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In the US overnight, all three major benchmarks rallied after President Donald Trump announced a steep new tariff on imports of semiconductors and chips. That is, a 100% tariff on imported chips, with the exception for companies that are building in the US. The Dow Jones gained 0.18%, the S&P500 gained 0.73% and the Nasdaq rallied 1.21% at the close.In European, Swiss stocks declined after their President and economic minister met with US government officials, with the aim of lowering the 39% tariffs imposed by the US.While the STOXX600 closed 0.06% lower, the German DAX was just 0.33%, France's CAC up 0.24% and the FTSE100 up 0.24%.Locally yesterday, the Australian market gained 0.84%, with 10 of the 11 industry sectors in the green. The market was led by energy and materials stocks.For today's trading session, the SPI futures are suggesting a 0.31% drop at the open this morning, despite markets rallying overnight.What to watch today:Balance of trade data for June will be released at 12:30pm.And keep watch of the share price movements of companies reporting their earnings results today, including AMP Group (ASX:AMP), AVITA Medical (ASX:AVH), Bannerman Energy (ASX:BMN), Light and Wonder (ASX:LNW) and QBE Insurance Group (ASX:QBE).In commodities,Crude oil has dropped 1.32%, trading at US$64.30 per barrel, marking a fifth straight decline and hitting a fresh six-week low.Gold is slightly lower down 0.3% at US$3,371.13And iron ore is lower 0.43% at US$100.92 per tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintains a Buy rating on Perpetual (ASX:PPT) and have increased their price target from $22.80 and $23.00. At the current share price of $21.16, this implies 8.7% share price growth in a year.And Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in Ramelius Resources (ASX:RMS), indicating that the stock price may rise form the close of $2.79 to the range of $3.45 to $3.65 over 46 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

In the US today so far, Wall St closed lower as investors digested weak economic data against the latest tariff threats out of President Trump. ISM services index data flatlined for July adding to stagflation concerns in the US while stocks also came under pressure after Trump told CNBC that tariffs on chips and pharmaceuticals are coming soon. The S&P 500 ended the day down 0.5%, the Nasdaq dropped 0.65% and the Dow Jones ended the session down 0.14%.In Europe overnight, markets in the region closed mostly higher despite President Trump saying he will unveil new tariffs in the near future. The STOXX 600 rose 0.1%, Germany's DAX added 0.4%, the French CAC fell 0.1% and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day up 0.1%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday markets closed higher led by South Korea's Kospi index adding 1.6%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 0.92%, China's CSI index added 0.4% and Japan's Nikkei ended the day up 0.64%.The local market started the new trading week in the green with a 1.23% surge on Tuesday as all sectors ended the day in positive territory following strength on Wall St on Monday night. Discretionary and financials were the best performing sectors with gains of 1.81% and 1.49% respectively, while staples managed the lowest gain with 0.34%.Australian consumer confidence rose to 90.6 points, the highest since May 2022, following easing inflation data and expectations of an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia. The ANZ-Roy Morgan index saw significant improvements in both current and future financial conditions, with a 0.25% rate reduction anticipated this month.Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) plunged over 8% after it flagged higher operating expenses in the first half of the fiscal year to be around 36% of revenue for 1H25.Austal (ASX:ASB) added over 7.5% as it finalised its agreement with the federal government to become the country's leading defence shipbuilder. The company also impressed investors with a guidance update for FY25 with the new guidance expectation for EBIT of no less than $100m for the 12-months, higher than the previous guidance of no less than $80m.And Electro Optic Systems (ASX:EOS) rocketed 43% on Tuesday after announcing it has secured an order for a drone defence capability based on a new type of high-power laser, to the value of $125m (71.4million euros) from a European NATO Member State. The order is a world first export order for a 100-kilowatt class laser defence system.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 1.66% lower at US$65.20/barrel, gold is up 0.16% at US$3379/ounce and iron ore is up 1.21% at US$100.77/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.72 US cents, 95.56 Japanese Yen, 48.62 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 10 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the new trading day up 0.13.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has significantly increased the 12-month price target on Electro Optic Systems (ASX:EOS) from $3.75 to $5.00 and maintain a buy rating on the defence manufacturer after the company secured its latest order valued at 71.4m euro. The new laser counter-drone capability was developed by EOS to address the urgent market need and emerging strategic requirement to defend against drone swarm attacks at an economical cost.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on AGL Energy (ASX:AGL) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 34-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $10.00 to the range of $10.45 to $10.55 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed lower across the major averages on Friday as investors assessed signals of a weakening economy against Trump's modified tariffs imposed from August 1. The Dow Jones lost 1.23% on Friday, the S&P 500 fell 1.6% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 2.24%.The all-important July jobs report came in weaker-than-expected with an expansion of just 73,000 in nonfarm payrolls for the month, well short of the 100,000 economists were expecting signalling economic weakness at a time Trump's latest tariffs were imposed.In Europe on Friday markets closed lower after Trump's latest slew of tariffs came into effect despite the UK and EU having already negotiated trade deals. The STOXX 600 fell 2.7% on Friday while Germany's DAX lost 2.66%, the French CAC ended the day down 2.91%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 closed Friday's session down 0.7%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets also closed lower after Trump modified his tariffs on the region. Japan's Nikkei lost 0.66%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.07%, China's CSI index declined 0.51% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down a sharp 3.88%.Locally on Friday the ASX200 posted a 0.9% loss to end a solid trading week as investor sentiment was dented by Trump's latest tariff moves on copper and key trade partners, and investors reassessed positions to start the new month ahead of key earnings results updates and as the market hovers around all-time highs.Star Entertainment Group (ASX:SGR) tanked over 13% on Friday after the embattled casino operator's sale of its Queen's Wharf precinct to its Hong-Kong based JV partner collapsed.Sleep apnoea treatment leader ResMed (ASX:RMD) rallied over 1% on Friday after posting another quarter of strong results including double digit revenue growth and higher-than-expected margin expansion in the latest quarter.What to watch today:The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.72 US cents, 95.29 Japanese yen, 48.70 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 0.4%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Sigma Healthcare (ASX:SIG) with a sell rating and a 12-month price target of $2.00 as the analyst believes the company is a great business but is overpriced. 