Between the Bells

Wall Street started the new trading week with all three major benchmarks closing in the green, despite the tensions in global trade. The Dow Jones gained 0.08%, the S&P500 up 0.41%, while the Nasdaq gained 0.67%. European markets closed mixed overnight as President Trump's 50% steel tariffs inflate EU trade tensions. The STOXX600 closed 0.14% lower, the German DAX down 0.28%, France's CAC down 0.19%, while the FTSE 100 was slightly higher up just 0.02%. Locally on Monday the ASX200 posted a 0.24% loss to start the new trading month lower, as energy and utility stocks weighed on market gains, while only 3 of the 11 sectors ended the day in the green.  Brickworks (ASX:BKW) soared over 25% on Monday after the company announced a $14 billion merger with Washington H. Soul Pattinson (ASX:SOL), with the arrangement initially valuing BKW shares at a 10.1% premium to the previous closing price. The market's reaction signals investors are positive about the strategic outlook for the merger and diversification the new merger offers in the building, property and diversified financials space. What to watch today:The Australian market is expected to rebound, with the SPI futures suggesting a 0.82% rise at the open this morning. In commodities, Crude oil has rallied 3.67%, trading at US$63.00 per barrel, following OPEC+'s announcement of a steady production increase. The price of gold is also in the green, up 2.78% to US$3,380.76 an ounce While iron ore has dropped over 3%, trading at US$95.95 per tonne, so keep watch of companies such as Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) or Fortescue (ASX:FMG). Trading ideasBell Potter maintains its Buy rating on Bega Cheese (ASX:BGA) as the diversified food company continues to execute against its strategy to deliver FY28 EBITDA of more than $250 million. Bell Potter's price target remains unchanged at $7.00, and at BGA's current share price of $5.55, this implies 26% share price growth in a year. And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $32.64 to the range of $26.25 to $27.50 over 29 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall Street closed mixed on Friday but posted strong gains across the key indices for the month of May as investors shrugged off Trump's tariff turmoil and global trade uncertainty to send equities higher for the month. The S&P500 closed flat on Friday but gained 6.2% for the month, the Dow Jones rose 0.13% on Friday and 3.9% for the month, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.32% but posted a 9.6% surge for the month of May.On Friday a trade deal between the U.S. and UK was reached, boosting investor optimism that more deals of this kind can be done.Across the European region on Friday, markets closed mostly higher on the UK trade deal and as investors welcomed the potential blocking of his tariffs on certain regions.The STOXX600 rose 0.1%, Germany's DAX added 0.3%, the French CAC fell 0.36%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.64%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets closed mostly lower as the appeals court in the U.S. allowed majority of Trump's tariffs to be re-instated. Japan's Nikkei fell 1.22%, China's CSI index lost 0.48%, South Korea's Kospi index declined 0.84%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended the day down 1.2%.Locally on Friday, the ASX200 posted a 0.3% gain despite Trump's tariff-related volatility weighing on the key index early in the session. Investors again moved into defensive and safe-haven stocks like the banks and staples, while shifting out of riskier stocks like tech on Friday as uncertainty arose again on the tariffs front. The local market posted a second straight monthly gain for the month of May despite heightened volatility and macro uncertainty.On Friday morning it was announced that a federal appeals court temporarily upheld many of President Trump's tariffs on China and other countries, pausing a lower court ruling that had challenged them. This move allows the tariffs to remain in place while the court reviews the case and considers the administration's request for more time. The appeal success came not even 12-hours after a federal court announced a blockage of the tariffs amid overuse of Presidential power. This week will be an interesting time for tariffs as the appeals process unfolds, but we are no closer to clarity on exactly what tariffs are allowed to remain and the implications on our locally listed companies.Retail sales fell by 0.1%, missing the forecasted 0.3% increase, with warmer weather contributing to reduced clothing purchases. Clothing and department store spend were the key contributors to the weaker-than-expected reading for April, while cafes and food related spend was still on the rise. Surprisingly, niche retailers like Accent Group and Universal Stores still rallied on Friday despite the retail spend figure being released.In data out this week, Q1 2025 GDP figures are also expected to show a slowdown in growth to 0.2%, down from 0.6% in Q4 2024, primarily due to weaker household consumption. Markets are now factoring in a 73% chance of a rate cut out of the RBA when it next meets in July, up from the 59% chance expected prior to the retail sales data being released. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.25% lower at US$60.79/barrel, gold is 0.9% lower at US$3288.58/ounce and iron ore is down 0.15% at U.S.$99.12/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.37 U.S. cents, 92.57 Japanese yen, 47.76 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the first trading session of June up 0.09%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has decreased the 12-month price target on IPD Group (ASX:IPG) from $4.60 to $4.10 and maintain a buy rating on the leading Australian distributor of electrical equipment and industrial digital technologies, following the company provid

The ASX200 posted a 0.73% gain so far this week (Mon – Thurs), led by the technology and energy sectors amid the rising price of oil and growing investor appetite for growth stocks. In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:23): the US Federal Court's ruling against Trump's tariffs (2:30): Nvidia's earnings results signaling demand for AI(3:18 ): Telstra's reaffirmed FY25 guidance(3:58): what the latest CPI reading means for markets (4:32): the best & worst performing stocks this week(5:20): the most traded socks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients (5:49): economic news items to watch out for. 

US equities declined overnight with all three major benchmarks in the red. The Dow Jones declined 0.58%, the S&P500 down 0.56%, while the Nasdaq dropped 0.51%. S&P500 futures are on the rise after Nvidia posted earnings that beat expectations, its price advancing more than 4% in after-hours trading, so this may mean good news for tech investors today. Keep watch of ASX- listed AI stocks such as WiseTech (ASX:WTC), Xero (ASX:XRO) or NextDC (ASX:NXT).European markets were also in the red, with the STOXX 600 closing 0.61% lower.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 declined 0.13%. Financial and materials took the biggest hit, while energy and real estate were in the lead, following a rise in the consumer price index for April, which was held at 2.4% YoY. The market consensus was for it to slow to 2.3%. The RBA is looking at the data closely to ensure inflation, which is now back in the Central Bank's target band, keeps tracking in the right direction.What to watch today:The Australian share market is set to open higher, with the SPI futures suggesting a 0.15% rise at the open this morning.In commodities,Crude oil has advanced 1.43%, currently trading at US$61.94 per barrel, as investors await an OPEC+ meeting expected to decide on increasing oil output. They'll likely approve a 411,000 barrel per day production hike for July, continuing a trend of accelerating supply growth following a similar increase planned for June.The price of gold is down 0.73%, trading at US$3,284.88 an ounce following the Fed's meeting minutes revealing concerns around inflation and labour market weakness.While iron ore is trading steady at US$99.39 per tonne.Trading ideas:Bell Potter see Telstra (ASX:TLS) shares as fully valued. They have maintained a Hold trading on TLS with an improved 12- month price target of $4.65, up 7%.And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $5.68 to the range of $6.90 to $7.90 over 50 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed higher on the first trading session of the holiday shortened trading week as investors welcome the delay in tariffs on the EU announced on Monday. The Dow Jones rose 1.78%, the S&P500 climbed 2.05% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 2.47%. Tesla shares rose 7% on Tuesday after Elon Musk said he is shifting his focus away from politics and back into his companies, while AMC's shares soared 22% after a record-breaking domestic box official over the Memorial Day long weekend that saw $326m spent at the movies over the highest holiday weekend ever.In Europe overnight markets closed mostly higher in the wake of tariff delays on the EU region. The STOXX 600 rose 0.33%, Germany's DAX gained 0.83% to close at a fresh record high, the French CAC fell 0.02% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.7%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed as investors continue to assess the global trade climate following Trump's delay to the EU tariffs until July. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.51%, South Korea's Kospi Index fell 0.27%, China's CSI index lost 0.54% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended the day up 0.43%.The local market started the week flat before rising on Tuesday as tech and the big banks buoyed the local index to a 0.56% rise at the closing bell yesterday.Capstone Copper (ASX:CSC) led the ASX200 gains yesterday with a rise of 6.72% amid the rising price of the commodity on the back of Ivanhoe halting production at Africa's largest copper mine due to seismic activity, pressuring supply side in a time where demand is escalating.Floods in the Northern NSW Hunter region have already hit IAG (ASX:IAG) with the insurance provider announcing yesterday it has received around 2500 claims related to the flooding. Earlier this month, IAG said its net natural perils claims were estimated to be approximately $900m to the end of April, which is around $250m lower than the year-to-date expectation. Shares in IAG rose 0.7% yesterday.Telstra shares rose yesterday after the telco giant reaffirmed FY25 guidance, expecting to hit the top end of free cash flow and capex targets, and launched its “Connected Future 30” strategy aiming for over 50% NPAT growth, stronger AI integration, and mid-single digit cash earnings CAGR by FY30.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.05% lower at US$60.88/barrel, gold is down 1.36% at US$3301/ounce and iron ore is down 0.08% at US$99.81/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.48 US cents, 93.03 Japanese Yen, 48.06 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.60% tracking Wall Street's rally on Tuesday.We have the all-important monthly CPI reading out today locally with markets expecting the annual inflation rate to fall to 2.2% for the 12-months to April.Trading ideas: Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on Propel Funeral Partners (ASX:PFP) and have slight lowered the 12-month price target on the leading full-service funeral providers following an update including guidance that has a midpoint of around 8% miss to consensus expectations amid lower seasonality uplift in April and May. The company is well funded and has strong pricing power hence the buy rating, the downgrade in price target is simply due to the company navigating some short-term volatility.And Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Wisetech Global (ASX:WTC) from $112.50 to $122.50 and maintain a buy rating on the leading logistics software provider following the recent acquisition announcement of e2open and a delay in the launch of Container Transport Optimisation to 1HFY26.

