the closing bell as financial and materials stocks led the day's winning sectors.Myer (ASX:MYR) plunged over 30% on Tuesday after the department store giant released its FY25 results including a slight sales increase, but investors were more focused on responding to the 13.8% decline in EBIT while NPAT fell 30% YoY to $36.8m. The company also reported gross margins for Myer DS down 65bps due to a mix change toward concessions and promotional activity, and reported a statutory net loss of $211.2m primarily due to the acquisition of Premier Investments' apparel brands in January.Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) rallied a further 6% yesterday after announcing that the US Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services has granted Transitional Pass-Through (TPT) payment status for Telix's Gozellix drug candidate which is the company's next-generation PSMA-PET imaging agent for prostate cancer.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.97% higher at US$63.50/barrel, gold is up 0.84% at US$3778/ounce and iron ore is flat at US$105.49/tonne.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.35% tracking Wall Street's slide overnight.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has maintained its hold rating on Technology One (ASX:TNE) and lifted its target price from $35.75 per share to $38.22 per share, ahead of its annual showcase event where the company's new products and developments will be highlighted.And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Navigator Global Investments (ASX:NGI), indicating that the stock may rise from the close of $1.20 to the range of $2.43 to $2.51 over a period of 21 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street started the new trading week with some fresh records as big names like Nvidia boosted investor optimism about the future of AI. The S&P500 rose 0.44% to hit a fresh record high at the close while the Nasdaq jumped 0.7% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.14%. Nvidia shares rose 3.9% on Monday after announcing a partnership with OpenAI through the investment of $100bn to build out data centres. Across European markets overnight it was mostly a sea of red as investors continue to assess President Trump's visa crackdown. The STOXX 600 fell 0.5%, Germany's DAX lost 0.48%, the French CAC fell 0.3% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.11%.Across Asia markets on Monday, markets closed mixed as investors in the region also responded to Trump's hefty H-1B visa fees. Indian tech stocks fell overnight 3% in response to the newly imposed visa fees, while Japan's Nikkei rose 0.99%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.76%, and South Korea's Kospi index gained 0.68%.Locally to start the new trading week, the ASX200 posted a 0.43% gain amid a boost in commodity prices driving a rally for materials stocks, especially in the form of gold after the price of the precious metal hit yet another fresh recover overnight over US$3700/ounce.Regis Healthcare (ASX:REG) shares plunged 26% on Tuesday after the company warned that the Federal Government's 4.7% funding increase for aged care was below expectations and won't cover rising staff costs, creating a funding gap. As a result, Regis downgraded its earnings outlook, guiding to only modest EBITDA growth (3–7%) for FY2025, disappointing investors and sparking a sharp sell-off on Monday.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.13% lower at US$62.32/barrel, gold is up a further 1.71% to a fresh record US$3747/ounce and iron ore is trading 0.05% at US$105.49/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 66.02 US cents, 97.50 Japanese yen, 47.06 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 12 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.19% tracking Wall Street's gains overnight. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Generation Development (ASX:GDG) with a buy and a 12-month price target of $8.20. Generation Development Group (GDG) is a financial services company that offers a range of tax-effective investment solutions, annuities, managed accounts and research services. The analyst sees GDG as a Buy due to its transformative earnings growth, strategic acquisitions, strong managed accounts positioning, supportive regulatory tailwinds, and a major vote of confidence from BlackRock, all pointing to a long runway for scalable, high-margin growth.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Acrow (ASX:ACF) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 337-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.06 to the range of $1.30 to $1.36 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed higher on Friday and for the week as investors welcomed the Fed's rate cut decision on Thursday last week. The Nasdaq rose 0.72%, the S&P500 rallied 0.5% and the Dow Jones gained 0.37% to hit a fresh record at the close. For the week, the Nasdaq added 2.2% while the Dow and S&P500 gained 1% and 1.2% respectively.Apple shares led the gains on Friday with a 3.2% spike after the company's latest iPhone went on sale.In Europe on Friday markets closed lower as investors focused on trade and the state of the European economy. The STOXX600 fell 0.04%, Germany's DAX lost 0.15%, the French CAC declined just 0.01%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.12%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets closed lower after the Bank of Japan held rates steady amid concerns of external volatility impacting Japan's inflation journey. Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed flat, India's Nifty 50 declined 0.55%, and Japan's Nikkei fell 0.57%.Locally on Friday the ASX200 posted a positive end to the week amid fresh records on Wall St on Thursday and a healthcare rally locally fuelling a 0.3% gain at the closing bell.For the week, the key index lost 1.03% as a sharp sell off in energy stocks weighed down the key index.Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) did much of the heavy lifting in the healthcare sector on Friday with a 7.5% rally after Citi initiated coverage of the commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company with a buy rating, indicating its prostate cancer drug candidate has the potential to become a ‘blockbuster drug'.Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) also benefited from Citi's expanded coverage with a rally of 5.5% after Citi named PME among its favourite stock picks for the healthcare sector.What to watch today:Gold miners locally extended their run on Friday as the recent gold spot price rally continued with the price of gold topping US$3659 on Friday. Northern Star Resources added 0.9% on Friday while Evolution Mining ended the day up 1.52%.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.34% lower at US$62.72/barrel, gold is up 1.12% at US$3684.75/ounce and iron ore is up 0.2% at US$105.44/tonne.The Aussie dollar has slightly weakened against the greenback to buy 65.96 U.S. cents, 97.63 Japanese yen, 48.85 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 12 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.27% tracking Wall Street's gains on Friday. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Orica (ASX:ORI) with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of $23.00 as the analyst sees Orica is well-positioned for strong near-term earnings growth across its diversified segments, driven by high-margin products, favourable pricing, and operational improvements. Additionally, the company is on track for de-leveraging and increasing shareholder returns, making it an attractive investment opportunity.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on ResMed (ASX:RMD) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 19-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $41.21 to the range of $45.30 to $46.20 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

This edition of the weekly wrap brings you a special insights package direct from the Resources Rising Stars conference. Over two days, we caught up with some of the industry's mining magnates and emerging leaders to discuss the outlook for gold, copper, uranium, and lithium, along with company updates from the helm.You can view highlights from the conference in this week's video. In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(1:11): Tim Goyder on Minerals 260's gold strategy(3:01): Bill Beament on Develop Global's copper outlook(4:49): new gold explorers Arika Resources & Gorilla Gold(6:38): Firefly Metals' copper-gold project and share price rally(7:32): FY26 commodity outlooks: gold, copper, uranium, lithium(8:12): how the local market performed over the last trading week(9:04): the most traded stocks and ETFs by Bell Direct clients this week(9:36): key economic data to watch next week.