2H25 earnings are also expected to be weaker (relative to 1H25) as is the normal seasonal trend. We expect a convergence on consensus earnings for FY26 following FY25 reporting in August.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Mader Group (ASX:MAD) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 29-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $7.15 to the range of $5.70 to $6.00 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Yesterday, the S&P 500 snapped its six-day winning streak to close lower. Real Estate was the best-performing segment, up 1.7%, supported by lower bond yields with the 10-year Treasury yield down 9 basis points as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey indicated a slowing US labour market.Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell signalled that the Fed won't be cutting rates yet, as the central bank assesses the impact of the higher tariffs on inflation.US equities closed mixed overnight. The S&P500 gave up earlier gains to close 0.12% in the red. The Dow Jones also closed in the red, losing 170 points or 0.38%, while the Nasdaq gained 0.15%. This morning, S&P500 futures rose after quarterly updates from Microsoft and Meta beat expectations.European markets were mostly in the green. Germany's DAX up 0.19%, France's CAC up 0.06%. The FTSE100 was flat, just 0.01% in the green, while the STOXX600 closed just 0.02% in the red. What to watch today:The Australian market is set to open lower, with the SPI futures suggesting a 0.24% drop at the open this morning.Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) shares will be on watch this morning as the mining giant just released its half year results. With weakness in iron ore, RIO reported a slight increase in consolidated sales revenue to US$26.87 billion, however also reported a 16% drop in underlying earnings to US$4.8 billion. This led to the miner cutting its interim dividend by 16% to US$1.48 per share. Its NYSE listed shares tumbled 4.5% overnight, so keep watch of RIO today.Looking at commodities price movements overnight, Crude oil has advanced 1.5%, current trading at US$70.27 per barrel, holding at a five-week high, supported by supply concerns after President Donald Trump pressured Russia with a shortened timeline to end the conflict in Ukraine. The price of gold has fallen 1.4% to US$3,278.74 an ounce, hitting one-month low, after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady at 4.25% - 4.5%. Iron ore is steady at US$99.07 per tonne.Trading ideas:Bell Potter maintain a Buy rating on Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) with a $2.00 price target. The current share price is $1.73, implying 16% share price growth in a year.And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Appen (ASX:APX) indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $0.95 to the range of $0.82 - $0.86, over 23 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed lower on Tuesday as Wall St awaits for the Federal Reserve interest date decision. The Dow Jones fell 0.46%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.3% and the tech heavy Nasdaq closed 0.38% lower.Over in Europe, the STOXX 600 closed 0.29% higher, Germany's DAX rose by just over 1%, the French CAC gained 0.72% and over in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended Tuesdays trading session 0.6% in the green.Locally yesterday, the ASX200 closed Tuesday's session out 0.08% higher with most major sectors closing positive. Gains were led by the energy and industrial sectors which jumped by 0.65% and 0.33% respectively. This was offset by the real estate sector which fell by 0.44% by market close.What to watch today:The Australian share market is set to open slightly lower with the SPI futures predicting a fall of 0.08% at market open this morning.On the commodities front this morning, Oil is trading 4.03% higher at 69 US dollars and 40 cents a barrel. Gold is trading 0.34% higher at 3326 US dollars an ounceAnd iron ore is trading 0.31% higher at 98 US dollars and 98 cents a tonne.Trading Idea:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) from 90cps to $1.05 and maintain a speculative buy rating on the lithium producer following the release of the company's Q4 trading update including production and sales of lithium exceeding Bell Potter expectations and the company finished the quarter with cash of $156m.

Wall Street started the new trading week almost flat as traders looked past the EU-US trade deal that was announced and focused more on the upcoming Fed interest rate decision. The S&P500 rose just 0.02% to another fresh record high while the Dow Jones fell 0.14% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 0.33% also setting a fresh record. A trade deal has been reached between the US and EU which will see 15% tariffs on all exports from the EU bound for the US.In Europe overnight markets closed mostly lower as the trade deal between the US and EU failed to raise investor confidence levels. The STOXX 600 fell 0.23%, Germany's DAX fell 1.02%, the French CAC declined 0.43% and, over in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.43%.  Locally on Monday the ASX 200 see-sawed throughout the first trading session of the new week before closing the day up 0.36% as investors took confidence from the S&P500 record run of late and ahead of key earnings results coming out over the coming weeks.Uranium producer Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) tanked over 40% after the company released a fourth quarter performance update for FY25. At first glance the results looked very strong with an 18% increase in drummed uranium from the prior quarter, FY25 production totalling 872,607 pounds and second half FY25 C1 cost from drummed uranium of $36/pound. Looking deeper into the company's announcements out yesterday though, investors likely fled the stock after the FY26 Honeymoon mine guidance was issued including increased cash costs, and potential challenges now identified that may arise.What to watch today:The Australian share market is set to open lower, with the SPI futures predicting a fall of 0.7% at market open this morningOn the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 2.68% higher at 66 US dollars and 91 cents a barrel, gold is down 0.6% at 3317 US dollars an ounce and iron ore is down 0.03% at 98 US dollars and 55 cents a tonne.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has slightly reduced the 12-month price target on Step One Clothing (ASX:STP) from $1.30 to $1.25 and maintains a buy rating on the online retailer of underwear and innerwear. The analyst has reduced the price target by 4% due to Bell Potter's earnings revision outlook factoring in a delayed recovery in the consumer spend environment.