Wall St was closed on Monday for the Memorial Day public holiday.In Europe on Monday, markets closed higher as investors welcomed the delay of U.S. tariffs on the region until July. The STOXX 600 rose 1%, Germany's DAX added 1.6%, the French CAC climbed 1.2%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 was closed for a public holiday.Across the Asia markets to start the week, markets closed mixed as investors digested Trump's latest tariff move on the EU. South Korea's Kospi index jumped 2% to its highest level since 2024, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.35%, China's CSI index lost 0.6% and Japan's Nikkei ended the day up 1%.Locally on Monday, the ASX200 closed flat as investor sentiment was once again dampened by Trump's tariff turbulence.The Trump rollercoaster took another loop again from Saturday to Monday. In the space of 2 days the US president announced and postponed new 50% tariffs on Europe, like he has done in recent times with China and other regions. While the step may be to prompt negotiation talks, the on-again-off-again tariffs reignited investor uncertainty on Monday which has prompted global market selloffs both late last week and locally to start the new weeks on a sour note.Uranium miners extended their rally from Friday following Trump's move to sign an executive order to ease the regulatory process for new nuclear reactors and enhance supply chains in attempt to ease dependence on China and Russia for uranium supplies and production. For companies like Boss Energy that has an interest in a South Texan mine, demand for Aussie uranium producers is set to rise following Trump's latest move, which boosts the growth outlook for such stocks in the eye of investors. Boss Energy rose 7.29% on Monday while Deep Yellow soared 13.65% to start the week on a strong note. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.02% lower at US$61.52/barrel, gold is down 0.5% at US$3341/ounce and iron ore is down 0.08% at US$99.81/ounce.The Aussie dollar has weakened slightly against the greenback to buy 64.91 US cents, 92.68 Japanese Yen, 47.99 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's session on the ASX, the SPI futures are anticipating the local market will open the new trading day up 0.32%. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Region Group (ASX:RGN) with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of $2.65. The internally managed REIT and largest owner of Australian supermarket-based shopping centres has strong near-term income growth potential, underpinned by its liquidity and resilient income streams according to the analyst.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Woolworths (ASX:WOW) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 8-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $31.89 to the range of $29.60 to $30.10 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street re-entered sell off mode on Friday after President Trump threatened tariffs on the EU, which on Saturday turned to reality with a 50% tariff announced on the region set to come into effect from June 1. The Dow Jones lost 0.61% on Friday, the S&P 500 fell 0.67% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 1%.Apple shares fell 3% on Friday after Trump posted on Trump social that iPhones sold in the US must be made in the US and if they are not, a tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple.In Europe on Friday, markets closed lower amid threats of U.S. tariffs and on the back of corporate earnings results being released in the region. The STOXX600 fell 1%, Germany's DAX and the French CAC each lost 1.6%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.2%.Across the Asia region on Friday, markets closed mixed as investors digested a slew of economic data released in the region. Japan's Nikkei rose almost half a percent, South Korea's Kospi index closed flat, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng and China's CSI index also each closed flat. Japan's core inflation rose to 3.5% in April boosted by surging rice prices and the BoJ pausing the assess tariff implications. Singapore's inflation for the same period came in at 0.7%, slightly higher than markets were expecting.Locally to end the last trading week, the ASX200 posted a second weekly gain as a pullback in bond yields and the outlook for further rate cuts out of the RBA boosted investor sentiment. On Friday, the ASX200 ended the session up 0.15% driven by a rally for tech and energy stocks.Uranium stocks surged on Friday on reports Trump will sign an executive order to ease the regulatory process for new nuclear reactors and enhance supply chains in attempt to ease dependence on China and Russia for uranium supplies and production. Boss Energy rose 12.82%, Paladin Energy climbed 7.02%, and Deep Yellow ended the day up 9.13%.What to watch todayOn the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.54% higher at US$61.53/barrel, gold is up 1.76% at US$3358/ounce and iron ore is down 0.08% at US$99.81/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.91 U.S. cents, 92.47 Japanese Yen, 47.97 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.36%.Trading ideasBell Potter has slightly lowered the 12-month price target on Duratec (ASX:DUR) from $1.95 to $1.80 and maintain a buy rating on the leading Australian infrastructure contractor following the company's release of a trading update outlining FY25 revenue guidance and EBITDA lower than previously expected attributed to delays in project awards and weather disruptions.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on APA Group (ASX:APA) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 32-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $8.13 to the range of $7.55 to $7.65 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Investor sentiment remains upbeat as M&A activity accelerates, commodities shift gears as the big players look to diversify earnings, and key macro trends point to a busy second half of 2025.In this week's wrap, Grady Wulff covers: (0:09) Why M&A is back on the agenda, and what's fuelling it(1:01) The Insignia Financial deal twist and what's next(1:51) Big mining plays: BHP's copper push & Rio's lithium leap(3:03) Mayne Pharma takeover on thin ice – what it means(5:30) ASX200 performance this week, sector winners & losers(6:16) Most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients(6:42) Key economic data to watch next week.

Wall Street closed lower for a second day on Wednesday as a spike in treasury yields prompted investors to sell equities on growing fears that a new US budget bill would place even more pressure on the country's already large deficit. The S&P500 fell 1.61%, the Nasdaq lost 1.41% and the Dow Jones ended the day down 1.91%. Across the European region on Wednesday, markets closed mixed as hotter-than-expected inflation out of the UK and a slew of corporate earnings results weighed on investor sentiment. The STOXX 600 fell 0.3%, Germany's DAX lost 0.2%, the French CAC slipped 0.3% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.2%. UK inflation data for April came in at a rise to 3.5%, topping expectations of a rise to 3.3%, which slashes hopes of a rate cut in the near term.Across the Asia region on Wednesday markets closed mostly higher led by South Korea's Kospi Index rising 0.91%, while China's CSI index rose 0.47%, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.62%, but Japan's Nikkei ended the day down 0.61%.  Locally on Wednesday, the ASX200 posted a 0.52% gain as investor optimism carried from the prior day and multiple factors boosted the local market. Investor sentiment was driven by the RBA's rate cut in Australia and outlook for more policy easing in months to come and, on a global scale, by China and the US making progress on the tariff negotiations front. Bond yields are also falling which drives investor appetite for equities and a rise in commodities fuelled investor appetite for materials and energy stocks yesterday so broadly it was a great day on the market. Nine of the 11 sectors ended today's session in the green led by energy and healthcare sectors rising around 1% each. Mayne Pharma shares tumbled near 30% on Wednesday amid uncertainty over the Cosette takeover offer. Cosette, a US pharmaceutical giant now believes there has been a material adverse change in the company's financial performance since the offer was first made in February including Mayne issuing weaker-than-expected earnings guidance and disclosed a potential US regulatory issue regarding its contraceptive pill. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.33% lower at US$61.21/barrel, gold is up 0.81% at US$3317.30/ounce and iron ore is flat at US$100.05/tonne. The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.34 US cents, 92.67 Japanese Yen, 48.01 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents. Ahead of Thursday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX 200 will open the day down almost 1% tracking Wall Street's slide overnight. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on Catapult Group (ASX:CAT) from $4.40 to $5.00 and maintain a hold rating on the sports tracking and data technology company following the release of the company's results yesterday including revenue and gross profits for FY25 modestly ahead of BP expectations, as well as free cash flow of US$8.6m which was a positive surprise. And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Sims (ASX:SGM) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 41-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $15.42 to the range of $11.60 to $12.30 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed lower on Tuesday as investors await clarification on the tariffs front following a strong rally in recent weeks. The S&P500 fell 0.4%, the Dow Jones lost 0.27% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.38%. The recovery rally since Trump announced negotiations were underway with China has seen the S&P500 rally more than 20% since hitting an April low, so investors have just pulled back on Tuesday in anticipation for further clarification on the tariffs front.In Europe overnight, markets closed higher as strong corporate earnings results in the region boosted investor sentiment. The STOXX 600 rose 0.7%, Germany's DAX gained 0.3%, the French CAC added 0.75% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.9%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets rose as investors assessed the latest rate cuts in the region including out of the RBA and the People's Bank of China trimming the 1-year loan prime rate from 3.1% to 3% and the 5-year to 3.5%. China's CSI index rose 0.57% on Tuesday, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.5%, Japan's Nikkei added 0.8% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day flat.The local market closed 0.6% higher yesterday as investors welcomed the RBA's 25 basis point rate cut amid cooling inflation and escalating cost of living pressures.The RBA cut to 3.85% came despite the latest inflation reading and labour market data coming out of favour for a rate cut, however, the overall picture is positive for Australia's economic stability in taming inflation over the long-run.Rate sensitive sectors like tech and real estate stocks led the gains yesterday with the sectors rising 2.3% and 1.4% respectively.Technology One soared over 10% on Tuesday after the software giant increased its interim dividend by 30% on the back of strong revenue growth in the first half. Telstra shares also rallied after the telco giant said it would be raising prices, which is good for investors but not so great for customers.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.22% lower at US$62/barrel, gold is up 2.04% at US$3288/ounce and iron ore is down 0.08% at US$100/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback overnight to buy 64.16 US cents, 92.75 Japanese Yen, 48.22 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.62%, extending on Tuesday's rally.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has maintained a hold rating on Technology One (ASX:TNE) and have raised the 12-month price target on the software giant from $31.00 to $35.50 following the release of 1H25 results including revenue and profit before tax topping BPe and FY25 guidance was slightly below BPe. The analyst maintains a hold rating as the new price target is a modest discount to the current share price.And Bell Potter has initiated coverage of AML3D (ASX:AL3) with a speculative buy rating and 12-month price target of 30cps with the analyst seeing the company is at an inflection point given accelerating demand from the US defence industrial base driving material increase in system sales over the next 3-years. AML3D is a welding, metallurgical science, robotics and software business that produces automated 3D printing systems that utilise Wire Additive Manufacturing technology.

Wall Street ended the first trading session of the new week in positive territory as investors overlooked the latest moody credit rating downgrade on the U.S. on Friday, and instead favoured optimism from the trade negotiation progress with China. The S&P500 rose 0.09% to post a 6th straight winning day, while the Nasdaq climbed 0.02% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.32%. The debt downgrade on Friday pushed bond yields higher early on Monday before they retreated in afternoon trade hence sending equities higher to start the week.Over in Europe on Monday markets in the region closed mostly flat ahead of key corporate earnings results out this week. The STOXX 600 closed flat, Germany's DAX rose 0.6% to yet another fresh record high, the French CAC fell 0.04%, and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day up 0.17%.Across the Asia markets on Monday, it was a sea of red as investors assessed the Moody's credit rating downgrade on the U.S. and latest slew of economic data out of China including retail sales data rising at a weaker rate than expected for April, while industrial output for the same period rose more than economists were expecting.Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.05%, China's CSI index lost 0.5%, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.68% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 0.89%. China's retail sales for April rose 5.1% in data out yesterday which fell short of expectations of a 5.8% rise and indicates the impact of sluggish post-pandemic era and tariffs on consumer spend in the region.Locally to start the new trading week, the ASX200 posted a 0.58% loss on Monday as a sharp selloff in energy and materials stocks weighed on the key index and investor sentiment ahead of the RBA's rate announcement today.What to watch today:The price of gold rebounded on Monday following Moody's downgrade of the US credit rating to AA1 from AAA amid mounting concerns over US economic outlook and growing budget deficit. Gold producers including Northern Star Resources, Evolution Mining and Ramelius Resources posted gains over 1%, 3% and 2% respectively.On a corporate level, we saw Domino's and Mineral Resources shares both slide yesterday after announcing respective changes at the board level, with Domino's Chief of Australia and NZ business, Kerri Hayman, stepping down in August after 37-years with the pizza giant, while Mineral Resources announced the appointment of Malcolm Bundey as successor to outgoing chairman James McClements, who will step away from the company's board in July.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.32% higher at US$62.69/barrel, gold is up 0.81% at US$3229.67/ounce, and iron ore is down 0.08% at US$100/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback overnight to buy 64.60 US cents, 93.53 Japanese yen, 48.30 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar at 9 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the market will open the day up 0.82%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has upgraded the rating on Paragon Care (ASX:PGC) from a hold to a buy and have a 12-month price target on the company of 52cps following the analyst seeing EPS growth in FY26 which is expected to drive all valuation metrics lower including the PE ratio to below 20x. Management are heavily invested in the long term success of the business and remain laser focused on delivery of the integration, according to the analyst.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) 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 $18.88 to the range of $24.50 to $24.50 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed higher again on Friday as investors overlooked disappointing consumer sentiment data and continued to welcome progress on the trade talk front between China and the U.S. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% on Friday and 5.3% for the week, the Nasdaq gained 0.52% on Friday and 7.2% for the week and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.78% and rose 3.4% for the week. The latest consumer sentiment reading out on Friday showed investor sentiment fell to the second lowest Level on record in the latest reading while consumer prices are also expected to rise 7.3% over the next year, up from reported 6.5% expected last month.Moody's downgraded the US credit rating on Friday though from AAA to AA1 citing concerns around rising US debt.Over in Europe on Friday, markets closed higher on Friday led by Germany's DAX rising 0.3% to another record high close, while the STOXX 600 gained 0.4%, the French CAC rose 0.42% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.6%.Across the Asia region on Friday, markets closed mixed as investors digested weaker-than-expected GDP data with a 0.2% contraction reported over the March quarter. Japan's Nikkei closed flat on Friday, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.46%, China's CSI index fell 0.4% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.21%. China's stocks were weighed down by Alibaba missing earnings expectations on Friday.Locally on Friday, the ASX ended the week at a 3-month high after Australian economic data and global investor sentiment boosted markets to strong gains throughout the week. The ASX posted a 0.56% gain on Friday led by REIT stocks jumping 2.3%.Stock specific news, Appen soared 18.7% on Friday after unveiling full-year revenue target of between $235m-$260m.Uranium miners came under pressure on Friday with Boss Energy, Deep Yellow and Paladin falling over 6% each.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is up 0.13% at US$62.57/barrel, gold is up 1.12% at US$3240/ounce and iron ore is down 0.34% at US$100.08/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.13 US cents, 93.04 Japanese Yen, 48.23 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 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 increased the 12-month price target on Temple & Webster from $15.60 to $21.00 and maintain a hold rating on the leading online homewares retailer after the company released a 2H trading update to-date with revenue growth of 18% on the PCP and EBITDA margins toward the top end of guidance. The hold rating is maintained as growth to $21.00/share is in-line with Bell Potter's hold rating criteria.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on GR Engineering Services following the formation of a pattern over a period of 49-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $2.82 to the range of $3.30 to $3.40 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Investor optimism fuelled a strong start to the week following the announcement of a temporary 90-day trade agreement between the US and China. This positive sentiment propelled the ASX200 up 1.3% so far this week (Monday to Thursday), with gains in technology stocks overshadowing declines in the utilities, staples, and REIT sectors.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:36): the latest update on US – China trade(1:41): wage price growth & jobs data out this week(3:13): the rally in Xero, Aristocrat Leisure, GrainCorp & Life360(4:45): how the ASX200 performed this week so far(5:24): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients(5:51): economic news items to watch out for.