The big news out of the US overnight was confirmation that the Fed would deliver its widely expected 25 basis point rate cut. Fed Chair Jerome Powell in his press conference said the move should be considered a “risk management cut”, in response to the weakening job market, and growing inflationary pressures. In response to the cut, Wall Street saw a volatile trading session close mixed overnight. The Dow Jones soared 0.57%, boosted by stocks which benefit from the rate cut, such as Walmart, JP Morgan and American Express. On the other end, the S&P 500 closed down 0.1%, and the NASDAQ saw a 0.33% decline as investors took profits from the high flying tech stocks, with big names like Nvidia, Oracle and Palantir all slipping. Europe also saw a mixed session overnight - the FTSE and German DAX both saw gains overnight, closing 0.14 and 0.13% higher respectively. Meanwhile, the French CAC declined 0.4%, and the Stoxx600 closed slightly down 0.03% It was a tough day locally as the ASX 200 closed down 0.67%, with 8 of the 11 key sectors in the red.  The real estate and consumer discretionary sectors were hit the hardest, which can likely be attributed to the fact that these are the most sensitive sectors to interest rate cuts, and so investors were bailing out prior to the fed announcement.  What to watch today:Looking forward to today, the SPI futures suggest the ASX will continue its slide, opening down 0.17% for the trading session. In commodities, Crude Oil is trading 0.85% lower at 63 US dollars and 97 cents per barrel. Similarly, gold is trading 0.86% lower at 3659.US dollars and 87 cents per ounce, and Iron Ore is trading 0.11% lower at 105 US dollars and 30 cents per tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained its buy recommendation for cardiac therapy producers EBR Systems (ASX:EBR) with a target price of $2.25 per share, as they recently cleared the final hurdle towards a successful commercial launch of their cardiac rhythm disease treatment WiSE. Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Steadfast Group (ASX:SDF), indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $6.07 per share to the range of $5.56-$5.66 per share over a period of 9 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

The US overnight saw a decline with all 3 of the major indexes closing in the red, as investors take some profits ahead of the Fed's highly anticipated rate decision. The S&P500 closed down 0.13%, the Nasdaq fell 0.07% and the Dow Jones saw the biggest decline, ending the day down 0.27%Across European markets overnight it was a sea of red with the STOXX 600 falling 1.2%, while Germany's DAX tumbled 1.8%, the French CAC fell 1% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.88%. Asian markets closed Tuesday's session higher as progress on trade talks between China and the US continued to boost investor sentiment for a second session in the region. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.3% to top 45,000 index points for the first time ever, while South Korea's Kospi index rose 1.24% to also reset its record high, India's Nifty 50 also gained 0.68% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended the day flat. The local market started the new trading week lower before recovering ground to close 0.28% higher on Tuesday as a surge in energy and discretionary stocks offset weakness among healthcare stocks. Investors welcomed comments out of the RBA on Tuesday signalling Australia's central bank has nearly achieved its inflation goal, successfully bringing inflation close to target while maintaining low unemployment and easing cost-of-living pressures, with wages now outpacing prices.Super Retail Group (ASX:SUL) fell 4.3% on Tuesday after the managing director and CEO was let go over a personal event.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning: Oil is trading 1.92% higher at US$64.52/barrelGold is up 0.3% at US$3689/ounce Iron ore is up 0.1% at US$105.42/tonneAhead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.45% tracking Wall Street's sell-off on Tuesday.Trading ideas:Bell Potter have maintained their buy rating on gold miner Alkane Resources (ASX:ALK), and increased their 12-month target price to $1.45 per share off the back of its recently completed merger with Canadian listed gold producer Mandalay Resources. At it current share price  of around $1 per share, this implies a 45% share price growth in a year. And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Universal Store Holdings (ASX:UNI), indicating that the share price may rise from the close of $8.50 per share to the range of $11.20 to $11.80 per share over a period of 229 days according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Positive trade talks between China and the U.S. boosted investor sentiment on Wall Street on Monday, leading to a positive finish across the major averages. The S&P500 climbed 0.5% to a fresh record high over 6000 points for the first time while the Nasdaq added 0.9% to also hit a fresh record close and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.1%. U.S. and Chinese officials met for a second day with progress on the trade front said to be moving well on top of talks around the sale of Chinese owned social media company, TikTok.In Europe overnight markets closed mostly higher as investors welcome trade negotiation progress between the U.S. and China. The STOXX600 rose 0.4%, Germany's DAX added 0.2%, the French CAC climbed 1% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.1%.Across the Asia region on Monday markets closed mixed with Hong Kong's Hang Seng rising 0.23%, while China's CSI index gained 0.24%, South Korea's Kospi index rose to a fresh record high with a gain of 0.35%, and Japan's Nikkei was closed for a holiday.Locally on Monday the ASX200 posted a 0.13% loss to start the new trading week lower.The losses extended from last week as investors overlooked the widely expected US rate cut announcement next week and instead sold out of healthcare and gold mining stocks to start the new trading week lower.The most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients yesterday were led by Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN), CSL (ASX:CSL) and Westpac (ASX:WBC).What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.2% higher at US$63.31/barrel, gold is up a further 1.07% at US$3681/ounce and iron ore is trading 0.11% lower at US$105.31/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 66.73 U.S. cents, 98.32 Japanese yen, 49.04 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 12 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up almost half a %.Trading ideas:Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Adairs (ASX:ADH) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 12-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $2.62 to the range of $3.15-$3.30 according to standard principles of technical analysis.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on The A2 Milk Company (ASX:A2M) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 7-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $9.10 to the range of $8.30 to $8.45 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mixed on Friday as investors remain optimistic of a rate cut out of the Fed this week after core US inflation remained steady at 3.1% in August. The Nasdaq had a perfect week, notching another record close on Friday by ending the day up 0.44% while the S&P500 hovered flat most of the day before settling up just 0.05%, and the Dow jones ended the day down 0.59%.The S&P 500 gained 1.6% for the week, marking its strongest weekly showing since early August and its fifth advance in the past six weeks. The Nasdaq notched a second straight week of gains with a 2% rise, while the Dow climbed 1% for the week, breaking a two-week losing streak.In Europe on Friday markets closed flat as fresh economic data out of the UK showed economic growth stalled in July. The STOXX600 closed the session flat, Germany's DAX lost just 0.02%, the French CAC added just 0.02%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.15%.Across the Asia region on Friday, markets closed mostly higher tracking Wall Street gains on Thursday. Japan's Nikkei added 0.9%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 1.14%, China's CSI index fell 0.57%, and India's Nifty 50 ended the day up 0.43%. Alibaba shares soared over 7% on Friday after the company initiated moves to secure its place in China's AI boom.What to watch today:Locally to end the last trading week the ASX200 posted a 0.68% rise on Friday as a materials led rally boosted the key index to a strong finish on Friday.Gold stocks were a key standout over the last trading week as the price of the precious commodity soared to fresh record highs throughout the week, topping US$3674/ounce. Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) soared 6.4% on Friday while Ramelius Resources (ASXRMS) added 2.8% and Bellevue Gold (ASX:BGL) ended the day up over 7%.The most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients on Friday were led by healthcare companies in 4D Medical (ASX:4DX), CSL (ASX:CSL) and Pro Medicus (ASX:PME).On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.43% higher at US$62.56/barrel, gold is up 0.3% at US$3642.37/ounce and iron ore is up 0.24% at US$105.43/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 66.52 US cents, 98.19 Japanese yen, 48.96 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 12 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the new trading week down 0.67%. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Select Harvests (ASX:SHV) from $5.30 to $5.45 and maintain a buy rating on the almond producer following a rebound in almond pricing, with a rally of prices up around 26% from the bottom to now sit around US$3.11/pound.And Bell Potter has also increased the 12-month price target on Jumbo Interactive (ASX:JIN) from $11.20 to $11.50 and maintain a hold rating on the e-commerce digital lotteries business following the company announcing it has entered into a long-term software licence agreement with RSL Queensland to power RSL Queensland's flagship Dream Home Art Union lottery program.