Wall Street closed higher with the S&P500 posting its 5th straight record close as investors digested a strong start to earnings season in the US and trade developments in the form of a landmark trade agreement with Japan. The S&P500 rose 0.4% on Friday to post its 14th record close of the year, the Nasdaq added 0.24% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.47%. Both Alphabet and Verizon rallied last week on the back of better-than-expected earnings results with rallies of 4% and 5% respectively over the last trading week.In Europe on Friday markets closed mostly lower following Trump's remarks saying there is a '50-50' chance of a deal being done with the EU before his self-imposed August 1 deadline. The STOXX 600 fell 0.2%, Germany's DAX lost 0.3%, the French CAC added 0.2% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.2%.Across the APAC region on Friday markets closed mostly lower as investors assessed recent trade developments. Japan's Nikkei lost 0.88%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.09%, India's Nifty 50 declined 0.9% and South Korea's Kospi Index bucked the trend to close 0.18% higher.Locally on Friday the ASX200 posted a 0.5% loss on Friday as a sharp sell-off in materials, financials and healthcare stocks offset strength among energy and tech stocks. For the week, Australia's key index lost 1.03%.The banks extended their sell-off on Friday as investors continued profit taking from the sector that ran the hottest over the last financial year. CBA (ASX:CBA) fell over 5% over the last trading week while NAB (ASX:NAB)declined over 4%, Westpac (ASX:WBC) fell over 3% and ANZ (ASX:ANZ) lost 1%.Regal Partners (ASX:RPL) shares jumped over 9% on Friday after the specialist alternative investment manager reported a 7% rise in funds under management for the June quarter with net inflows at around $600m for the quarter. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 1.45% lower at US$65.07/barrel, gold is down 0.93% at US$3336.98/ounce and iron ore is down 0.03% at US$98.55/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.75 US cents, 97.09 Japanese Yen, 48.79 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 just 0.06%. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) from a buy to a hold and have reduced the 12-month price target on the coal miner from $7.10 to $6.90 following the release of Q4 results out of the company. FY25 guidance was met, Group production and sales met the upper half of the guidance range and unaudited unit costs, and capex were below guidance. The company increased debt though following the first payment for the BMA acquisition and Narrabri undertook an 8-week longwall maintenance period during FY25 which is expected to be overcome in FY26. The move to a hold rating is due to recent share price appreciation.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Gentrack (ASX:GTK) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 67-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $9.72 to the range of $7.90 to $8.30 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mostly higher on Tuesday with the S&P500 resetting its record high as the major average rose 0.06%, while the Dow Jones climbed 0.4%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.39%. Investors continued shifting focus from trade war developments to robust earnings results.In Europe overnight markets closed lower for a third day as investors digested earnings results from some of the largest companies in the region. The STOXX 600 fell 0.5%, Germany's DAX lost 1.2%, the French CAC declined 0.7% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day flat.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed again with Japan's Nikkei falling 0.11%, while China's CSI index added 0.82%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.54% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 1.27%. Shares in SoftBank group surged 6% after reports emerged that the Japanese investment firm is set to build a small data centre by the end of the year.Locally on Tuesday, the ASX 200 started the day with a strong rally before easing in afternoon trade to end the session up just 0.1% after the latest RBA meeting minutes were released outlining the cautious approach to rate cuts taken by the RBA as they want to see the quarterly inflation reading before making any moves, especially amid the volatility of tariffs.Ramelius Resources (ASX:RMS) soared almost 8% on Tuesday in its biggest one-day rise in 15-weeks on the rallying gold spot price and after the Supreme Court of WA approved the company's $2.4bn acquisition of Spartan Resources.Investors continued selling out of the big banks again yesterday amid stretched valuations. CBA (ASX:CBA) fell 3.1%, while NAB (ASX:NAB), Westpac (ASX:WBC) and ANZ (ASX:ANZ) lost 2.7%, 1.3% and 0.8% respectively. Most traded securities:The most traded investments by Bell Direct clients yesterday were led by BHP (ASX:BHP)Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX:VAS)CSL (ASX:CSL)What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.78% lower at US$65.44/barrel, gold is up 0.87% at US$3425/ounce, and iron ore is up 0.64% at US$97.84/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.57 U.S. cents, 96.13 Japanese yen, 48.29 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 0.45% tracking wall street's majority rally overnight.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Frontier Digital Ventures (ASX:FDV) to $0.63 from $0.54 and maintain a speculative buy rating on the online marketplace focused investment company. The analyst sees there are multiple potential catalysts for a potential share price re-rating including improving macro backdrop for emerging market investment, positive growth forecasts for FDV, and potential portfolio monetisation/price discovery events to unlock shareholder value.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Perseus Mining (ASX:PRU) following the formation of a pattern over the period of 6-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $3.67 to the range of $3.89 to $3.95 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