We've had a strong start to the week with the S&P500 and the Dow up more than 4% and 1% respectively, and the Nasdaq advancing more than 6% with investors embracing AI and mega caps. Overnight the major benchmarks closed mixed, the Dow 0.2% in the red, while the S&P500 up 0.1% and the Nasdaq up 0.7%. And the 10 year Government bond yield hit a 3 month high in the last session.European markets were all lower with the STOXX600 down 0.24%. Locally yesterday, the ASX200 closed in the green with energy and information technology leading market gains.What to watch today:Australian shares are expected to end a 6- day winning streak today, ahead of jobs data. The SPI futures are suggesting the market will drop 0.43% at the drop this morning.In economic data today, the unemployment rate for April will be released as well as consumer inflation expectations for May.In commodities, Cruide oil is 1.7% lower at US$62.59 per barrel, ending a four-day rally as traders likely took profits amid a surprise rise in US crude inventories and renewed demand concerns. The price of gold is down more than 2% at US$3,181.98 an ounce, as easing trade tensions between the US and China continued to weigh on its safe-haven appeal.And iron ore is up 1.25% at US$100.75 per tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter have downgraded athlete tracking solutions company Catapult Group (ASX:CAT) from a Buy to a Hold and have increased their price target from $4.00 to $4.40. Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Sevcorp (ASX:SRV) indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $5.26 to the range of $5.52 to $5.58 over 28 days according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed mostly higher again on Tuesday as soft inflation data and progress on the trade talk front continue to boost investor sentiment. The S&P500 rose 0.72%, the Nasdaq gained 1.61% and the Dow Jones fell 0.64% as United Health declined 17% to pressure the benchmark index. US CPI data for April came in at an increase of 2.3% on an annual basis which was lower than economists' were expecting and indicate the US inflation journey remains under control despite fears of tariffs boosting CPI.In Europe overnight, markets in the region closed slightly higher as uncertainty over global trade outlook remains positive amid China and the US agreeing to a temporary deal. The STOXX 600 rose 0.07%, Germany's DAX added 0.23% to close at another fresh record high, the French CAC gained 0.3%, and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day flat.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed as investor outlook beyond the 90-day US China tariff deal remains uncertain. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.87%, China's CSI index rose 0.15%, India's Nifty 50 fell 1.27% and Japan's Nikkei ended the day down 1.43%.The local market hit an 11-week high yesterday, ending Tuesday's session up 0.43%, taking lead from the global market rally on Monday as investors welcomed the latest deal tariff between China and the US.With the outlook for lower tariffs on imports into the US from China and vice versa, investors regained appetite for risk and growth stocks, while investors sold out of safe-haven assets like the banks and gold.Mining giants recovered yesterday with the rising price of oil and iron ore fuelling investor appetite for BHP (ASX:BHP), Woodside (ASX:WDS), Rio (ASX:RIO) and Santos (ASX:STO).Location tracking tech giant Life 360 (ASX:360) soared over 10% yesterday after releasing record Q1 results including a 33% increase in total subscription revenue to US$81.9m, a 32% increase in total revenue to US$103.6m and positive operating cash flow of US$12.1m, up 13% YoY, and the company ended the quarter with cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of US$170.4m. What to watch todayOn the commodities front this morning oil is trading 2.76% higher at US$63.66/barrel, gold is up 0.41% at US$3249/ounce and iron ore is up 1.22% at US$99.75/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback overnight to buy 64.76 US cents, 95.50 Japanese Yen, 48.69 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 0.22%. Before the bell this morning CBA (ASX:CBA) released its Q3 trading update including cash profit for the quarter of $2.6bn which is flat on 1H25 quarterly average and up 6% on the PCP, while operating income rose 1% and operating expenses also rose 1%. Net interest income for the big bank rose 1% while the net interest margin was stable.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) following the release of the company's Q3 trading update including sales up 6% on the PCP, while outlook for Q4 remains strong and the company remains as one of the most productive retailers globally.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on AMP (ASX:AMP) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 50-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.32 to the range of $1.56 to $1.62 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street started the new trading week significantly higher as investors welcomed the temporary progress in trade talks between China and the US. The Dow Jones rose 2.81%, the S&P500 climbed 3.26% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 4.35%. Shares in companies that rely on production and supply chain elements from China like Tesla, Apple and Nvidia had investors buying in on Monday with each rising over 5%.The latest update from the China and US trade talks is that both nations have agreed to cut their respective tariffs on one another for 90-days, with tariffs on Chinese imported goods into the US to be 30% and tariffs on US good into China to be 10% for the period.In Europe overnight, markets also closed higher in the region as global investors welcomed progress on the global trade front. The STOXX 600 rose 1.1%, Germany's DAX climbed 0.2% to another fresh record high, the French CAC added 1.4% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.6%.Across the APAC region on Monday, markets rallied after the US and China temporary trade deal was unveiled. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 2.98%, China's CSI index climbed 1.16%, India's Nifty 50 gained 3.5%, and Japan's Nikkei ended the day up 0.38%.Locally to start the week, the ASX200 posted a 0.03% rise to start the new trading week as weakness among pharmaceutical stocks weighed on strong gains for the big miners amid progress in talks between China and the US.Trump's latest pharmaceutical tariff announcement hit locally listed healthcare providers hard this week with Botanix, Neuren, Telix and Clarity all dropping over 5% on Monday. Trump's latest move in the healthcare space is that he wants to cut the price of prescription drugs which will in-turn hurt the margins made by any pharmaceutical producer selling their treatments in the US.As progress talks between the US and China continue to make headway, safe-haven stocks were on the chopping block yesterday as market uncertainty begins to ease. Gold stocks retreated with Evolution Mining, Northern Star Resources and Genesis Minerals each fell over 3%.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.61% higher at US$62/barrel, gold is down 2.65% at US$3236/ounce and iron ore is up 1.22% at US$99.75/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback overnight to buy 63.70 US cents, 94.53 Japanese Yen, 48.57 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 1.17% tracking global market strength overnight. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on REA Group (ASX:REA) from $264 to $267 and maintain a buy rating on the leading online real estate platform following the release of the company's Q3 update including double-digit revenue growth, and strong yield growth which is set to continue amid the rate cut outlook.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Technology One (ASX:TNE) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 25-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $31.62 to the range of $23.25 to $24.75 according to standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall St had a negative end to the week last week as investors awaited clarity on US-China trade talks and the Fed held the US cash rate steady amid outlook for tariff implications sparking an inflationary rebound in the world's largest economy. The Dow Jones fell 0.3%, the S&P500 lost 0.07% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day flat.This morning, Trump has declared great progress after high-level trade talks began with China over the weekend, with the US president claiming the meeting as a ‘total reset' in the trade war which positions the markets for a strong start to the new trading week.In Europe on Friday, markets closed higher as investors hold high hopes of a positive outcome from the US and China's trade negotiations. The STOXX 600 rose 0.44%, Germany's DAX closed at a record high up 0.63%, the French CAC rose 0.64% and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day up 0.3%.Across the Asia region on Friday, markets closed mixed as investors digested the latest economic data out of China and awaited key trade talks between the US and China over the weekend. Japan's Nikkei rose 1.56% on Friday, China's CSI index fell 0.17%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 0.4% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.09%.Locally to end the week, the ASX 200 ended the week with a positive session on Friday as the key index rose 0.48% boosted by a strong tech and financial rally, but for the week the ASX 200 posted a slight decline of 0.08%. Healthcare stocks took the biggest hit over the last 5-trading days as investors fled the sector over concerns of Trump's pharmaceuticals tariffs set to be rolled out over the coming weeks.Liontown Resources soared 195 on Friday after the lithium producer released 2-key trading updates this week that were well received by investors, despite the spot price of lithium carbonate sinking to a four-year low this week.And Chrysos Corporation soared almost 18% on Friday after signing an agreement with gold production giant Newmont Corporation that will see Chrysos' PhotonAssay technology used for Newmont's gold mining projects.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.67% higher at US$61.43/barrel, gold is down 1.3% at US$3282/ounce and iron ore is up 0.33% at US$98.55/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.29 US cents, 93.79 Japanese Yen, 48.57 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Ahead of the first trading session of the new week, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.19% amid positive sentiment from progress on the global trade war front.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on Catalyst Metals from a hold to a buy and have raised the 12-month price target on the gold producer following the acquisition of the Old Highway gold project for $32.5m cash from Sandfire Resources. With 2.1 million tonnes at 3g/t containing 206koz gold, and a higher-grade underground component, the project adds significant upside to Catalysts' portfolio and value.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Super Retail Group following the formation of a pattern over a period of 45-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $14.14 to the range of $15.10 to $15.40 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

This week, Grady examines the key drivers of market activity: the latest quarterly updates, ongoing global trade tensions, and the trajectory of China's economic recovery. Plus, hear insights from Bell Potter healthcare analyst John Hester, who yesterday discussed the potential impact of pending pharmaceutical tariffs on Australian listed healthcare companies.In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:32): why WiseTech (ASX:WTC) declined on Tuesday(1:00): exclusive addition - Bell Potter's view on Trump's healthcare tariffs(3:48): Westpac (ASX:WBC) & NAB (ASX:NAB) 1H results(4:33): the latest on the US – China trade talks(5:56): how the ASX200 performed this week so far(6:28): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients(6:56): economic news items to watch out for.