With the ASX200 recovering some of September's lost ground this trading week, this week's wrap collates the key insights from Bell Potter's analysts that joined us this week for our webinar, Managing Market Volatility, where we unpacked the key highlights and lowlights of reporting season, discussed tactics to navigate volatility and provided outlook for FY26. You can view some of the highlights in this week's video, and below is the link to the full recording of the webinar in case you missed it live. Webinar link - Managing Market Volatility with Grady Wulff, Chris Savage, Rob Crookston and John Hester: https://youtu.be/vSm9tnwr0-I In this weekly wrap Grady covers: (0:30): how the ASX recovered some ground this trading week (1:30): Rob Crookston's outlook for FY26 & key reporting season findings (3:24): Chris Savage's analysis & tech valuations of FY25 reporting season(4:48): Chris' outlook for tech and two smaller names to watch in FY26(5:44): John Hester's findings from the healthcare sector this reporting season(6:52): how the local market performed over the last trading week(7:51): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week(8:22): economic calendar news items to look out for next week – China and US in focus.

In the US, Wall St saw a mixed trading session overnight. The S&P500 and NASDAQ both closed at fresh record highs, with a 0.3% gain for the former and a 0.03% gain for the latter.  In contrast, the Dow Jones saw a decline of 0.48%, largely bogged down by a tough day for Apple shares as the new iPhone announcement failed to impress investors.Europe also saw a mixed session. The Stoxx600 edged slightly down 0.02%, the FTSE ended down 0.19%, the DAX saw the biggest decline, ending down 0.36%, while the French CAC actually advanced 0.15%.Locally yesterday the ASX200 advanced 0.31%, with 9 of the 11 key sectors closing in the green. The market was weighed down by a tough day for material stocks, which fell 1.7% off the back of news that Chinese lithium mining giant CATL will resume operations in its Jianxi mine earlier than expected, causing Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) and Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) to tank 18% each. What to watch today:The SPI futures indicate the ASX200 will open the trading session down 0.23%. In commodities, Crude Oil saw a 1.65% price jump to 63 US dollars and 66 cents overnight as Poland downed drones in its airspace, and the US pushed for new sanctions on buyers of Russian oil, sparking worries about possible supply disruptions. Meanwhile, gold prices continue to increase, trading up 0.43% to 3642 US dollars and 90 cents per ounce, while iron ore is trading down 0.26% to 105 US dollars and 80 cents per tonne. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has maintained their buy rating on agricultural chemicals supplier Nufarm (ASX:NUF) off the back of solid earnings season results. With a target price of $3.55 per share, this implies a 44% increase over 12 months from the current share prices of $2.28. Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in BlueScope Steel (ASX:BSL), indicating that the stock price may fall from the closing price of $22.20 per share to the range of $20-20.40 over a period of 17 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

The three major averages on Wall St rose to record territory on Tuesday as investors looked past current concerns over the US economic stability and bought into market opportunities. The Dow Jones rose added 0.43%, the S&P500 climbed 0.27% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.37%. Revisions to payrolls data of late has been the key catalyst spooking investors with the latest revision by the labour department coming in at a reduction of 911,000 for the 12-months to March this year signalling weakness in the US labour stability. In Europe overnight, markets closed mostly higher with the STOXX600 rising 0.09%, while Germany's DAX fell 0.37%, the French CAC added 0.23% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.23%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed with Japan's Nikkei falling 0.42% while South Korea's Kospi index gained 1.26%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.19% and China's CSI index fell 0.7%.The local market sell-off to start September has extended into the new trading week with the key index ending Tuesday's session down 0.52% as investor sentiment has been hit lately by further tariff, US economic and rate outlook uncertainty.Westpac consumer confidence data for September and NAB business confidence data for August were also both released yesterday with declines in both readings more than economists were expecting amid uncertainty on an economic level.Energy stocks continued their slide this week following OPEC+'s weekend decision to increase production of oil starting in October.Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) gained over 2% after reaching a deal with the US Food and Drug Administration to file a revised application for its brain cancer imaging agent, incorporating further clinical data. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.71% higher at US$62.71/barrel, gold is up 0.12% at US$3640/ounce and iron ore is up 0.42% at US$104.93/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.84 US cents, 97.06 Japanese Yen, 48.62 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 11 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.05%. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC) from $7.65 to $9.35 and maintain a sell rating on the leading rare earths producer following the company highlighting its ‘Towards 2030 strategy'. The analyst sees LYC is priced for perfection, with little room for error, highlighting FY25 had higher depreciation which drove a miss on results, however, does recognise that the current themes pushing LYC higher are likely to persist as tailwinds over the short term.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Breville Group (ASX:BRG) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 33-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $30.89 to the range of $25 - $26.25 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