To start, we wanted to let you know that for a limited time only, you can earn 4.75% p.a. on new ‘ready to invest' Bell Direct accounts. Visit the Bell Direct website to find out more. Well, as investors await the impending tariff deadline, the US has finalised an agreement with Japan, including reciprocal tariffs of 15%  on the nations exports to the US. All three US benchmarks rallied, with the Dow Jones jumping 500 points or 1.14%, the S&P500 up 0.78% and the Nasdaq up 0.61%. US - EU trade deal investor optimism also saw US equities advance. The German DAX up 0.83%, France's CAC up 1.37%, the FTSE100 up 0.42% and the STOXX600 up 1.08%. Our local market also advanced yesterday with 10 of the 11 industry sectors closing in the green. Materials, energy and financials were in the lead, bringing the ASX200 0.69% higher at the close.What to watch today:Following global markets rallying overnight, the Aussie market is set to rise 0.26% at the open this morning, according to the SPI futures.In commodities,Crude oil is up 0.2% trading at US$65.43 per barrel, marking the fourth straight day of losses. The safe haven gold price saw a 1.3% decline overnight, now sitting at US$3,386.86 an ounce, pulling back slightly from a five-week high, pressured by a wave of trade deals that dampened the metal's safe-haven appeal.And iron ore is trading 0.3% higher at US$98.11 per barrel.In economic news, this morning we'll receive the S&P Global Manufacturing and Services flash PMI, a forward looking estimate of the final producers managers index out next week.Trading ideas:Bell Potter maintain a Buy rating on Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) and have downgraded their 12- month price target from $9.20 to $8.70 as FY26 production guidance lower than what was modelled for by Bell Potter, based off a ramp to follow processing capacity in mid FY26 and as higher costs see an EBITA decline. At the current share price of $7.25, the target price implies 20% share price growth in a year.Trading Central have identified a bullish signal in NRW Holdings (ASX:NHW) indicating that the stock price may rise from the close of $3.22 to the range of $4.05 - $4.20 over 49 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed with records across 2 of the 3 major averages on Monday as optimism around earnings overshadowed investor fears of the latest tariff developments. The S&P500 rose 0.14% to close over 6300 for the first time, the Nasdaq added 0.38% to also post a record close and the Dow jones ended the day down just 0.04%. This second quarter earnings season has started very strong in the U.S. with Verizon shares popping 4% yesterday following a Q2 earnings beat while Alphabet added over 2% ahead of its earnings out after the closing bell on Wednesday.In Europe overnight, markets closed mixed to start the new trading week amid tariff uncertainty. The STOXX 600 fell 0.1%, Germany's DAX closed flat, the French CAC fell 0.3% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.2%. Ryan Air shares rose 6% on Monday after the airline posted a 128% rise in Q1 profit which topped market expectations.Across the Asia region on Monday, markets closed mixed as China held its key 1 and 5 year loan prime rates steady despite the struggling economic recovery in the region. China's CSI index rose 0.67%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.57%, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.21% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.71%. Locally to start the new trading week, investors were in profit taking mode after the key index reset its record high to end the last trading week, leading to a 1.02% decline at the closing bell on Monday. Stocks that have run hot over the last 12-months like the big banks and some gold stocks came under pressure yesterday. Energy and Materials stocks were the only sectors to finish the day in the green while financials stocks took the biggest hit to start the new week 2.26% lower.Block Inc (ASX:XYZ) soared over 11% yesterday on news the company is entering the S&P500 from this Wednesday after Chevron acquired Hess Corp which left room for Block to enter the major US index. AMP (ASX:AMP) also jumped 9.3% after the company released a strong Q2 update including superannuation positive net inflows for the first time since 2017.Most traded securities:The most traded investments by Bell Direct clients to start the new week were led by:DroneShield (ASX:DRO) BHP (ASX:BHP)Mesoblast (ASX:MSB)What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.56% lower at US$66.97/barrel, gold is up 1.4% at US$3397/ounce and iron ore is up 0.04% at US$97.22/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback overnight to buy 65.24 U.S. cents, 96.17 Japanese yen, 48.54 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.13% tracking the record closes on Wall Street overnight. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Perenti (ASX:PRN) from a buy to a hold and have maintained the 12-month price target on the materials company at $1.80 following the company's issue of an updated noting that FY25 free cash flow is likely to be $280m vs the previous guidance of greater than $150m. The downgrade to a hold is on the back of recent share price appreciation.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 156 days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $6.42 to the range of $8.20 to $8.60 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mixed on Friday following reports President Trump pushed for greater tariffs on the European region. The Dow jones fell 0.32% on Friday, the S&P500 lost just 0.01% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.05%. Reports suggest Trump is demanding a minimum tariff between 15-20% from the EU ahead of the August 1 tariff implementation date. Consumer sentiment in the U.S. also out on Friday though suggests confidence levels are up 1.8% in the latest reading, indicating tariff-induced inflation fears are easing. We have started receiving first half earnings results in the U.S. and Netflix shares fell 5% on Friday after the streaming giant reported its operating margin will be lower in the second half of this FY.Across the European region on Friday, markets closed mixed as investors digested the latest tariff threats on the region. Germany's DAX fell 0.33%, the French CAC rose 0.01% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.22%.The Asia region also ended Friday's session mixed with China's CSI index rising 0.6%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.33%, South Korea's Kospi index lost 0.13%, and Japan's Nikkei ended the day down 0.21%.The ASX200 posted a 2.1% gain for the week in its best week since May and ended the week with a fresh record high driven by market heavyweights like CSL (ASX:CSL) and BHP (ASX:BHP) jumping over 3% each. Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) rocketed over 34% on Friday after reporting strong early sales of Ryoncil in the first few months of its availability on market.Virgin Australia (ASX:VGN) also gained almost 2% after UBS initiated coverage of the airline with a buy rating.Most traded securities:The most traded investments by our clients on Friday were led by Wesfarmers (ASX:WES)BHP (ASX:BHP)ANZ (ASX:ANZ) What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.36% lower at US$67.30/barrel, gold is up 0.32% at US$3349/ounce and iron ore is up 0.04% at US$97.22/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.18 US cents, 96.43 Japanese yen, 48.52 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.56%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has raised the 12-month price target on Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) from $3.40 to $3.50 and maintain a speculative buy rating on the pharmaceutical company following the release of the company's latest cashflow update including US$13.2m in gross sales from Ryoncil for the period of 28 March to 30 June 2025. The major catalysts include revenue expansion from Ryoncil and the unrecognised value of a likely Accelerated Approval for Revascor in late-stage heart failure in CY26.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on CSL (ASX:CSL) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 53-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $257.38 to the range of $268 to $272 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