US equities all closed higher overnight after a volatile session as the Federal Reserve signalled that the risks for an economic slowdown and higher prices are increasing. The Dow Jones gained 0.7%, boosted by a nearly 11% jump in Disney shares following their fiscal second quarter report which saw a surprising increase in subscriber numbers. The S&P500 gained 0.43% while the Nasdaq gained 0.27%.Additionally, the Federal Open Market Committee held its held its benchmark overnight borrowing rate in a range between 4.25% to 4.5%, where it has been since December. Rates were held steady, with officials adopting a wait-and-see approach amid growing fears of economic stagnation fuelled by President Trump's tariffs.European markets all closed in the red with corporate earnings the main focus for investors. The STOXX600 closed 0.5% lower.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 gained 0.33% with energy and real estate in the lead, while healthcare and tech were the only two sectors to close in the red.What to watch today:The SPI futures are suggesting our local market will rise slightly, up 0.1% at the open this morning.In commodities,Crude oil is trading almost 2% lower at US$57.93 per barrel, hovering near four-year lows due to muted optimism ahead of upcoming U.S.-China trade talks. The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, as officials adopt the wait-and-see approach on tariffs.The price of gold is 1.07% lower at US$3,364.21 an ounce with the rising risks of both inflation and unemployment, reinforcing a cautious stance on future rate adjustments.And iron ore is up 0.7% at US$99.33 per tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintain a BUY rating on Bega Cheese (ASX:BGA) with a 12- month price target of $7.00. At BGA's current share price of $5.93, this implies 18% share price growth in a year.And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in New Hope Corporation (ASX:NHC) indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $3.75 to the range of $4.21 - 4.31 over 33 days according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

In the US on Tuesday, Wall St continued its sell-off as investors await further clarity on the global trade and tariff front. The Dow Jones fell 0.95%, the S&P500 lost 0.77% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.87%. Tesla shares came off 1.8% on Tuesday after the company's new car sales in Britain and Germany fell to their lowest in more than two years last month despite growing consumer demand for electric vehicles.In Europe overnight, markets in the region closed mostly lower as investors continue to monitor corporate earnings results and uncertainty around the US trade outlook. The STOXX 600 fell 0.18%, Germany's DAX lost 0.4%, the French CAC fell 0.4% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up just 0.01%.Across Asia on Tuesday, markets closed mixed as investors in the region continue to assess the unfolding trade situation between the US and key trade partners like China. China's CSI index rose 1.01%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.7%, India's Nifty 50 fell 0.3%, and Japan's Nikkei was closed for a public holiday.The local market started the new trading week with a sell-off that ended a 7-day winning streak for the ASX200 after key trading updates and uncertainty around tariffs and trade deals weighed on investor sentiment. On Tuesday the key index ended the day down 0.1% as healthcare and the banking stocks weighed on the key index.An increasing amount of locally listed companies have been updating the market with tariff implication expectations and unclear outlook notes that have increased investor panic in recent days. Wisetech Global (ASX:WTC) fell over 2.5% after warning of potential demand risks from tariffs as the latest company to report uncertain outlook.Tabcorp (ASX:TAH) bucked the volatility yesterday with a rise of 9% after the gaming and wagering company announced the wagering market remains strong with a modest improvement to the turnover trend in the wagering market, indicating consumer demand remains strong despite broader volatility.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil has rebounded to trade 3.3% higher at US$59/barrel, gold is up 2.46% at US$3416/ounce and iron ore is down 0.8% at US$97.41/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.94 US cents, 92.51 Japanese Yen, 48.33 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.38% tracking Wall Street's losses overnight.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Platinum Asset Management (ASX:PTM) from a hold to a sell after the funds manager released April's results including FUM falling $629m or 6.1% to $9.647bn.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Lovisa (ASX:LOV) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 21-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $24.85 to the range of $19 - $20 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St started the new trading week lower, with the S&P500 snapping a 9-day winning streak as investors continue to monitor the latest global trade developments. The S&P500 fell 0.64%, the Nasdaq lost 0.74% and the Dow Jones ended the day down 0.24%. Sentiment slightly rose after a report outlined that India has proposed zero tariffs on steel, auto components and pharmaceuticals, while investors still remain cautious about the timeline and exact scope of tariff agreements between the US and key trade partners.In Europe overnight markets in the region closed mixed as investors look ahead to key economic data out in the region. The STOXX 600 rose 0.16%, Germany's DAX climbed 1.1%, the French CAC fell 0.55% and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 was closed for a holiday.Across the Asia region on Monday, markets rose after China said it was evaluating possible trade talks with the US as the ongoing tariff war continues to unfold. China's markets were closed for a public holiday while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.74%, Japan's Nikkei added 1.04%, India's Nifty 50 climbed 0.21% and South Korea's Kospi Index ended the day up 0.12%.Locally to start the new week, the ASX200 fell 1% to snap a 7-day winning streak as weaker-than-expected results out of Westpac weighed on the financial sector and dented overall investor sentiment.Westpac (ASX:WBC) kicked off the results release for the big banks with first half profit sliding 1% on 1H24 amid rising geopolitical risks and a highly competitive mortgage market. The bank's net interest margin, where most of profits are made, also fell 1bps to 1.88%. On release of the results WBC shares fell over 2% while all big bank stocks also retreated on Monday.Gold Road Resources (ASX:GOR) climbed almost 10% on Monday after coming out of a trading halt and addressing speculation it had received a takeover and entered into a takeover offer with Gruyere Holdings to acquire 100% of issued and outstanding shares in Gold Road by way of a scheme of arrangement valuing Gold Road at around $3.7bn. What to watch today: On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.88% lower at US$57.19/barrel, gold is up 2.87% at US$3332/ounce and iron ore is down 0.8% at US$97.41/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.66 US cents, 92.94 Japanese Yen, 48.76 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.26% extending on yesterday's losses. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has reduced the 12-month price target on Chrysos Corporation (ASX:C79) from $4.70 to $4.40 and maintain a hold rating on the global mining assay service provider following the release of the company's May 2025 trading update including revenue beating BPe for the latest quarter, and 5 units being deployed with revenues expected to start generating from these units by the end of FY25. The slight downgrade of the price target is due to recent contract wins outpacing deployment and revenue tracking at the lower end of the guidance range.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Light & Wonder (ASX:LNW) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 22-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $142.03 to the range of $156 to $160 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St ended the last trading week on a high after better-than-expected nonfarm payrolls data for April eased recession fears and lifted the S&P500 to its longest winning streak in over 2-decades. The S&P500 gained 1.5% on Friday, the Dow Jones rose 1.4% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 1.51%. Payrolls in the US grew by 177,000 in April, well above the 133,000 economists were expecting in a sign the labour market remains strong despite recession fears amid the Trump tariff turmoil.Across the European region on Friday, markets closed higher on better-than-expected economic data and on trade war de-escalation between China and the US. The STOXX 600 rose 1.7%, Germany's DAX added 2.62%, France's CAC rose 2.33% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 1.17%.Asia markets ended the week in the green as trade talks between China and the US continue to make progress. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.74%, India's Nifty 50 rose 0.21%, Japan's Nikkei added 1.04%, and South Korea's Kospi Index ended the day up 0.12%.Locally on Friday, the ASX200 ended the week on a high a gain of 1.1% boosted by strength among tech stocks following a strong night for the Nasdaq on Thursday night despite gloomy earnings out of Amazon, Block and Apple.Corporate Travel Management (ASX:CTD) tumbled 9.2% on Friday after saying it expects to report lower revenue and earnings growth due to the initial impact of tariffs on client demand, while Block sank 25.9% after the digital payments provider lowered its full year guidance. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 3.6% lower at US$56.24/barrel, gold is up 0.14% at US$3244/ounce and iron ore is down 1.07% at US$98.19/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.53 US cents, 93.38 Japanese Yen, 48.56 British Pence, and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.4% to extend on last week's gains.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on Woolworths Group (ASX:WOW) from $30.75 to $31.85 and maintain a hold rating on the supermarket giant following the release of the company's Q3 results including 3.2% YoY sales growth on a group level, while Australian food revenues rose 3.6% and Australian B2B business revenues rose 6.4%. NZ food sales rose just 1.8% YoY and W Living sales fell 2.6% YoY. The reason for the maintenance of the hold rating is that Woolworths is currently trading on a multiple consistent to Coles and the analyst feels it is difficult to see the catalyst to return the rating to a premium compared to Coles at present.And Bell Potter has reduced the rating on SGH (ASX:SGH) from a buy to a hold and have reduced the 12-month price target on the company from $57 to $54.50 following a mixed outlook in the company's operating divisions. While equipment orders are lifting, aggregate prices are falling and the construction market remains flat in recent months. Trading on a 20.3x FY26 PE, the analyst believes SGH is currently fairly valued.

Markets welcomed some positive news this week on the Trump Tariff front with a reduction in the US automotive tariff announced and news that a major trade deal will soon be announced with China. In this week's wrap, Grady covers: (0:21): how tariff concerns impacted imports of foreign goods(1:32): consumer sentiment data out this week (1:57): an update on China's post-pandemic recovery (3:15): Australia's underlying inflation figures (4:36): how the ASX200 performed this week so far (5:29): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients (5:52): economic news items to watch out for. 

Wall St closed mixed on Wednesday following the release of US GDP data for Q1 that indicated economic contraction of 0.3% QoQ which is well below the 2.4% expansion reported in Q4 and below economists' expectations of a 0.5% rise in GDP for the latest reading. The slide in GDP enhanced investor fears of a US recession which impacted equities on Wednesday. The Dow Jones rose 0.35%, and the S&P500 gained 0.15% but the Nasdaq ended the day down 0.09%. Consumer confidence, JOLTs Job Openings and the personal spending index all in the US were also released for the latest period overnight with each coming in poorer than economists' were expecting.European markets closed higher on Wednesday as investors reacted to worse-than-expected economic data out of the US. The STOXX 600 rose 0.46%, Germany's DAX gained 0.32%, the French CAC added 0.32% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.37%Asia Markets closed mixed on Wednesday as investors digested an array of key economic data out in the region and ahead of the Bank of Japan's rate meeting kicking off. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.57%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.51%, and China's CSI index fell 0.12% after China's manufacturing activity dropped more than expected in April to enter contraction territory.Locally on Wednesday, the ASX extended its rally into the midweek session with a gain of 0.7% taking lead from Wall Street's strength on Tuesday. Real estate stocks led the gains on Wednesday while other rate sensitive sectors like Tech and consumer discretionary stocks posted notable gains.Australia's latest inflation reading for the March Quarter was released yesterday with monthly inflation rising 0.9% while the annual rate remained at 2.4%. Trimmed mean inflation fell to 2.8% in the quarter which is now back within the RBA's target 2-3% range. Markets are expecting a 62% chance of a rate cut to be announced at the next RBA meeting in May prior to the CPI reading release yesterday.Gold producer Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) extended its sell-off yesterday after the gold giant lowered its output guidance for FY25, while Ora Banda (ASX:OBM) also tumbled over 6% after also lowering full-year production guidance.What to watch today:Ahead of Thursday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the first session of the new trading month down 0.34% following Wall Street's turbulence overnight.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 3.42% lower at US$58.35/barrel, gold is down 1.13% at US$3279/ounce and iron ore is down 0.1% at US$99.76/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback overnight to buy 64.08 US cents, 91.62 Japanese Yen, 47.61 British Pence and NZ$1.08.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) from a buy to a hold and have raised the 12-month price target to $4.57 on the gold producer following the release of the company's March quarter report which beat BPe on production and costs. The downgrade to a hold is simply due to recent share price appreciation.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Autosports Group (ASX:ASG) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 97-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.94 to the range of $2.11 to $2.17 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

The recent rally on Wall St extended into Tuesday's session as investor optimism was boosted by the White House saying a major trade deal is close to being announced. The S&P500 rose 0.58% to notch a 6th straight winning session, while the Dow Jones rallied 0.75% to also post a 6th straight winning day, and the Nasdaq ended the day up 0.55%.In Europe overnight, it was a sea of green as investors responded to corporate results out in the region including Lufthansa posting a revenue beat, Deutsche Bank reporting a 39% rise in first-quarter profit and HSBC topping profit expectations. The STOXX 600 rose 0.4%, Germany's DAX added 0.1%, the French CAC gained 0.8% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.6%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed as investors assessed corporate earnings results and Trump's move to reduce automotive tariffs. China's CSI index ended down 0.17%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.16% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day with a gain of 0.65%.The local market started the new trading week in positive territory with the ASX200 hitting a 2-month high to end Tuesday's session up 0.9%. Trump's tariff concerns remain in the background of investor concerns right now but are being overlooked ahead of the all-important local inflation reading out today and ahead of the RBA's anticipated rate cut to come in May. Yesterday we had further clarity out of the US that negotiation talks on tariffs between China and the US are progressing and Trump reduced the tariff he recently imposed on automotive sales.The recent uranium stock rally extended yesterday as the price of the commodity rose 0.6% to US$67/pound, but more of the gains can be explained by Boss Energy's (ASX:BOE) driving force after the uranium producer reported its first quarter of free cash flow generation and that output and costs had met or beat expectations. Boss Energy rose over 14% on Tuesday, Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) gained 11.71%% and Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) ended the day up 8.5%.Elsewhere in the mining space, Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) surged over 12% on Tuesday despite releasing a quarterly update including iron ore output guidance slashed again and the company burnt through $300m of cash in the quarter.What to watch todayOn the commodities front:Oil is down 2.64% at US$60.41/barrel, gold is down 0.6% at US$3317.80/ounce and iron ore is flat at US$99.91/tonne.The Aussie dollar is buying 63.86 US cents, 90.90 Japanese Yen, 47.86 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.35% tracking global market gains overnight.Also today we will receive the latest March quarter inflation reading with the market forecasting an uptick of 0.8% in the reading, which will indicate inflation continues to ease and provides the RBA with further support for a rate cut at the next meeting in May.Trading IdeasBell Potter has downgraded the rating on Catalyst Metals (ASX:CYL) from a buy to a hold and have raised the 12-month price target on the gold production and development company following the release of the company's Q3 results including total gold production of 24.3koz at AISC of A$2765/ounce. With growth on the horizon, the downgrade to a hold is simply on the grounds of current valuation of the company being within the Bell Potter hold criteria.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Perenti (ASX:PRN)following the formation of a pattern over a period of 40-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.38 to the range of $1.58 to $1.62 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