In the US, Wall Street advanced overnight, with all 3 of the key indexes in the green. The Dow Jones ended the day 0.25% higher, the S&P500 gained 0.21%, while the tech heavy nasdaq was the biggest winner, advancing 0.45% - mainly driven by a solid start to the week from giants Nvidia and Microsoft.Europe also saw gains overnight – the stoxx600 closed 0.52% higher, the FTSE gained 0.14%, the French CAC saw a 0.78% increase, while the German Dax took the biggest step, ending the day up 0.89%.Locally yesterday, the September sell-down continued as the ASX200 fell another 0.24% to open the new trading week. With 8 of the 11 key sectors in the red, information technology was one of the few areas gaining any traction, driven by a 6% rally for Life360 (ASX:360), and a 1.9% jump for Wisetech Global (ASX:WTC).What to watch today:Looking ahead to today, despite the rally overseas the ASX is set to fall further, with SPI futures indicating a 0.35% decline at the open.In commodities, Gold remains the biggest story as it hit a fresh all time high on Monday crossing the $3600 US dollars per ounce threshold for the first time. It is currently trading up 1.15%, at 3634 us dollars and 10 cents per ounce. Demand for gold continues to grow primarily from the economic data coming out of the US – as data showed that unemployment has reached its highest level since 2021, while fewer jobs than expected were added in August.Crude oil is also trading higher, up 0.9% to 62 us dollars and 43 cents per barrel, while iron ore is trading 0.42% higher at 104 us dollars and 93 cents per tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has placed a speculative buy rating on biotechnology company PYC Therapeutics (ASX:PYC), with a target price of $2.30 per share. At the current share price of $1.25 per share, this implies a 12 month return of nearly 85%.Bell Potter has maintained their hold rating on Solvar Limited (ASX:SVR), with the 12 month price target of $1.70 implying just a 3% growth on the current share price of $1.65 per share.

Wall Street closed lower on Friday as investor fears of a slowing economy rose after key U.S. non-farm payrolls data came in much weaker than expected. The Dow lost 0.5%, the Nasdaq declined 0.03% and the S&P 500 ended the day down 0.32%.For the month of August nonfarm payrolls increased by only 22,000 jobs, significantly lower than the 75,000 jobs economists were expecting to be added. U.S. unemployment rate also rose to 4.3% for the month, up from 4.2% signalling a weakening labour market.While a rate cut out of the Fed is almost certain now, investors are more concerned over the long-term impact of a slowing economy, and fears of a recession continue to rise.In Europe on Friday markets closed lower as investors in the region also assessed the weakening economic condition of the U.S. following a weaker than expected jobs reading out on Friday. The STOXX 600 fell 0.2%, Germany's DAX lost 0.73%, the French CAC declined 0.31%, and in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.09%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets closed mostly higher after President Trump formalised lower tariffs on Japanese auto tariffs with a baseline tariff of 15% across all Japanese imports. Japan's Nikkei rose 1.03%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.71% and South Korea's Kospi index added 0.13%.Locally on Friday the ASX200 posted a 0.51% rise on Friday as real estate and discretionary stocks rose 1.37% and 1.33% respectively.Gold stocks gained further ground on Friday amid the record price of the precious commodity as investors once again flocked to safe-haven assets in the wake of further global uncertainty.Qantas (ASX:QAN) shares rose 1.5% on Friday on news that chief executive Vanessa Hudson's bonus would be docked over the airline's recent cybersecurity breach, while Orica shares added over 1% after the company signalled positive momentum is driving higher underlying earnings across its business for H2 ending September 30. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 2.38% lower at US$61.97/barrel, gold is up 1.3% at US$3592.50/ounce, and iron ore is down 0.04% at US$104.49/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.57 U.S. cents, 97.10 Japanese yen, 48.53 British pence, and 1 New Zealand dollar and 11 cents.Ahead of the first session of the new trading week the SPI futures are anticipating the market will open the day down 0.2%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on Technology One (ASX:TNE) from a sell to a hold and have maintained the 12-month price target on the company at $35.75/share, amid changes in forecasting for the company with Bell Potter's analyst and the market anticipating a beat in November. At a stock specific level, we do not see much risk of any disappointment or negative catalyst and, as mentioned, we already expect the company to exceed its guidance when it reports in November.And Bell Potter has also reduced the rating on Curvebeam AI (ASX:CVB) from a spec buy to a hold and have a 15cps price target on the company following the release of the company's FY25 results including revenues and gross profit of $12.1m and $6.7m respectively. The reason for the downgrade to a hold comes from lack of guidance, Hi rise device sales continuing to be constrained by the Mako validation matter and the hybrid of capitalised earnings.

August reporting season closed with just 20–30% of companies beating expectations, as investors rewarded certainty in dividends, guidance, and cost control while punishing cautious outlooks. Standouts included Northern Star, Goodman Group, and JB Hi-Fi, while Woolworths, CSL, and James Hardie lagged on guidance misses. Looking to FY26, rate cuts, AI, gold, and resilient retailers are set to drive opportunity, but disciplined execution will be key.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:16): a look back at reporting season as a whole(1:03): why investors are valuing clarity and strong guidance(2:03): a dive into some key sectors, including retail, gold and real estate(5:22): the themes shaping FY26's outlook(7:05): how the local market performed over the last trading week(7:32): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week(8:00): economic news items to look out for next week.