US equities were higher on Wall Street overnight of the back of news headlines that President Donald Trump has denies firing Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chairman, which initially sent the S&P500 index lower. The three major benchmarks rallied at the close. The Dow Jones added 200 points or 0.53%, the S&P500 gained 0.32% while the tech heavy Nasdaq added 0.25%.European markets were all in the red. The German DAX down 0.2%, France's CAC down 0.57%, the FTSE100 down 0.13% and the STAXX600 down 0.57%.Locally yesterday on the ASX200, information technology and energy sectors were the only two to close in the green. Tech posted most of the market gains, closing 0.85% higher, while the ASX200 was down 0.79% at the close.What to watch today: Our local market is set to rebound today. The SPI futures are suggesting a 0.62% rise at the open this morning.In commodities,Crude oil is 0.2% in the green, trading at US$66.66 per barrel at the time of recoding, following three straight days of losses, amid the concerns over the impact of the US trade tariffs on global economic growth and fuel demand.The price of gold is up 0.75% to US$3,349.73 an ounce, following a two-day decline, as investors assessed a pick-up in US inflation and ongoing trade developments.And iron ore is up 0.58% to US$97.06 per tonne.Trading ideas:Bell Potter maintain a Speculative Buy rating on NexGen Energy (ASX:NXG), a Canadian focused Uranium explorer and developer. Bell Potter have reduced their valuation to $13.55 from $16.90. They expect NXG will trade in-line with the uranium spot price, given the leverage to volume linked (spot priced) contracts. The current share price is $10.24, therefore implying 32% share price growth in a year.And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) indicating that the stock price may fall from the close of $177.57 to the range of $162 to $165 over 8 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed higher to start the new trading week in the green despite President Trump's latest tariff threats over the weekend. The S&P500 rose 0.14%, the Nasdaq added 0.27% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.2%. Investors will gauge the first hit of tariffs on the region's inflation this week when the latest U.S. inflation reading is out.In Europe overnight markets closed mostly lower despite the UK finishing at a record high. The STOXX 600 fell just 0.06%, Germany's DAX lost 0.39%, the French CAC fell 0.27%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.64% to a fresh record high.Across the Asia region on Monday, markets closed mixed as bitcoin hit a fresh record high while cautious investors assessed the latest Trump tariff threats. Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.26%, China's CSI index ended flat, Japan's Nikkei lost 0.2% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up by 0.83%.The latest slew of China's economic data is out this week and yesterday we had the first glimpse with coal imports falling to the lowest level in more than 2-years in June amid weak demand and higher domestic production. China's steel exports on the other hand leapt to a record in Q2 reaching 30.7 million tonnes, up 11% from last year. The surge defied expectations, driven by strong demand and despite trade restrictions across Asia and Europe. The first-half total also rose by 9%. China's trade balance for June showed exports jumped 5.8% which topped expectations and showed a 1% increase MoM while imports rose 1.1%, below expectations but above the -3.4% reported a month prior, leading to the trade surplus rising to $114bn which also topped expectations.Another round of tariffs, another spike in investor uncertainty sparking a flee to safe-haven investments across the broad market yesterday. The ASX200 posted a 0.11% loss to start the new trading week lower after see-sawing all-day. Energy and materials stocks closed with gains over 0.5% while industrials and discretionary stocks were the hardest hit to start the new trading week.Gold miners were all the rage for investors to start the new week amid heightened volatility brought on by renewed tariff uncertainty. Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) rose 1.72%, Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) added 1.88% and Ramelius Resources (ASX:RMS) ended the day up 3.4%.Counter drone technology company DroneShield (ASX:DRO) soared another 15% yesterday after the company reported the expansion of its R&D capabilities including a $13m initial investment to lease and fit out a brand new 3000 sqm production facility in Alexandria. Most traded securities:The most traded investments by Bell Direct clients to start the new week were led by BHP (ASX:BHP)DroneShield (ASX:DR)Andean Silver (ASX:ASL)Betashares Global Defence ETF (ASX:ARMR) What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 2.28% lower at US$66.89/barrel, gold is down 0.4% at US$3343/ounce and iron ore is up 0.05% at US$96.76/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.47 U.S. cents, 96.75 Japanese yen, 48.55 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 10 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.64%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) from $6.50 to $9.20 and maintain a buy rating on the uranium producer ahead of some catalysts coming up including the outlook for a re-rate on the company over the coming quarters with predicted fresh ore processing outperforming the stockpile issues which plagued FY25.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on PWR Holdings (ASX:PWH) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 15-days which is roughly t