US equities closed missed overnight, with the Dow Jones up 0.28%, the S&P500 up 0.06% and the Nasdaq slightly lower just 0.1%. S&P500 futures are pointing lower this morning, after the index posted five straight winning sessions. Investors are preparing for earnings week, with approximately a third of S&P500- listed firms posting results.  European markets were all higher with the FTSE 100 posting its best winning streak in over 5 years. Yesterday our local market advanced 0.36% with 10 of the 11 industry sectors in the green. Energy and technology advanced the most, while materials was the only sector to close lower. Iluka Resources (ASX:ILU) lead the market rally, while healthcare companies Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CU6) and Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) declined the most.  What to watch todayThe Australian market is set to open higher this morning, with the SPI futures suggesting a 0.21% rise at the open this morning. In commodities, Crude oil is trading 1.57% lower at around US$62.00 per barrel, as tariff- driven growth concerns threatened to dampen fuel consumption, while supply surged. OPEC+ surprised markets by adding approximately 411,000 barrels per day in May, reversing much of last year's cutbacks. The gold price is up 0.57% at US$3,338.85 an ounce, boosted by bargain hunting and cautious sentiment ahead of key US economic data, as well as US- China trade developments. And iron ore is currently steady at US$99.91 per tonne.  Trading IdeasBell Potter maintains a Buy rating on mining contractor and operator Develop Global (ASX:DVP). Their price target remains unchanged at $4.00 and at DVP's current share price of $2.71 this implies 48% share price growth in a year. And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Lendlease Group (ASX:LLC) indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $5.08 to the range of $4.05 - $4.25 over 18 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall St closed higher on Friday as investors continue to navigate the evolving situation on a global trade front while the big tech names got a welcome boost following a sell-off in recent times. The S&P500 rose 0.74% on Friday for a fourth straight winning session while the Nasdaq gained 1.26% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.05%.Over in Europe on Friday, markets closed higher as earnings reports out in the region were well-received by investors despite ongoing trade uncertainty. The STOXX 600 rose 0.35%, Germany's DAX added 0.8%, the French CAC added 0.45%, and in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.1%.Across the Asia region to end the week markets closed mostly higher as investors continue to assess the possibility of easing trade war tensions between China and the US. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.24%, China's CSI index closed flat, Japan's Nikkei rose 1.9% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.95%.Locally on Thursday the ASX200 rose 0.6% to end the holiday shortened trading week up 2.3% as investor optimism around a rate cut out of the RBA in May boosted investor sentiment. While Trump's tariff moves continue to weigh on investor sentiment, we are seeing certain companies rally from exemptions like ResMed (ASX:RMD) soaring 8.5% on Thursday after revealing its sleep apnoea devices have received an exemption from Trump's tariffs. Uranium miners also rallied on Thursday with Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) jumping 12% after announcing record production at its Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia.What to watch todayAhead of Monday's trading session in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day just 0.02% higher.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.71% higher at US$63.44/barrel, gold is down 0.26% at US$3311/ounce and iron ore is down 0.06% at US$99.92/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy US$0.64, 91.93 Japanese Yen, 48.10 British Pence and NZ$1.07.Trading IdeasBell Potter has slightly reduced the 12-month price target on Seek (ASX:SEK) from $27.00 to $25.80 and maintain a buy rating on Australia's leading online jobs advertisement platform following a mixed month of jobs report for March. For the month, Seek's employment report for Australia outlined an accelerating decline for job ads, down 12.8% YoY on platform and the ABS' internet job ad vacancy index also worsened for March, down 16.3%. Despite the weakness in the ABS data, Seek is significantly outperforming ABS data.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Autosports Group (ASX:ASG) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 55-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.83 to the range of $2.00 to $2.06 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

European markets rallied on hopes of cooling US – China trade tensions. The STOXX 600 gained 1.78%, German's DAX gained more than 3%, France's CAC up more than 2% and the FTSE 100 up 0.9%.  The three major US benchmarks were also all higher, posting back-to-back gains. The Dow Jones advanced 1.07% or 63 points, the S&P500 up 1.67%, while the tech- heavy Nasdaq advanced 2.5%.  What to watch todayThe SPI futures are suggesting the Australian market will rise 0.16% at the open this morning. Looking at commodities, Crude oil has declined 2.24% to US$62.24 per barrel, amid the possibility that OPEC+ may continue to increase supply in upcoming months. The price of gold is trading 0.69% lower at US$3,313.40 an once, after hitting a record of US$3,500 the prior session and contrasting with the rally in other dollar- denominated financial assets that benefited from expectations of a de-escalation in the China and US trade tensions. While iron ore is trading higher, up 0.21% at US$100.09 per tonne. Trading IdeasBell Potter maintains a Buy rating on Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) following a strong quarter of revenue growth. Their 12-month price target remains unchanged at $36.00 and at TLX's current share price of $25.18, this implies 43% share price growth in a year. And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Regis Healthcare (ASX:REG) indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $6.75 to the range of $7.70 to $7.75 over 30 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

European markets closed higher after the European Central Bank reported that the disinflation process in Europe was “nearing completion.” The STOXX 600 closed 0.25% higher, the German DAX up 0.4%, France's CAC up 0.56% and the FTSE 100 up 0.6%.  US equities rallied on Wall Street overnight, ending a four- day streak of losses, as hope that trade tensions between the US and China could potentially ease soon. The Dow Jones advanced 2.66%, the S&P500 up 2.51% and the Nasdaq up 2.7%.  Yesterday the ASX200 closed slightly lower, just 0.03%, with what was a quieter trading day to start the three-day working week between Easter and Anzac Day long weekends. Financials, consumer staples and materials were the only sectors to close in the green. West African Resources (ASX:WAF) and Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) lead the gains, while Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) and Zip Co. (ASX:ZIP) declined the most.  What to watch today:Following US equities, the Aussie market is set up to jump 1.28% at the open this morning, according to the SPI futures. In economic data today, the S&P Global Manufacturing and Services Flash PMI will be released, a forward looking estimate of the final PMI out next week. In commodities, Crude Oil recovered earlier losses, trading over 3% higher at US$64.36 per barrel, likely in a technical rebound after falling over 2% in the previous session. With that in mind, the outlook for crude is bearish as progress in discussions between the US and Iran has increased the possibility of a deal to bring Iranian oil exports back to the market. The price of gold has declined, down more than 3%, trading at US$3,327.97 an ounce, after having touched a new record of US$3,500 earlier in the trading session. And iron ore is steady at US$99.88 per tonne. And Woolworths (ASX:WOW) is scheduled to pay its fully franked interim dividend of 39cps today.  Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains its BUY rating on Alcidion (ASX:ALC), a commercial healthcare IT company and have maintained their 12-month price target of $0.11. At ALC's current share price of $0.08, this implies 39.2% share price growth in a year. And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Qube Holdings (ASX:QUB) indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $3.79. 

Wall St closed lower overnight as Donald Trump criticized Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell. The Dow Jones fell by 2.48%, the S&P 500 dropped 2.36% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended Monday's trading session 2.55% in the red.Over in Europe, markets closed flat on Thursday following the European Central Banks decision to cut interest rates. The STOXX600 fell 0.1% lower, Germany's DAX fell 0.49%, the French CAC dropped 0.6% and over in the UK, the FTSE100 closed the trading session flat.Locally on Thursday, the ASX200 closed 0.78% higher with all but one major sector closing in the green. Gains were led by the energy and material sectors which rose by 3.82% and 1.45% respectively. This was slightly offset by the health sector which dropped by 0.13% by the closing bell.What to watch today:The Australian share market is set to open higher, with the SPI futures suggesting a rise of 0.6% at market open this morning.On the commodities front this morning,Oil is trading 1.9% lower at US$63.45 per barrel Gold is trading 3.15% higher at US$3,431 an ounce Iron ore is trading 0.13% lower at US$99.92 per tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) and has a 12-month price target of $2. With a current share price of $1.43 this indicates a share price growth of 40% over the next 12-months, hence the buy rating is maintained.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Light & Wonder (ASX:LNW) indicating that the share price may rise from the close of $125.67 to the range of $169-$179, on a pattern formed over 16 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Yesterday our local market closed slightly lower, down 0.04%, with energy and information technology down the most.  On the ASX200 leaderboard, BNPL company ZIP Co (ASX:ZIP) advanced more than 16% after the company reported a 219% year-on-year increase in EBITDA of $46 million. Overnight, US equities closed in the red, with all three major benchmarks down after a significant tech sell- off and tariff concerns. The Dow Jones lost 1.7% or almost 700 points, the S&P500 closed 2.24% lower, while the tech- heavy Nasdaq closed 3.07% lower. What to watch today:The SPI futures are suggesting the Australian market will fall 0.33% at the open this morning, following the heavy sell- off on Wall Street. Keep watch of BHP Group (ASX:BHP) this morning as the mining giant is set to release its third quarter update.And in economic data, today Australia's unemployment rate data for March will be released.  Looking at commodities, Crude oil is trading higher, 2.44% in the green at US$62.82 per barrel, as fresh US sanctions on Chinese importers of Iranian crude, reignited supply concerns. The price of gold reached a record high, trading up 3.25% at US$3,356.67 an ounce, as the increasing unpredictability of the US trade policy and low demand for the US dollar and Treasury securities has left gold as one of the main saf0- haven commodities. And iron ore is steady at US$100.19 a tonne.  Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains their Buy rating on Select Harvest (ASX:SHV) after the almond grower delivered a disappointing crop update with an approximate 10% downward revision to FY25 crop expectations. Bell Potter believe it was largely offset by stronger pricing outcomes, which look likely to be a greater benefit into FY26-27. Their 12- month price target remains unchanged at $5.80, and at SHV's current share price of $4.60, this implies 26.1% share price growth in a year.Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in QBE Insurance Group (ASX:QBE) indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $21.36.