In the US, Wall Street closed mixed overnight. The Dow Jones ended the day marginally down with a 0.05% decline, while the S&P500 gained 0.51% and the tech heavy NASDAQ advanced 1.02%, driven by strong gains from Alphabet and Apple.Europe also saw a rebound overnight: the Stoxx600 closed up 0.66%, the FTSE gained 0.67%, the German DAX advanced 0.46% and the French CAC was the biggest winner, ending the day up 0.86%Locally yesterday the ASX200 saw its worst day since April's Liberation day, closing down a sharp 1.82%, with all 11 key sectors in the red. The sell off was primarily driven by rising bond yields in the global bond market – as investors are less willing to pay high prices for stocks with higher risk potential when bonds are paying higher interest rates.What to watch today: The SPI futures suggest the ASX200 will rally after a few consecutive days of losses and open up 0.41% - tracking overseas gains overnightIn commodities:Crude oil has dropped 2.77% to 63.77 US dollars per barrel, ahead of weekend meeting of OPEC producers that is expected to increase production targets in OctoberGold has continued its record run, rising another 0.7% to a fresh high of 3559.47 US dollars per ounce. This renewed gold rally comes as investors seek a safe haven amid continuing expectations of a fed rate cut this month, further concerns over US debt levels, and renewed uncertainty around the US tariff implications and outlook.Meanwhile, iron ore has risen 0.69% to 103.24 US dollars per tonne.Also today BHP (ASX:BHP) will go ex-dividend, so investors may notice a drop in the share price of around the dividend value for this reason.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has maintained its Buy rating on COG Ltd (ASX:COG) and raised the target price to $2.25 per share off the back of the company's announcement of the 100% acquisition of EasiFleet Pty Ltd, effective September 1.And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal on Pro Medicus (ASX:PME), indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $290.81 to the range of $235-$245 per share over a period of 52 days according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed lower on Tuesday to kick off the September trading month in the red as investors took profits from the summer bull rally and hold concerns over tariff uncertainty after a federal appeals court on Friday ruled that most of Trump's global tariffs are illegal. The Nasdaq lost 0.82%, the S&P500 dropped 0.7% and the Dow Jones ended the day down 0.55%.In Europe overnight, markets tumbled amid a rise in bond yields and the prospect of further tariff uncertainty out of the US. The STOXX 600 fell 1.5%, Germany's DAX fell 2.2%, the French CAC lost 0.7% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.9%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, market sentiment was hit by tariff uncertainty leading to a mixed session in the region. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.3%, India's Nifty 50 gained 0.3%, South Korea's Kospi Index rose 0.94%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended the day down 0.5%.The local market started the new trading month lower with a 0.3% decline on Tuesday as investors digested the August reporting season showing a weaker outcome than expected for FY25 and repositioned portfolios for the tailwinds expected in FY26. Australia's August reporting season delivered weaker-than-expected results, with only 20-30 % of companies beating earnings expectations compared with more than 80% in the US. Median earnings downgrades of 3.6% outpaced upgrades of 2% locally.With some heavyweight market stocks trading ex-dividend yesterday and Wall St closed on Monday, investor moves were buoyed yesterday by strength among the banks and a rally among key commodity prices yesterday however this wasn't enough to boost the ASX to a green finish.Gold rose 1.4% to $3,496.24 per ounce, and silver surpassed $40 for the first time since 2011, driven by expectations the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in September, according to ANZ.Collin's Food (ASX:CKF) soared over 7% yesterday after posting a 6.7% rise in total sales for the first 18-weeks of FY26 and the KFC Australia operator also reaffirmed guidance for FY26 targeting underlying NPAT of low-mid teens.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.33% higher at US$65.49/barrel, gold is up 1.5% at US$3528/ounce and iron ore is up 0.71% at US$102.53/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.13 US cents, 96.70 Japanese Yen, 46.82 British Pence, and 1 New Zealand dollar and 11 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down a sharp 0.42% tracking global market uncertainty overnight.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on Harvey Norman (ASX:HVN) and have increased the 12-month price target on the homewares retailer from $6.00 to $8.30 following the release of FY25 results beating expectations and a strong start to FY26 especially from within the Australian business.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Supply Network (ASX:SNL) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 268-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $36.02 to the range of $27.50 to $29.00 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

In the US, Wall Street was closed on Monday due to the Labour Day public holiday.In Europe, markets closed generally higher, spurred by a boost in the defence sector. The Stoxx 600 closed up 0.17%, the FTSE gained 0.1%, the French CAC advanced 0.05% and the German DAX was the biggest gainer at 0.57%.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 closed 0.51% lower with the majority of the key sectors in the red. Information Technology saw the biggest drop, closing down 2.65%, while on the other end consumer staples saw the biggest gain, closing up 0.35%. What to watch today:Ahead of today's trading session, the SPI futures are suggesting the ASX will open the day down 0.09%.In commodities, Crude oil is up 0.97% to 64.63 US dollars per barrel. Gold is up 0.78% to 3476.08 US dollars per ounce, around $23 shy of its all time high.While iron ore is trading lower, down 1.8% to 101.65 US dollars per tonne.Australia's current account and export figures for Q2 are out at 11:30am AESTWe'll see earnings reporting from Bellevue Gold (ASX:BGL), while Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) and Santos (ASX:STO) are set to go ex-dividend, which can often cause a drop in the share price of the dividend amount. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained its buy rating on Iron Ore miner Fenix Resources (ASX:FEX) and increased the 12 month target price to $0.65, off the back of its new binding agreement with Sinosteel Midwest Corporation granting it the exclusive right to mine and export 290 megatonnes of iron ore over 30 years at SMC's Weld Range Iron Ore project.Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Breville Group (ASX:BRG), indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $32.88 to the range of $28.10 - 29.00 over a period of 28 days according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall Street closed lower on Friday but higher for August marking the 4th month of gains for the NYSE. On Friday, the S&P500 fell 0.64%, the Nasdaq lost 1.15%, and the Dow Jones ended the day down 0.2% as investors took money out of the market amid risks of inflationary pressures remaining persistent into the new month following the U.S. core PCE increasing 2.9% for July which was in-line with expectations but still showed acceleration of an inflation driver.In Europe on Friday stocks moved lower as investors await key inflation data out in the region. The STOXX 600 fell 0.6%, Germany's DAX also dropped 0.6%, the French CAC declined 0.8% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.3%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets closed mixed as investors assessed key economic data out of Japan including Japan's CPI rising at a slower pace in August. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.26% on Friday while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.45%, China's CSI index added 0.74%, and South Korea's Kospi index declined 0.32%.Locally on Friday the ASX200 closed 0.08% lower as a sell-off in REIT and financial stocks offset a more than 3% rise in tech stocks. For the month of August though, the local market posted a 2.6% rise as investors responded to strong outlook for FY26.Homewares retailer Harvey Norman (ASX:HVN) jumped over 10% on Friday after reporting profits rose 39% in FY25 which well exceeded market expectations while Austal (ASX:ASB) also soared over 14% amid a record order pipeline and shipbuilding agreement with the federal government.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.91% lower at US$64.01/barrel, gold is up 0.91% at US$3448.50/ounce and iron ore is up 0.1% at US$101.81/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.48 US cents, 96.30 Japanese yen, 48.46 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 11 cents.Ahead of the first trading session of the new month the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.3%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Lovisa from $31 to $42 (ASX:LOV) and maintain a hold rating on the fashion jewellery retailer following the release of the company's FY25 results. Despite missing on NPAT, the new financial year has started very strong for Lovisa with global comparable sales up 5.6%.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Ooh Media (ASX:OML) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 6-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.68 to the range of $1.84 to $1.88 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