Wall St closed modestly lower on Tuesday as investors shifted focus from tariffs to first quarter earnings results. The Dow Jones lost 0.38%, the S&P500 fell 0.17% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.05%. Bank of America rose 3.6% yesterday after exceeding analysts' expectations for Q1 results, while Untied Airlines and Netflix are also expected to report this week. Boeing shares fell more than 2% though on Tuesday on reports that Beijing ordered Chinese airlines not to take anymore of the company's planes.In Europe overnight, markets in the region rose amid investor optimism of further tariff exemptions to come from the White House. The STOXX 600 rose 1.6%, Germany's DAX added 1.3%, the French CAC gained 0.9% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 1.5%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets mostly rose in the region as a tech rally boosted investor sentiment. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.84%, South Korea's Kospi Index gained 0.88%, India's Nifty 50 rose 2.18% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended the day up 0.23%.The local market rallied for a second session on Tuesday with a gain of 0.17% after a day of relative calm with minimal news on the tariff front out of the White House. Investors increasingly sought out defensive stocks on Tuesday with CSL and CBA rising 2.56% and 0.87% respectively.The high growth tech sector came under pressure on Tuesday despite strength on the Nasdaq on Monday and Trump's exemption of key tech tariffs. KFC Australia operator Collins Food Group fell over 7.7% on Tuesday after announcing the results of its strategic review including the exiting of its Taco Bell operations in Australia and further expansion of KFC into Germany.Accent Group on the other hand rallied over 4.5% after announcing it will launch and operate leading global sports retailing business, Sports Direct to Australia and New Zealand. The leading Australian retailer also announced a long-term strategic relationship with Frasers Group, a global retailer of sports, premium and luxury brands based in London, with Frasers also increasing its stake in Accent Group to 19.57%.What to watch today:The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy 63.48 US cents, 90.82 Japanese Yen, 48.08 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.33% lower at US$61.32/barrel, gold is up 0.5% at US$3227.51/ounce and iron ore is up 0.13% at US$100.08/tonne. Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down just 0.04% Trading Idea.s:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) from a buy to a hold and have raised the 12-month price target on the gold and copper miner from $7.89 to $8.10 following the release of the company's March quarter report which came in strong as Bell Potter was expecting. The downgrade to a hold simply follows recent share price appreciation.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Universal Stores (ASX:UNI) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 38-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $7.46 to the range of $10.10 to $10.70 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street started the new trading week in the green as investors welcomed the latest tariff exemption from Trump in the form of smartphones and computers in addition to other devices and components like semiconductors. The Dow Jones rose 0.78% on Monday, the S&P500 gained 0.79% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.64%. While the tariff exemption is welcome right now, Trump teased on Sunday that the exemptions are not permanent, i.e. the Trump tariff rollercoaster continues.In Europe on Monday, markets closed higher as Trump exemptions boosted investor sentiment, temporarily. The STOXX 600 rose 2.7%, Germany's DAX gained 2.6%, the French CAC added 2.4% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 2.4%.Across Asia to start the week, markets in the region rallied as investor appetite for growth and tech stocks rose on Trump's latest exemption announcement. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 2.4%, China's CSI index added 0.23%, Japan's Nikkei rose 1.18%, and South Korea's Kospi Index ended the day up 0.95%.Locally on Monday, the ASX200 started the new trading week with a significant rise of 1.3% as investors hold high hopes tariff relief after President Trump began scaling back some tariffs in recent days. Mining stocks regained momentum yesterday with the materials sector rising %, while 10 of the 11 sectors ended the day in the green.Neuren Pharmaceuticals soared 21% yesterday after the drug maker announced the US FDA has approved the outcomes of a key trial of the company's second drug candidate for the treatment of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome in Children, which paves the way for the company's final US FDA approval of the drug before it hits the market.Gold miners are again drawing investor attention as the price of the precious commodity rallied to yet another fresh record high on Monday and UBS lifted its gold price forecast for the second time in a week, this time to an average of US$3500/ounce in 2026.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.18% higher at US$61.61/barrel, gold is down 0.74% at US$3212.46/ounce and iron ore is up just 0.06% at US$99.95/tonne.What to watch today:The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback overnight to buy 63.24 US cents, 90.50 Japanese Yen, 48.11 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session here in Australia, the SPI Futures are anticipating the local market will open the day up 0.23% tracking global market gains overnight.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on De Grey Mining (ASX:DEG) from $1.97 to $2.58 and maintain a hold rating on the gold exploration and development company after Gold Road Resources announced its intention to vote in favour of the proposed all-scrip acquisition of DEG by Northern Star, as Gold Road Resources has an approximate 17.3% stake in DEG.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on SRG Global (ASX:SRG) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 21-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.25 to the range of $1.38 to $1.42 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street ended the rollercoaster week of last week in the green on Friday after possibly the most volatile week in NYSE history as investors responded live to Trumps tariff updates as they were announced. The Dow Jones rose 1.56%, the S&P500 rose 1.81% and the Nasdaq ended the last trading session of the week up 2.06%. The rise in investor optimism on Friday was due to the White House remaining optimistic a deal on tariffs would be done with China. Let's hope for some more clarity and calm on global markets this week.In Europe on Friday markets in the region closed mostly lower to round off a choppy week for stocks in the Eurozone. The STOXX 600 fell 0.1%, Germany's DAX fell 0.9%, the French CAC dropped 0.3%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.64%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets closed mixed as investors assessed escalating trade wars with the US. Japan's Nikkei lost almost 3%, South Korea's Kospi index fell 0.5%, but Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.13% and China's CSI index ended the day up 0.41%.Locally on Friday the ASX200 fell 0.82% with every sector aside from consumer discretionary stocks ending the day in the red, with healthcare taking the biggest hit amid Trump's latest tariff announcement on producers in the sector. For the week, the ASX200 lost just 0.28% despite the extreme highs and lows of the trading week.What to watch today:Gold miners rallied last week as the price of the precious commodity topped US$3200/ounce for the first time later in the week.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 2.38% higher at US$61.50/barrel, gold is up 1.5% at US$3236.55/ounce and iron ore is up just 0.06% at US$99.95/tonne.The Aussie dollar has slightly improved against most currencies to buy 62.86 US cents, 90.64 Japanese Yen, 49.03 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.23%.This week will be interesting on the tariffs front as we ended last week with Trump raising total tariffs on China to 145% but backtracked on electronics and certain imports that support large caps like Apple.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC) from a hold to a sell as the analyst believes valuation has been overextended and the current share price prices in optimistic expectations. The analyst still believes Lynas is a high-quality business with viable growth options and a strong management team.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Waypoint REIT (ASX:WPR) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 90-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price will rise from the close of $2.50 to the range of $2.65 to $2.69 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Time in the market, rather than timing the market, is what our strategist team at Bell Potter recommend this week, as the spike in market volatility has prompted some investors to contemplate moving their assets into cash as a perceived save haven during these uncertain times. In this week's wrap, Sophia covers: (0:11): Bell Potter's view on timing the market(2:36): the cost of missing the market's best days (4:46): how the ASX200 performed this week so far(5:45): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients (6:12): economic news items to watch out for. 

Market movements are up and down this week. Yesterday our local market closed 1.8% in the red, with energy and materials down the most. Champion Iron (ASX:CIA), Nickel Industries (ASX:NIC) and Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) took the biggest hit down 12% to 14% in a single session. Overnight, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause on the 'reciprocal' tariffs his administration had applied to roughly 60 countries.That means many countries will have their tariffs reduced to a universal rate of 10%, except for China, which will have its tariff increased to 125%. It comes after the U.S. increased tariffs on China to 104% yesterday, which a Chinese Government spokesperson called "economic bullying".Australia's tariff was always at the 10% rate (which was the minimum rate imposed), so this means there has been no change for us.Trump said the 90-day pause would allow "more than 75 countries" that had started negotiations with the White House, seeking to reduce its tariffs, to reach a deal.The announcement of a pause led to a record-breaking day on the U.S. stock market. The Dow Jones closed 7.87% higher, the S&P500 up a record 9.52%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 12.16%. It was a historic surge on Wall Street, with the S&P500 seeing its third- largest gain in a singe day since World War II. During the trading session, we saw surprising trading volume of approximately 30 billion shares, the highest level in history, as per records which date back 18 years ago. What to watch today:Locally today, the SPI futures are 6.62% higher, after heavy buying in New York. The de-escalation in trade tensions helped restore confidence across community markets:Crude Oil has advanced 5.86% to US$63.07 per barrelNatural gas is up 7.75% Gold us up 3.58% to $3,084.62, as the US – China tensioned fueled the safe- haven demand While iron ore is down 2%, trading at US$99.25. And one Australian dollar is buying US$0.62, 90.64 Japanese Yen, $0.48 British Pence and a NZ$1.09. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter have upgraded their recommendation from JB Hi- Fi (ASX:JBH) from a Hold to a Buy and have maintained their price target of $99.00. at JBH's current share price of $88.91, this implies 11.3% share price growth in a year. Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in the ASX's share price, indicating the stock price may rise today from it's close of $66.21. 

Wall St closed lower overnight as investor concerns over Trump's tariffs returned following a short-lived relief rally. The S&P 500 fell by 1.57%, the Dow Jones dropped 0.84% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq closed 2.15% lower.Over in Europe, markets snapped their 4-day losing streak with the STOXX600 closing 2.72% higher overnight. Gains were led by insurance and financial services stocks which rose 4.08% and 3.89% respectively. Germany's DAX rose 2.48%, the French CAC jumped 2.5% and over in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended Tuesday's trading session 2.71% in the green.The local market recovered some of the market losses yesterday to close the day up 2.27% after a mass exodus from equities across global markets, since Trump's liberation day widespread tariff handouts. Gains were led by the information technology and energy sectors which closed 4.63% and 4.06% higher respectively.What to watch today:The Australian share market is set to open lower, with the SPI futures suggesting a fall of 1.88% at market open this morning.On the commodities front this morning,Oil is trading 3.86% lower at 58 US dollars and 36 cents a barrel, gold is trading 0.03% higher at 2982 US dollars an ounce and iron ore is trading 1.74% lower at 100 US dollars and 85 cents a tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on Mineral Resources and has a 12-month price target of $29. With a current share price of $16.38, this indicates a share price growth of 77% over the next 12-months, hence the buy rating is recommended.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on TPG Telecom, indicating that the share price may rise from the close of $4.85 to the range of $5.30-$5.45, on a pattern formed over 10 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street started the new trading week mostly in the red as investors piled out of equities for a third straight session after President Trump threatened even higher tariffs against China on Monday. Trading volume hit the highest level in 18 years yesterday with markets trading around 29 billion shares. The Dow Jones fell 0.91% on Monday, the S&P500 shed 0.23% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.1%.In Europe overnight, markets in the region started the new trading week lower as investors continue to fear the global fall out of Trump's Tariffs and implications on economic activity in the Eurozone. The STOXX 600 tumbled 4.54%, Germany's DAX lost 4.26%, the French CAC plummeted 4.8%, and in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 4.4%.Asia markets started the week with another sea of red as global trade war fears escalate following China's reciprocal tariff announcement on Friday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng plummeted 13.22%, China's CSI index fell 7.05%, Japan's Nikkei tumbled 7.83% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 5.57%.Locally on Monday, the ASX200 tanked over 4% to post the biggest loss in 5-years after China retaliated with tariffs on US goods, escalating the global trade war and tensions on a global scale.Abacus Storage King was among the only winners on Monday with a rally over 20% after its majority investor Ki Corporation and NYSE-listed Public Storage lobbed a proposal to buy the remaining stake for $1.47 a share.Market heavyweights tanked yesterday, with CBA diving over 6%, so too did BHP and other miners as the price of iron ore slumped on global trade and demand concerns.What to watch today:Ahead of Tuesday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.75% to recover some of the heavy losses experienced in recent days.On the commodities front this morning, the sea of red continues with oil trading 1.12% lower at US$61.29/barrel, gold is down 1.65% at US$2987/ounce and iron ore is down 1.5% at US$102.64/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further weakened against the USD overnight to buy US$0.59, 88.67 Japanese Yen, 47.08 British Pence and NZ$1.08.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Trajan Group (ASX:TRJ) with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of $1.50 on the global developer of scientific measurement devices as the analyst sees the company is returning to growth. The analyst sees Trajan Group as offering deep value given it is trading at a 47% discount to close peer Tecan and a 60^ discount to major US peers.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on EBR Systems (ASX:EBR) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 52-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $1.39 to the range of 75 to 85cps according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St was smashed again on Friday as investors fled equities amid concerns over Trump's latest tariff implications on the US economy. The Dow Jones tumbled 5.5%, the S&P500 lost 5.97% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq plunged 5.8%. China's commerce ministry said on Friday that it will impose a 34% levy on all US products without negotiation with President Trump, while tech and other stocks with exposure to China also tumbled as investors brace for impact on such company's sales, financials and growth outlook.In Europe on Friday, markets in the region closed sharply lower as investors digested Trump's liberation day tariffs and after China retaliated with tariffs on the US. The STOXX 600 fell 5%, Germany's DAX fell 4.7%, the French CAC lost 4.3% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down just shy of 5%.Across the Asia region to end the week, markets closed lower as the global tariff sell-off extended into the region. China's CSI index fell 0.59%, Japan's Nikkei tumbled over 4%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 1.52% and South Korea's Kospi Index ended the day down 0.76%.The local market tumbled 2.4% on Friday erasing 57b$ from the ASX200 after global markets reacted to Trump's liberation day tariff handouts that were larger and broader than expected.Our market followed the US free-fall on Thursday that saw the Nasdaq tumble 6%, the S&P 500 drop 4.84% and the Dow Jones decline 4%.Stocks with exposure to the US market were heavily sold off as investors fled exposure to cost hikes faced by such companies under the new 10% blanket tariff on all Aussie exports bound for the US.In the wake of global uncertainty, investors are increasingly dumping growth stocks in favour of supermarkets given their defensive nature, lack of exposure to the US and guaranteed earnings no matter the time of economic cycle.Breville Group has been hit hard by the US tariff imposition with the company falling over 11% on Friday and over 6% on Thursday as the company manufactures in China and attributes a large portion of revenues to the US market. Breville has already started moving production out of China, however, will need to assess pricing and strategize to overcome the tariff implications.Growth stocks associated with the AI revolution were also heavily sold off on Friday with NextDC falling over 6% while geolocation tracking app with a high presence in the US, Life 360, fell over 8%.What to watch today:Ahead of Monday's trading session to start the new trading week, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 4.3% tracking the global sell-off on Friday.On the commodities front this morning it is a sea of red across the commodities space with oil down 3.14% at US$60/barrel, gold is down 0.57% at US$3020/ounce and iron ore is down 1.5% at US$102.64/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback over the weekend to buy US$60.02, 87.07 Japanese Yen, 46.77 British Pence and NZ$1.08.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Bellevue Gold (ASX:BGL) from a buy to a hold and have lowered the 12-month price target on the gold producer from $2 to $1.30 per share after Q3 production missed guidance by 30%.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Generation Development Group (ASX:GDG) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 53-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $4.36 to the range of $3.40 to $3.70 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Locally from Monday to Thursday, the ASX200 declined 1.53% as global market uncertainty weighed on investor sentiment. Materials and energy stocks took the biggest hit, as investors are concerned over the impact Trump's tariffs on the global economy. In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:10): the RBA's cash rate decision(0:27): the global impact of Trump's Liberation Day(2:37): Trump's beef with Aussie beef explained(4:33): How Aussie companies may respond to tariffs(6:35): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients(7:00): economic news items to watch out for.

Wall St closed higher overnight as investors get ready for the rollout of President, Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff plans. The Dow Jones gained over half a percent, the S&P500 rose by 0.67% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 0.87%.Over in Europe, markets closed lower as traders digest news of Trump's tariff plans. The STOXX600 fell half a percent with most sectors closing Wednesday's trading session in the red. Germany's DAX lost 0.66%, the French CAC dropped 0.22% and over in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day 0.3% down.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 rose by 0.12% with half of the major sectors closing in the green. Gains were led by the real estate and communication services sectors which rose by 1.63% and 0.8% respectively. This was offset by the materials sector which fell by 1.61% by the closing bell.What to watch today:The Australian share market is set to open higher, with the SPI futures suggesting a rise of 0.53% at market open this morning.On the commodities front this morning,Oil is trading 0.66% down to 70 US dollars and 65 cents a barrel as Trump's tariff announcement increases uncertainty on oil demand.Gold is trading up 0.47% at 3129 US dollars an ounce and iron ore is trading 0.29% lower at 102 US dollars and 21 cents a tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on HUB24 (ASX:HUB), despite reducing its 12-month price target to $78. With a current share price of $68.11, this indicates a share price growth of 14.5% over the next 12-months, hence the buy rating is maintained.And Bell Potter maintains a hold rating on Netwealth Group (ASX:NWL) and has a 12-month price target of $25.80. Bell Potter maintains a hold rating as they see emerging upside risk to flows with longer-term growth already captured and implied in discounted cashflows through their valuation approach. Other providers have delivered impactful new technology enhancements during the last 12-months, limiting the balance of growth and margins, hence the hold rating is maintained.

Wall Street closed Tuesday's session higher in yet another volatile session as traders took advantage of market uncertainty ahead of Trump's tariff handouts on April 2nd US time, and on the back of weaker-than-expected economic data weighing on investor sentiment. The S&P500 rose 0.38%, the Dow Jones added 0.03% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 0.87%. Investor sentiment was also hit by the Institute for Supply Management manufacturing survey coming in lighter than expected and in contraction territory for February, while February's job openings were also slightly below estimates in signs the economy is slowing due to tariff implications on US economic stability.In Europe overnight, markets reversed Monday's losses to close higher as eurozone inflation data for March showed inflation in the region cooled as expected to 2.2% for the month. The STOXX 600 rose 1.07%, Germany's DAX added 1.7%, the French CAC gained 1.1% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.61%.Across the Asia markets on Tuesday, markets also rebounded in the region following Monday's sell-off as investors await clarity on Trump's incoming tariffs, Japan's Nikkei rose 0.11%, South Korea's Kospi Index added 1.62%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.38% and China's CSI index ended the day flat.The local market started the trading week mixed with the third-worst session of 2025 posted on Monday followed by a recovery on Tuesday with the key index ending Tuesday's session up 1%.The RBA also held the nation's cash rate at 4.1% for the next period to assess the unfolding trade situation with the US and to ensure inflation in Australia remains on track in the target range of 2-3%.Elsewhere in the economic data space, Australia's latest retail sales figures for February were released yesterday coming in at a rise of 0.2% for February which fell short of economists' expectations and is a positive reading for Australia's inflation journey easing as consumer spend is a big contributor to inflationary pressures.Investors really are riding the wave of volatility right now ahead of Trump's ‘Liberation Day' reciprocal tariff day in the US on Wednesday the 2nd April whereby it is expected the US President will announce an array of tariffs on countries that he believes have been unfairly taxing US imports for some time.The recent volatility has propelled gold to yet another record high overnight with the price of the commodity touching US$3145/ounce as investors flock to the safe-haven asset during times of high uncertainty.What to watch today:Ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.35% tracking Wall Street's rally overnight.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.33% lower at US$71.25/barrel, gold is down 0.24% at US$3112/ounce and iron ore is up 0.08% at US$102.51/tonne.The Aussie dollar has slightly strengthened against the greenback overnight to buy US$0.62, 93.70 Japanese Yen, 48.44 British pence and NZ$1.10 cents.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded Opthea (ASX:OPT) to a sell rating from a buy rating and have dropped the 12-month price target on the company to 5cps following the release of Phase 3 trial results that failed to show any benefit in improving visual acuity when combined with either Eylea or Lucentis across both primary and key secondary endpoints.And Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on Aristocrat Leisure (ASX:ALL) from $83 to $85 and maintain a buy rating on the hotels and gaming company after the company's Phoenix Link has grown to 750 units in the EK database after just 4-months with performance strong at 2.5x floor average although trending down. The analyst expects operating momentum in FY25 to accelerate, particularly in Gaming Operations.

The world's largest market, the US, started the new trading week mostly in the green despite investors remaining nervous about ‘liberation day' on April 2nd whereby it is expected President Donald Trump will announce an array of reciprocal tariffs on countries he believes have been tough on the US in terms of tariffs and trade in recent years. The Dow Jones rose 1%, the S&P500 added 0.55% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.14%.In Europe overnight the sea of red extended into the new trading week across the region as investors brace for reciprocal tariffs out of the US on 2nd April. The STOXX600 fell 1.51% to post the first losing month on the index for 2025. Germany's DAX lost 1.33%, the French CAC fell 1.58% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.88%.Across the APAC region on Monday, markets also closed lower on Monday ahead of Trump's second round of tariffs to be announced. Japan's Nikkei plunged 4.05%, China's CSI index lost 0.71%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.09% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 3%.South Korea and Japan are expected to bear much of the brunt of Trump's newly introduced 25% automotive tariff with these regions ranking 2nd and 3rd among the countries with the highest automotive trade with the US.Locally to start the week the ASX200 plunged into the red with a 1.7% decline at the closing bell to mark the 3rd worst trading session of the year, as global market sentiment remains uneasy amid escalated tariff, trade war and subdued economic global growth concerns.The iron ore mining giants were sold off on Monday as the outlook for exports remains murky, especially to our largest trade partner, China. BHP, Rio and Champion Iron each fell over 3%, over 4% and over 5% respectively to start the new trading week lower.Domain shares fell almost 2% on Monday after the board unanimously recommended a takeover bid from US real estate company CoStar to shareholders. Shareholders were seemingly unimpressed which led to the sell-off yesterday.What to watch today:Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the ASX, the SPI futures are anticipating the market will open the day up 0.85% tracking Wall Street's gains overnight.The all-important RBA interest rate meeting is today with the market expecting Australia's central bank to hold the current cash rate at 4.1% for the next period.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 2.85% higher at US$71.34/barrel, gold is 1.3% higher at US$3124/ounce and iron ore is up 0.07% at US$102.43/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback overnight to buy US$0.62, 93.67 Japanese Yen, 48.22 British Pence and NZ$1.10.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has slightly reduced the 12-month price target on Light & Wonder (ASX:LNW) from $205 to $197 and maintain a buy rating on the leading global cross-platform games operator after Aristocrat Leisure escalated its legal fight against Light and Wonder with a second amended complaint around LNW's Jewel of the Dragon game.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Cochlear (ASX:COH) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 23-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $262.30 to the range of $246 to $250 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed lower on Friday as hotter-than-expected personal spending inflation data and US trade policy uncertainty dampened investor sentiment. The Dow Jones fell 1.7% on Friday, the S&P 500 lost 1.97% and the tech heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 2.7%.On Friday U.S. core personal consumption expenditures price index came in hotter-than-expected for February with a rise of 2.8% and 0.4% MoM indicating persistent inflation across consumer spending.Over in Europe on Friday, markets in the region closed lower as global market sentiment declines on trade and tariff uncertainty. The STOXX 600 fell 0.77%, Germany's DAX and the French CAC each lost 1%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day flat.Across Asia on Friday, Trump tariff threats continue to keep investors on edge in the region which led to a negative day across the board on Friday. Japan's Nikkei lost 1.8%, South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 1.9%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.65% and China's CSI index ended the day down 0.44%.Locally to end the week the ASX edged 0.2% higher to end a volatile trading week as Trump's tariffs cloud economic outlook on a global scale. Despite the turbulence, the ASX200 posted a 0.6% gain for the trading week last week as a 2.55% rally for the financial sector and 2% gain among energy stocks offset weakness among the rate sensitive sectors of REIT and Tech stocks.Packaging group Orora took the biggest hit on Friday with an 8% decline after the French Competition Authority announced a review into industry-wide anticompetitive practices, which includes into Saverglass, a European bottle maker that Orora acquired in 2023.Paladin Energy fell a further 4.1% on Friday after the uranium producer retracted its 2025 production guidance due to unseasonably heavy rainfall in Namibia in recent times, which is where Paladin's Langer Heinrich mine is located.What to watch today:Ahead of Monday's trading session here in Australia, the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 1.13%.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.8% lower at US$69.36/barrel, gold is up 0.94% at US$3084.35/ounce and iron ore is up 0.07% at US$102.43/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 62.80 US cents, 94.27 Japanese Yen, 49.03 British Pence, and NZ$1.11.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has decreased the 12-month price target on Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) from $330/share to $280/share and maintain a buy rating on the leading medical imaging company after Bell Potter's analyst completed a review into the timing of new contract installations and their subsequent impacts on revenue over the coming years. The downgrade in PT is due to downgrades in FY25 and FY26 EPS expectations from the analyst following the review into the contract installations.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Telstra Group (ASX:TLS) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 17-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $4.23 to the range of $4.31 to $4.35 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

This week, news headlines around the Trump Tariffs continued, with President Donald Trump announcing a 25% tariff on all cars and parts that are not built or produced in the US. US consumer and business confidence are taking a hit, so where does this leave you and your investment decisions?In this week's wrap, Grady covers:(0:11): how the Trump Tariffs impact investors(1:59): why copper prices hit a fresh record high(3:52): the impact on US consumer & business confidence(4:54): how the ASX200 performed this week so far(5:37): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients(6:05): economic news items to watch out for next week.