As August reporting season draws to a close, we saw plenty of big results move the markets this week. Supermarket giant Woolworths (ASX:WOW) tumbled over 10% on weak profit and margin pressure, facing pressure from its major competitor Coles. In contrast, Sigma Healthcare (ASX:SIG) impressed with its first post-merger results, Eagers Automotive (ASX:APE) delivered record revenue, and Qantas (ASX:QAN) soared on robust travel demand. Looking ahead to FY26, cost control, consumer shifts, and sector tailwinds are expected to drive momentum, with opportunities emerging across growth-focused mid-caps.In this week's wrap, Sophia covers: (0:15): an overview of the results over this reporting season(0:40): why Woolworth's shares are tumbling  (1:40): a dive into Sigma Healthcare, Eagers Automative and Qantas' results(4:50): key themes heading into FY26(5:34): how the local market performed over the last trading week(7:00): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week(7:29): economic news items to look out for next week.

Overnight, the S&P500 advanced at the same magnitude as it slipped the day before. Industrials led among large cap segments, gaining momentum while at the other end of the leaderboard, staples declined the most. All US equity benchmarks closed in the green, with the Dow Jones also gaining more than 140 points or 0.3% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq up 0.2%. US investors weighed the latest quarterly earnings results from Nvidia. In extended trading, Nvidia's share price fell almost 3%, despite its results beating expectations, which has seen the S&P futures move lower as the company makes up approximately 8% of the S&P500. And as we near the end of the month, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are each up more than 2%, while Dow is up more than 3% this month. European markets closed mixed overnight. The German DAX down 0.44% and the FTSE100 down 0.11%. While France's CAC was up 0.44% and the STOXX600 closed just 0.1% higher. Locally yesterday, the ASX200 advanced 0.28% with materials and healthcare stocks in the lead, while consumer staples and technology declined the most.  What to watch today: Following the rally on Wall Street overnight, the SPI futures are suggesting that our local market will open only slightly higher this morning, with a 0.03% gain. And while we're nearing the end of reporting season, a long list of companies are due to release their earnings results today. The most watched will likely be Qantas today (ASX:QAN) with the major airline set the release its results this morning and gold a press conference at 9am. Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) will also be reporting today, the conglomerate that owns Bunnings, Officeworks, Kmart and others. And other share prices to watch will be Eagers Automotive (ASX:APE), Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC), Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN), Nickel Industries (ASX:NIC), and Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) just to name a few. And companies going ex-dividend today include Beach Energy (ASX:BPT), Deterra Royalties (ASX:DRR), REA Group (ASX:REA) and Woodside Energy (ASX:WDS). Remember this often sees share prices fall as investors take their profits. In commodities, Crude oil has gained 0.78% to US$63.74 per barrel recovering from a more than 2% drop, after US government data pointed to stronger-than-expected inventory declines. Crude stockpiles fell by 2.39 million barrels to 418.3 million, more than markets had anticipated. So watch energy producers today. The price of gold is higher just 0.08% to US$3,396.35 an ounce, hovering at a two-week high amid concerns over the Fed's independence as President Trump signalled a legal fight after seeking to remove Governor Lisa Cook over alleged misconduct.And iron ore is in the green higher at US$101.59, so watch iron ore miners today. Trading ideas:Following the release of Woolworth's (ASX:WOW) results yesterday, Bell Potter maintain their Hold rating on the supermarket giant but have lowered their price target to $29.80, as the company reported NPAT outlook changes, down 2% in FY26 and down 8% in FY27. At the current share price of $28.51, this implies 4.5% share price growth in a year. And Bell Potter maintains their buy rating on WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC), although FY25 revenue came in below Bell Potter's expectations and missed their guidance range. They have lowered their price target by 6% to $127.50. At WTC's current share price of $102.02, this implies 25% share price growth in a year. 

As reporting season enters its final week, we've seen 174 companies release their results, with 19% beating expectations. With more companies downgraded than upgraded by brokers, the importance of meeting valuations and maintaining solid outlook remains clear for investors. Some of the key themes looking ahead towards FY26 include the housing crisis driving tailwinds in for property developers, strengthening balance sheets from asset sales, and the challenges for expansion strategies into the US. In this week's video, Grady covers:(0:53) Cedar Woods Properties (ASX:CWP): property market tailwinds and strong pipeline drove solid results(2:51) Coles Group (ASX:COL): reported slightly ahead of expectations in their supermarket division(4:15) Endeavour Group (ASX:EDV): fell over 1% on weakness in its retail segment and modest forecasts(5:27) Aussie Broadband (ASX:ABB): surged 20% on strong FY25 results and positive forecast(6:27) Reece Plumbing (ASX:RCE): fell 16% after reporting decline in sales and EBIT.

Wall Street closed higher on Tuesday as investors assessed Trump's latest moves and await key earnings results out of Nvidia. The S&P500 rose 0.41%, the Dow Jones gained 0.3% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 0.44%.In Europe overnight, markets closed lower as global investors assessed Trump's latest moves in attempt to intervene with the running of the US Federal Reserve. The STOXX 600 lost 0.83%, Germany's DAX fell 0.4%, the French CAC declined over 2% and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.7%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets mostly fell as investors in the region also weighed Trump's latest moves both on the Fed and tariff fronts. Trump reportedly warned of ‘200% tariffs or something' on China if it does not export rare-earth magnets to the U.S. China's CSI index fell 0.4%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 1.18%, Japan's Nikkei declined 0.97% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 0.95%.The Australian share market dropped 0.41% on Tuesday, following global weakness after Donald Trump threatened higher tariffs over digital services taxes and called for the removal of Fed governor Lisa Cook.We are at the tail end of reporting season now with a few key themes emerging as we head into FY26 including cost management being the key to margin maintenance, the foundations are set for a stronger FY26 through headwinds easing and dividends signalling stability heading into the new financial year.Yesterday, Coles Group (ASX:COL) reported a solid FY25 that beat expectations with strong outlook for FY26 which sent the share price of Australia's major supermarket giant up over 8.5%.Web Travel (ASX:WEB) tumbled over 7.5% on Tuesday after providing a trading update that signalled softer-than-expected results in the first half despite strong FX tailwinds experienced in the half.And mining giant Fortescue (ASX:FMG) tumbled over 2% after FY25 results reflected the weaker iron ore market during the last financial year including NPAT falling over 40% and the company slashed its dividend to the lowest level in 7-years.What to watch today: Gold is up 0.54% at US$3385/ounce and iron ore is down 0.07% at US$101.53/tonne.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 2.32% lower at US$63.30/barrel, gold is up 0.54% at US$3385/ounce and iron ore is down 0.07% at US$101.53/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.96 US cents, 95.72 Japanese Yen, 48.45 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 11 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.53%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Propel Funeral Partners (ASX:PFP) from $5.50 to $5.90 and maintain a buy rating on the full-service funeral provider following the release of the company's FY25 results including revenue growth of 7.9% and average revenue per funeral rising 1.3%. The company has also had a very strong start to the new financial year which has driven the price target increase.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Collins Food Group (ASX:CKF) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 46-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $9.76 to the range of $12.10 to $12.60 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Major averages closed in the red on Wall Street overnight to start their trading week. The Dow Jones declined 0.77%, the S&P500 fell 0.43% and the Nasdaq down 0.22%. US investors awaiting Nvidia's earnings and the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge in the coming days.European markets were mostly lower. The German DAX down 0.37%, France's CAC declined further down 1.56%, after the country's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou announced he will be seeking a confidence vote in parliament next month over the government's budget plans. The FTSE100 however closed in the green up just 0.13%, while the STOXX600 was lower, down 0.44%.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 edged slightly higher at the close, ending the session with a 0.06% gain, as materials and energy stocks lead the market higher.What to watch today:Following US equities overnight, the Australian market is set to open lower, with the SPI futures suggesting at 0.21% drop at the open this morning.In economic news, the latest RBA meeting minutes will be released today, providing further insight into when the RBA slashed its cash rate by 25bps to 3.6% at its August meeting, matching market expectations and bringing borrowing costs to their lowest since April 2023.And as we near the end of reporting season, we still have a number of companies reporting their earnings results. Keep watch of the share price movements of Coles (ASX:COL), Fortescue (ASX:FMG), G8 Education (ASX:G8E) and Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO), just to name a few.In commodities:Crude oil has advanced again, up 1.7% to US$64.74 per barrel the highest in nearly three weeks, extending a four-day rally as traders weighed geopolitical risks and monetary policy signals.Gold is 0.2% lower at US$3,365.02 an ounce following a more than 1% gain in the previous session, as the US dollar attempted to recover after a dovish shift by Fed Chair Jerome Powell.And iron ore is in the green at US$101.60 per tonne, rebounding from last week's losses.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains a Buy rating on Accent Group (ASX:AX1) and have lowered their price target to $1.80. At the current share price of $1.49, this implies 20.8% share price growth in a year.And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Westpac (ASX:WBC) indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $38.29.

Wall Street closed higher on Friday after Fed chair Jerome Powell signalled the U.S. central bank could be easing monetary policy as soon as next month, during his speech at the Jackson hole symposium for 2025. The Dow Jones rose to a record high at the closing bell on Friday with a gain of 1.9% while the Nasdaq and S&P500 gained 1.88% and 1.52% respectively on Friday. During Powell's speech he said “the baseline outlook and the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance” which investors welcomed on Friday. In Europe on Friday, markets closed higher as investors digested the U.S. EU trade deal and hold higher hopes of a rate cut out of the U.S. in September. The STOXX 600 rose 0.5%, Germany's DAX gained 0.3%, the French CAC climbed 0.4% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day at another record high, up 0.13%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets closed mostly higher led by China's CSI index rallying over 2%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.32%, Japan's Nikkei closed flat as inflation in the region cooled to 3.1% in July, and South Korea's KOSPI index ended the day up 0.86%.Locally to end last week the ASX200 posted a 0.57% loss as healthcare and staples stocks weighed on the key index.On the reporting season calendar on Friday, it was a mixed session as investors reacted sharply to key results. Zip Co (ASX:Z1P) soared almost 20% after posting FY25 results whereby cash EBITDA soared 147% to $170.3m, operating margin rose to 15.8%, TTV increased 30.3% to $13.1bn and total income climbed 23.5% on FY24 to $1.081bn. Net bad debts also fell from 1.7% of TTV in FY24 to 1.5% of TTV in FY25 and active customers rose 4.6% to 6.3 million. Zip also excited the market announcing it is considering dual listing on the Nasdaq to support the company's significant US growth.Accent Group (ASX:AX1) on the other hand dived over 15% on Friday after the footwear and clothing retail parent company reported sales growth of just 1.5% in FY25 to $1.5bn and net profit tumbled amid widespread promotional activity required to reduce inventory levels.And Mexican fast food outlet Guzman y Gomez (ASX:GYG) tanked over 23% to a record low after FY25 results came in well below market expectations and investors grew increasingly concerned about the company's FY26 outlook. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.4% higher at US$63.77/barrel, gold is up 0.95% at US$3371/ounce and iron ore is down 0.15% at US$101.42/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.95 U.S. cents, 95.38 Japanese yen, 48 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 11 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up a sharp 0.94% Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Monash IVF (ASX:MVF) from a buy to a hold and have reduced the 12-month price target on the company from $1.15 to 77cps following the release of the company's latest update including 2H25 revenue declining over 6% HoH and ARS down over 12%. Market stimulated cycles fell 0.7bp to 21% due to a reduction of cycles by over 5% which is significantly more than the only slight decline in industry growth.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on PWR Holdings (ASX:PWH) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 44-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $$7.75 to the range of $5.80 to $6.30 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