Wall St closed lower overnight as Donald Trump announced a new 25% tariff on auto imports into the United States. The Dow Jones fell 0.31%, the S&P 500 lost 1.12% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped by over 2%.In terms of US stocks, Meta Platforms and Amazon lost more than 2%, Alphabet closed more than 3% lower and Tesla closed nearly 6% in the red.Over in Europe, markets closed lower as investors react to new tariffs implemented over in the US. The STOXX600 dropped 0.7%, led by autos which fell by 2.6%. Germany's DAX lowered 1.17%, the French CAC closed nearly 1% lower, whilst over in the UK, the FTSE100 rose by 0.3%.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 rose by 0.71% with all but one major sector closing in the green. Gains were led by the consumer staples and real estate sectors which rose by 1.19% and 1.15% respectively. This was offset by the health sector which fell by over half a percent by the closing bell.Monthly inflation data was released yesterday coming in at 2.4% for February. This was lower than consensus of 2.5% and the forecast of 2.6%. The CPI falling is a good thing for the RBA's outlook for rate cuts to come as inflation drivers are all moving in the right direction – wages price inflation came down, GDP uptick, retail sales easing and the unemployment rate ticked back up to 4.1% which is favourable for the rate cut journey.What to watch today:The Australian share market is set to open lower with the SPI futures suggesting a fall of 0.46% at market open this morning.On the commodities front this morning,Oil is trading 1.36% higher at 69 US dollars and 94 cents a barrel, as investors increase concerns over tight oil supply.Gold fell by just 0.04% to 3019 US dollars an ounce and iron ore is trading 0.03% lower at 102 US dollars and 18 cents a tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) and has a 12-month price target of $7.70. The buy rating is maintained by Bell Potter as their balance sheet will significantly de-risk with the Blackwater selldown completion in late March 2025. As well, further productivity enhancements across WHC's Queensland portfolio should support higher production, hence the buy rating is maintained.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Perseus Mining (ASX:PRU), indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $3.23 to the range of $3.53-$3.61, on a pattern formed over 8 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed higher overnight for its third straight session on higher hopes of softer US tariffs. The Dow Jones rose slightly by 0.01%, the S&P 500 jumped 0.16% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.46%.Europe followed the US and closed higher with the STOXX600 rising 0.67%, with all major sectors closing in positive territory. Germany's DAX climbed 1.13%, the French CAC gained 1.08% and over in the UK, the FTSE100 ended Tuesday's session 0.3% in the green.Locally yesterday, the market has continued with the same volatility we've seen over the past few weeks with the ASX200 rising by 0.07%. Gains were led by the information technology and health sectors which rose by 1.87% and 0.98%. This was slightly offset by the consumer staples sector which fell by 0.86% by market close.Australia's Federal budget for 2025-2026 was handed down last night but should pose little impact on the market movements today as much of the government spend updates were pre-announced. However, the one key highlight was that the budget deficit is expected to widen to $42.1bn, or 1.5% of GDP in 2025-2026. The key inclusions were the $150 energy bill relief for all Australians to help with cost of living pressures, an $8.5bn boost to Medicare, $1bn in military spend which has been brought forward with the total defence spend at $10.6bn over the next 4-years, and states and territories will also be offered almost $50m in funding to grow local housing industries amid the housing crisis currently operating in Australia.What to watch locally today,The Australian share market is set to open higher with the SPI futures set to rise by 0.59% at market open this morning.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.12% higher at 69 US dollars and 19 cents a barrel, gold is trading 0.28% higher at 3018 US dollars an ounce and iron ore is trading 0.21% higher at 102 US dollars and 21 cents a tonne.Trading Ideas: Bell Potter maintains a buy rating on Gold Road Resources (ASX:GOR), with a 12-month price target of $3.20. With a current share price of $2.79, this indicates a share price growth of 14.7% over the next 12-months, hence the buy rating is maintained.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Tabcorp Holdings (ASX:TAH), indicating that the share price may rise form the close of $0.62 to the range $0.73-$0.75, on a pattern formed over 18 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street started the new trading week higher across the key indices as investors remain optimistic that President Donald Trump may hold back from implementing some of his tariff plans that could lead to an escalated trade war and economic slowdown in the US. The Dow Jones rose 1.42% on Monday, the S&P500 climbed 1.76% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 2.27%.Across the European markets on Monday, markets in the region closed slightly lower as investor optimism around Trump easing tariffs faded. The STOXX 600 fell 0.13%, Germany's DAX lost 0.17%, the French CAC dropped 0.26% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.1%.Asia markets closed Monday's session mixed as Trump's reciprocal tariff deadline of April 2 draws closer. South Korea's Kospi Index lost 0.42%, and Japan's Nikkei fell 0.18%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.91% and China's CSI index rose 0.51%.Locally to start the week, the ASX200 seesawed between positive and negative before ending the day just 0.07% higher as a banking rally offset heavy losses among staples, tech and industrials stocks.Investors took some profits from the supermarket giants yesterday following a strong rally for both Coles and Woolworths on Friday amid the lack of evidence of price gauging found by the ACCC in their investigation.Synlait Milk shares tumbled over 8% on Monday after the milk producers' latest results failed to impress investors despite the NZ-based company reporting a swing to profitability with a 105% increase in NPAT to $4.8m.And global building materials and fibre cement company James Hardie Industries weighed on the market gains yesterday following the company announcing it has entered into an agreement to acquire US-based AZEK which is a leader in providing high-performance, low-maintenance building products and solutions. Investors fled the stock upon release of the announcement as the deal is valued $14bn, which is an expensive multiple to pay, around 23 x EBITDA compared to JHX current multiple of 12x.What to watch today:Ahead of Tuesday's trading session in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.45% tracking Wall Street's gains overnight.On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.25% higher at US$69.13/barrel, gold is down 0.4% at US$3011.82/ounce and iron ore is down 0.15% at US$102/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened against the greenback to buy US$0.62, 94.72 Japanese Yen, 48.62 British Pence, and NZ$1.09.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has increased the rating on Catalyst Metals (ASX:CYL) from a hold to a buy and have raised the 12-month price target on the gold production and development company from $4.45 to $5.50 following the company's announcement of the sale of its non-core Henty Gold Mine to Kaiser Reed to simplify the business, enable greater focus on the expansion and exploration of the flag ship Plutonic Gold Operation and adding a clow cost and rapid option to unlock value at the Bendigo Project.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on ARB Corporation (ASX:ARB) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 8-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $34.00 to the range of $26.25 to $27.50 according to standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall St closed a turbulent week higher on Friday as Trump, once again, signalled there would be some ‘flexibility' with tariffs, however, he did maintain that the tariffs implemented at the April 2 deadline will be reciprocal, saying all countries that have tariffs on US goods will be taxed. The Nasdaq rose 0.2%, the Dow Jones added just 0.08%, and the S&P500 also ended the day up 0.08%. Companies are increasingly confused over the tariff implications in the US and as a result as uncertain about spend, hiring and forecasting until there is more clarity around tariff implications.In Europe on Friday, markets in the region closed lower led by travel stocks tumbling amid London's Heathrow Airport closure due to a fire on Friday. The STOXX 600, French CAC and the UK's FTSE100 ended the day down 0.6%, while Germany's DAX ended the day down 0.5%.Across Asia markets on Friday, stocks mostly fell in the region due to ongoing uncertainty around the US economy and tariff implications. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 2.19%, China's CSI index fell 1.52%, South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.23%, and Japan's Nikkei ended the day down 0.2%.Locally on Friday, the ASX200 rose 0.17% despite Wall Street's turbulence on Thursday as market heavyweights propelled the key index to a positive finish. For the week, the ASX200 rose 1.83%Australia's supermarket giants posted strong gains on Friday after the ACCC released its 441-page findings of its ‘price gauging' investigation. Investors welcomed the findings outlining minimal evidence was found of price gauging and no disciplinary action would be taken against the two key providers in Coles and Woolworths.What to watch today:Ahead of Monday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the new trading week down 0.51%.Commodity prices took a hit late in the week last week which weighed on the local materials sector as China's property market remains depreciated, and Trump's tariffs continue hurting demand for critical metals like copper.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.31% higher at US$68.28/barrel, gold is down 0.75% at US$3023.65/ounce and iron ore is down 0.15% at US$102/tonne.The Aussie dollar has slightly weakened against the greenback to buy US$0.62 cents, 93.69 Japanese Yen, 48.55 British Pence and NZ$1.09.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Cuscal (ASX:CCL) with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of $3.40 on the payments and regulated data service provider. Bell Potter's analyst sees compound gross revenue growth of 17.7% pa driven primarily by growth in transaction revenue across all core competencies and client wins. The company also has demonstrated a track record of innovation, investment and timing with launching milestone connectivity for all mobile payments and acquiring Basiq in 2024 to expand its market presence and offering.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Regis Healthcare (ASX:REG) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 109-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $6.72 to the range of $7.50 to $7.70 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Locally this week, the ASX200 rose 1.66% (Mon – Thurs), recovering some earlier losses. Ten of the eleven industry sectors closed in the green, while consumer staples were slightly lower. Energy stocks advanced the most, up 3.5% over the week so far. In this week's wrap, Grady covers: (0:10): the latest on Trump's tariffs & US policy volatility (0:37): fresh stimulus & economic data in Hong Kong (1:00): China's latest economic data(2:10): what this week's unemployment data means for the Aussie economy(3:58): the best & worst performing stocks on the ASX200 this week(4:45): the most traded stocks & ETFs by Bell Direct clients (5:11): economic news items to watch next week. 

Wall St closed higher on Wednesday after the Fed said two rate cuts are still on the cards for 2025. The Dow Jones rose 0.92%, the S&P500 added 1.08% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 1.41%. The US central bank maintained the current cash rate as was widely expected at the latest meeting overnight however boosted investor sentiment by saying two rate cuts are still coming this year.In Europe overnight, markets closed mostly higher led by the French CAC rising 0.7%, while the STOXX 600 added 0.26%, Germany's DAX fell 0.34% and the UK's FTSE 100 ended the day flat.The APAC markets closed the midweek session mixed on turbulence in the US on Tuesday and after Japan's central bank maintained interest rates steady at 0.5% and signalled potential impact of US President, Donald Trump's tariffs. Japan's Nikkei lost 0.25%, South Korea's Kospi index rose 0.62%, China's CSI index closed flat and Hong Kong's Hang Seng also ended the day flat.The market movements locally yesterday matched the rollercoaster of sentiment around the globe right now, with the ASX bouncing between red and green before sliding in afternoon trade with the key index ending the day down 0.41%.Materials stocks came under pressure yesterday amid a 5.1% sell-off in Mineral Resources following the cessation of haulage on its crucial Onslow iron haul road, while gold miners also slipped as traders took profits on the record gold price rally this week.Mortgages insurer Helia Group took the biggest hit yesterday with a 15% dive after shares traded ex-dividend.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.5% higher at US$67.23/barrel, gold is up 0.51% at US$3047/ounce and iron ore is up 0.1% at US$102.42/tonne.The Aussie dollar has further strengthened overnight to buy 63.61 US cents, 94.61 Japanese Yen, 49.13 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Ahead of Thursday's trading session on the ASX the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.67% tracking Wall Street's gains overnight.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has upgraded the rating on Alcidion (ASX:ALC) from a hold to a buy and maintain a 12-month price target of 11cps on the healthcare IT company following a significant restructure of the business through reducing headcount and operating expenses, while also signing its largest commercial contract to date with NCIC to the value of $37.5m over 10-years.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Stockland Corp (ASX:SGP) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 5-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $4.88 to the range of $4.54 to $4.60 according to standard principles of technical analysis.