With 90 companies reporting so far, standout results came from Goodman Group's (ASX:GMG) datacentre expansion, Bega Cheese's (ASX:BGA) strong turnaround, and Northern Star's (ASX:NST) record gold profits, while The a2 Milk Company (ASX:A2M) delivered steady growth. Investors are continuing to rewarding cost control, resilient dividends, and clear guidance, with FY26 shaping up to be stronger across most sectors.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:16): an overview of reporting season so far at the end of week 3(0:40): Goodman Group's results with profit doubling from datacentre expansion(2:06): a dive into Bega Cheese's results driven by branded volume growth(3:40): why investors are cautious on the a2 Milk Company outlook(4:44): Northern Star's record-breaking year and what's ahead(6:32): key themes emerging to consider from this reporting season(7:17): how the local market performed over the last trading week(7:56): the most traded stocks and ETFs this week(8:28): economic news items to look out for next week.

US equity markets pulled back following the latest Federal Reserve FOMC minutes release. The minutes were as expected, with the Fed focused on inflation numbers rather than jobs data which is what the market and investors have been watching closely lately. While the Dow closed 0.4% higher, the S&P500 closed a 4-day loosing streak, down 0.24%. And a tech sell off saw the Nasdaq was down 0.67% in the red. We also saw a meaningful drop in bond yields overnight.  European markets were mixed overnight, the STOXX600 gained 0.23%, German DAX down  0.6%, France's CAC down just 0.08% while the FTSE100 advanced 1.08%.European defence stocks extended losses as the market regained optimism for an Ukraine ceasefire.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 gained 0.25% with consumer discretionary, real estate and financials in the lead. What to watch today:The Australian market is set for a positive start to the day. The SPI futures are suggesting a 0.26% rise at the open this morning.Supporting the market today will be a lift in energy prices as we saw in the US overnight. Looking at commodities: Crude oil advanced 1.84% to US$62.94 per barrel, after a weekly report from the Energy Information Administration showed a 6 million-barrel decline in US crude inventories, providing modest support to prices. The price of gold gained 1% to trade at US$3,350.27 an ounce,after the FOMC minutes supported expectations of a September rate cut in the US and a softer US dollar, which boosted global demand.Iron ore is slightly higher at US$101.52 per tonne, following reports that China will curb steel production.Locally, investors will be watching earnings from Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC), Bega Cheese (SSX:BGA), Brambles (ASX:BXB), and Goodman Group (ASX:GMG).AU$1.00 is buying US$0.64.Trading ideas:Bell Potter maintains a Buy rating on Regal Partners (ASX:RPL) and maintain a 12-month price target of $3.55. At the current share price of $3.01, this implies 17.9% share price growth in a year.And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in NextGen Energy (ASX:NXG) indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $10.08 to the range of $8.50 to $8.80 over 51 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

This week's reporting season results show just how much investor reactions hinge on outlook. Despite earnings misses from major names, markets rewarded stronger forward guidance while punishing weakness. Emerging themes include cost management pressures, regional slowdowns, and the value of diversified earnings heading into FY26.In this weeks video, Grady covers:BHP Group (ASX:BHP): rose 0.68% despite a 26% drop in profit to US$10.2bn, with investors backing improved cost guidance and copper strengthCSL (ASX:CSL): fell 17% despite solid profit and revenue results, after announcing major restructures including cutting 3000 jobsJames Hardie Industries (ASX:JHX): slumped nearly 30% after Q1 net income plunged 60% to US$62.6m and sales fell 9% to US$900mKey takeaways from week three of reporting season across the market.

Wall Street closed Tuesday's session mixed as a tech decline weighed on key market indices. The S&P500 fell 0.6%, the Nasdaq lost 1.5% and the Dow Jones ended the day up just 0.02%. Investors have been pulling out of Nvidia in recent days with shares in the mega cap ending Tuesday's session down 3.5% as traders take a breath from the recent AI rally in favour of undervalued small to mid-cap stocks in the current market environment.In Europe overnight markets closed higher as investors welcomed peace talks progress initiated by President Trump with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The STOXX600 rose 0.7%, Germany's DAX added 0.45%, the French CAC gained 1.21% and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day up 0.34% to a fresh record high.Across the Asia region on Tuesday markets closed lower as investors await the outcome of Trump's talks with Russia and Ukraine. Japan' Nikkei fell 0.38% a day after closing at a record high, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed flat, China's CSI index lost 0.38% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 0.81%.Locally yesterday the ASX200 fell 0.7% as market heavyweight CSL (ASX:CSL) tumbled almost 17% in its worst day ever after announcing weaker results than expected and reporting it will be cutting up to 3000 jobs.BHP (ASX:BHP) also had results out yesterday that were weak on China's subdued demand but shares still rose on optimistic outlook.Westpac consumer confidence data out yesterday shows Aussies are regaining confidence as we enter the rate cut part of the rate cycle. The reading for August showed a MoM increase to 5.7% in August from 0.6% in July, signalling the strongest level since 2022.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.32% lower at US$62.58/barrel, gold is down 0.5% at US$3316/ounce and iron ore is down 0.05% at US$101.57/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.59 US cents, 95.28 Japanese Yen, 46.45 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.2%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on CSL (ASX:CSL) from a buy to a hold and have significantly lowered the 12-month price target on the healthcare giant from $305 to $240 following the release of FY25 results, unveiling CSL's key division Behring disappointed with just 1% revenue growth, while Seqirus and Vifor exceeded expectations. Despite this, the market reacted sharply, and Bell Potter's analyst see a challenging near-term outlook due to earnings growth missing expectations, weak 2H25 Behring performance, delayed margin recovery (now expected by FY29), and uncertainty around FY27/28 forecasts for the demerged entity.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on EBR Systems (ASX:EBR) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 22-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $1.28 to the range of $1.13 to $1.17 according to standard principles of technical analysis.