Wall St closed mixed amid concerns over inflation after the latest data out for June overnight revealed US inflation increased from May with CPI rising 0.3% MoM to an annual rate of 2.7% while core inflation rose 0.2% MoM or 2.9% on an annual basis. The Dow Jones fell 0.98%, the Nasdaq gained 0.18% and the S&P500 ended the day down 0.4%.In Europe overnight markets closed lower for a third straight session amid caution over a trade deal yet to be done with the US ahead of the tariff introduction date on August 1. The STOXX 600 fell 0.37%, Germany's DAX lost 0.42%, the French CAC fell 0.54% and, over in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.66%.Locally to start the new trading week the ASX200 closed lower on Monday before a strong rebound on Tuesday where the key index gained 0.7% to reset its record high at the closing bell. A broad tech rally was the key driver of the market's surge yesterday while investors also shrugged off the latest US Trump tariff threats.Westpac consumer confidence data for July came out yesterday showing consumer confidence jumped 0.6% in July to 93.1 points despite the RBA rate hold as investors still expect a number of rate cuts this year.What to watch today:Ahead of Wednesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.73%.On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.54% lower at 66 US dollars and 16 cents a barrel, gold is down 0.35% at 3331 US dollars an ounce and iron ore is up 0.05% at 96.76 US dollars a tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded Technology One (ASX:TNE) from a hold to a sell and have slightly raised the 12-month price target on the company to $35.75 following recent share price appreciation. The sell rating is not due to a negative catalyst, but the market already expecting the company to beat expectations, so we don't see a positive catalyst as there is not much upside risk to our and the market's FY25 forecast.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on SRG Global (ASX:SRG) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 14-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.69 to the range of $1.87 to $1.91 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed lower on Friday after President Trump announced a 35% tariff on Canada and threatened higher tariffs across the board. The S&P500 retreated 0.33% a day after posting a fresh record high, the Nasdaq lost 0.22% and the Dow Jones ended the day down 0.63%.In Europe on Friday, markets closed lower as investors awaited the highly anticipated tariff letter to arrive from President Trump outlining the damage of tariffs set to come. The STOXX 600 lost 1.1%, Germany's DAX and the French CAC each lost 0.9% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.4%.Across the Asia region on Friday, it was a mixed session after President Trump announced a blanket 15% or 20% tariff on most trade partners. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.75%, China's CSI index rose 0.12%, Japan's Nikkei slipped 0.19% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 0.23%.Locally to end the last trading week, the ASX200 posted a 0.11% loss as every sector aside from materials stocks ended the day in the red. For the week, the ASX200 posted a 0.27% loss as strong declines among REIT and tech stocks offset strength among utilities and materials stocks.Rare earths producers locally surged on Friday after the US Department of Defence agreed to take a 15% stake in MP Materials, a US-based rare earths producer. Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC) rose over 16% on Friday while Arafura Rare Earths (ASX:ARU) added 5.56%.Johns Lyng Group (ASX:JLG) soared over 21% on Friday after announcing it has agreed to a $1bn takeover offer from Pacific Equity Partners, an Australian-based private markets fund manager.Most traded securities:The most traded stocks by Bell Direct clients on Friday were led byCSL (ASX:CSL)Neuren Pharmaceuticals (ASX:NEU)NAB (ASX:NAB)And the most traded ETFs were led byVanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX:VAS)Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX:NDQ)Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF (ASX:VGS)What to wach today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 3.27% higher at US$68.75/barrel, gold is up 0.92% at US$3354.76/ounce and iron ore is down 0.05% at US$96.71/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.64 U.S. cents, 96.60 Japanese yen, 45.91* 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 down 0.15% tracking the global market turbulence overnight.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Kinatico (ASX:KYP) with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of 30cps. The company is a leading provider of ‘know your people' solutions to organisations across Australia and NZ with a legacy business – CVCheck – which provides employment screening to over 10,000 repeat corporate customers. Bell Potter's analyst sees the buy rating is supported by upcoming catalysts including FY25 results, positive outlook statements and the successful launch of ComplianceX this quarter with strong initial take-up of the solution.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Tasmea (ASX:TEA) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 22-days which is roughly the amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $3.37 to the range of $2.65 to $2.80 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street recovered to close higher on Wednesday as investors shrugged off the latest tariff noise to buy into tech and other growth market areas again. The Nasdaq rose 0.94% boosted by Nvidia shares climbing 1.8%, the S&P500 added 0.61%, and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.5%. On Wednesday, Trump sent a further 6 letters to countries outlining new tariffs on imports of goods bound for the U.S.In Europe overnight, markets closed at a four-week high boosted by the banks as investors await progress on trade talks between the U.S. and the EU. The STOXX600 rose 0.78%, Germany's DAX added 1.42%, the French CAC climbed 1.44%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.15%.Across the Asia markets on Wednesday, it was a mixed session after President Trump ruled out any extension to the tariff deadline of August 1. Japan's Nikkei added 0.33%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.06%, China's CSI index lost 0.18% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day flat.The Australian share market dropped 0.61% on Wednesday following US President Donald Trump's escalation of his protectionist trade war, as he reiterated threats to impose higher tariffs on copper imports.Lifestyle Communities (ASX:LIC) saw a dramatic drop of over 40% following a landmark tribunal ruling that deemed its profitable deferred management fees, or exit fees, imposed on residents to be invalid under state tenancy laws.Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) surged 6% following the announcement that its prostate cancer imaging product, Gozellix, has been assigned a permanent code by the US Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services, effective October 1.Most traded securities:Most traded stocks and ETFs of the day yesterday by our clients were led byBHP (ASX:BHP)Ampol (ASX:ALD)Global X Physical Gold ETF (ASX:GOLD)What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.21% higher at US$68.32/barrel, gold is up 0.36% at US$3313.36/ounce and iron ore is up 0.35% at US$95.55/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.34 U.S. cents, 95.61 Japanese yen, 48.05 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.Ahead of Thursday's trading session here in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.5%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has decreased the 12-month price target on Lifestyle Communities (ASX:LIC) from $8.55 to $5.00 and maintain a hold rating on the company following the receipt of judgement from ongoing VCAT proceedings relating chiefly to its use of a deferred managed fee structure.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Data3 (ASX:DTL) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 182 days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $7.79 to the range of $9.80 to $10.20 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mixed on Tuesday as investors assessed the latest comments out of President Trump on the tariff front whereby he said there will be no exceptions to his August 1 tariff start date. The S&P500 lost just 0.07%, the Dow Jones dipped 0.37% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 0.03%.In Europe overnight, markets in the region closed higher as investors hope trade deals can be done between the US and key European countries in the near future. The STOXX 600 rose 0.3%, and Germany's DAX, the French CAC and the UK's FTSE 100 ended the day up 0.5% each.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, it was positive despite investors assessing President Trumps' latest tariff threats on 14 key trading partners. Imports from Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia among other countries are now set to face tariffs of 25% starting August 1 according to Trump's latest post on his social platform, Truth Social. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.26% on Tuesday, South Korea's Kospi Index ended the day up 1.81%, China's CSI index rose 0.84% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 1.09%.The local market closed Tuesday's session flat as investors were shocked by the RBA's surprise rate hold announcement whereby Australia's cash rate will remain at 3.85% for the next period amid global uncertainty on the tariff front and Australia's tight labour market. RBA governor Michele Bullock said Australia's central bank is really conscious of not wanting to end up with a fight against inflation again and they want to make sure they have ‘nailed' inflation before cutting again.Following the RBA's shock rate hold on Tuesday afternoon, the ASX dipped but recovered just before the closing bell with staples and utilities stocks taking the biggest hit, while tech and communication services offset some of the losses.Some broker moves sparked stock reactions yesterday with South32 (ASX:S32) sliding almost 2% after Goldman Sachs cut its outlook on the company to Neutral while Domino's Pizza (ASX:DMP) rallied over 2% after UBS upgraded the stock to a buy, and Guzman Y Gomez (ASX:GYG) fell 4% after JPMorgan initiated coverage on the stock on Monday with an underweight rating. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.7% higher at US$68.40/barrel, gold is down 0.92% at US$3306/ounce and iron ore is up 0.35% at US$95.55/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.31 US cents, 95.77 Japanese Yen, 48.12 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 9 cents.And ahead of the midweek trading session here in Australia 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 Cobram Estate Olives (ASX:CBO) from $1.95 to $2.35 and maintain a hold rating on the olive oil producer following the company's provision of a FY25 production and earnings guidance update. CBO expects production to come in below BPe but EBITDA expectations of $115m top BPe of $113m.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Lycopodium (ASX:LYL) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 99-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $11.29 to the range of $12.50 to $12.80 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed lower to start the new week as President Trump reportedly posted letters to countries indicating new tariff terms and amounts that will come into play once the July 9 waiver deadline ends. The Dow Jones fell 0.94% on Monday, the S&P 500 lost 0.79% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.92%.Imports from at least 7 countries will face hefty tariffs from August 1 according to Trump's latest posts on his social platform, Truth social.In Europe overnight, markets mostly rose before Trump's latest tariff updates were revealed. The STOXX 600 rose 0.4%, Germany's DAX added 1.1%, the French CAC climbed 0.4%, and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down just 0.2%.Across the Asia region overnight, markets closed mixed as Trump's tariff deadline day tomorrow looms and on the back of Trump announcing reciprocal tariffs will commence from August 1. China's CSI index fell 0.43%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.61%, Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.56%, and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.17%.Locally to start the new trading week, the ASX200 slipped into the red to post a 0.16% loss following the record close on Friday as investors await the RBA's rate announcement today and ahead of Trump's tariff waiver deadline tomorrow.Investors are increasingly on edge ahead of Trump's tariff waiver deadline ending on Wednesday 9th July as widespread concerns revolve around trade deals not being done thus leading to hefty tariffs disrupting trade moving forward. The local market is following the trends of global markets from late last week as investor optimism fades ahead of Wednesday's tariff deadline. Given the key index is trading around record territory of late, investors are also likely awaiting the RBA's rate decision today before making any big moves.Ahead of the RBA's anticipated rate cut out today, investors also took profits from the banks as banks tend to perform worse in a lower interest rate environment.Investors and the market are factoring in a 97% chance of a rate cut out of the RBA today to the effect of a 25-basis point cut. Should the RBA announce a cut we will likely see the tech, REIT and discretionary sectors continue to rally as such sectors tend to outperform in a lower interest rate environment.Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) tumbled 6% on Monday after the gold miner announced its production showed output at the lower end of guidance, while Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) rose over 5% on reports that UK start-up Octopus Energy, which Origin has a 23% stake in, is planning to demerge its tech division.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 2.36% higher at US$68.02/barrel, gold is up 0.03% at US$3336.19/ounce and iron ore is down 1.06% at US$95.22/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.89 US cents, 94.77 Japanese yen, 47.76 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 0.55%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Titomic (ASX:TTT) with a speculative buy rating and a 12-month price target of $0.50/share. Titomic is an Australian company at the forefront of industrial-scale metal additive manufacturing and Bell Potter's analyst sees the increasing spend in defence, especially to come in the US, as a growth opportunity for Titomic.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Origin Energy (ASX:ORG) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 15-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $11.55 to the range of $12.00 to $12.20 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St was closed for the July 4 Independence Day holiday on Friday.Over in Europe on Friday markets closed mostly lower ahead of Trump's looming tariff deadline day. The STOXX 600 fell 0.5%, Germany's DAX lost 0.6%, the French CAC fell 0.8%, and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day flat.Across the Asia region on Friday, markets similarly closed mostly lower as investors fear the end of the tariff waiver deadline will mean tariffs will be imposed immediately with a high effect. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.64%, Japan's Nikkei closed flat, China's CSI index rose 0.36% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down almost 2%.Locally on Friday and to end the first trading week of July, the ASX200 posted a 0.1% gain, resetting its record for a second time already this financial year and for the last trading week the index rose 1.04%.Following a stellar year for financial stocks in FY25, we have seen valuations stretched above growth outlook which prompted investors to take some profits and diversify into areas of the market that either have a high growth outlook like the AI movement in tech or that have been sold off sharply in FY25 presenting strong buy opportunities at present. CBA (ASX:CBA) shares fell almost 1% on Friday.Shares in small-cap container operator Silk Logistics (ASX:SLH) jumped 22.4% after receiving approval from the competition regulator for its acquisition by Dubai-based DP World.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.63 US cents, 94.77 Japanese yen, 48 British pence, and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.56% lower at US$66.46/barrel, gold is up 0.3% at US$3335/ounce and iron ore is up 1.17% at US$96.24/tonne.Ahead of Monday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day flat.And now let's dive into some trading ideas for your consideration today.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has downgraded the rating on Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) from a buy to a hold and have raised the 12-month price target on the leading imaging healthcare tech company to $320/share following the company announcing the renewal and extension of its contract with Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in Louisiana and announced a second and larger deal with U. Colorado Health.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on AMP (ASX:AMP) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 88-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.43 to the range of $1.66 to $1.72 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mostly higher on Wednesday after President Trump announced a U.S.-Vietnam trade deal has been reached to the effect of 20% tariffs on goods imported from Vietnam into the U.S. Investors welcomed the news despite fresh economic data also out yesterday showing private payrolls in the U.S. surprisingly declined in June. The S&P500 ended the day up 0.47% to a fresh record high of 6227.42 points while the Dow Jones fell just 0.02% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.94%. In Europe on Wednesday, markets in the region closed mostly higher despite volatility in the UK. The STOXX 600 rose 0.2%, Germany's DAX added 0.5%, the French CAC climbed 1% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.1%.Across the Asia region on Wednesday, markets closed mixed as investors assessed US Fed Chair Jerome Powell's latest comments around further rate cuts would have already happened if it weren't for President Trump's tariff initiatives. China's CSI index closed flat, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.73%, Japan's Nikkei slipped 0.5% and South Korea's Kospi Index ended the day down 0.47%.The local market reset its record yesterday with the key index ending the day up 0.66% with 10 of the 11 sectors ending the day higher led by materials stocks rallying 1.83%.Retail sales data out yesterday locally for May came in at a rise of 0.2% MoM which fell short of the 0.4% rise markets were expecting, signalling consumer discretionary spend remains subdued due to higher cost-of-living pressures and overall uncertainty. Much to the listed retailer relief though, retail spend in May was boosted by a bounce-back in clothing purchases, albeit at a time when a large number of retailers held higher promotional activity to reduce inventory levels. Other than clothing spend rebounding, retail spending was otherwise restrained this month, with a drop in food-related spending and flat results across household goods.Qantas (ASX:QAN) shares tumbled 2.2% after the flying kangaroo confirmed it has been hit by a cyber attack affecting the personal data of more than 6 million customers.Lenders Mortgage Insurance provider Helia Group (ASX:HLI) sank over 20% yesterday on news that another major long-term partner in ING Bank was negotiating a deal with alternative providers. The move comes just months after CBA pulled the pin on its LMI deal with Helia.Domino's Pizza (ASX:DMP) shares also fell almost 16% after the company's CEO Mark van Dyck announced he will step down from the role after just 12 months at the helm.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 3.2% higher at US$67.54/barrel, gold is up 0.57% at US$3357.35/ounce and iron ore is up 1.84% at US$95.13/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.86 US cents, 94.59 Japanese yen, 48.28 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Thursday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.21%. Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has decreased the 12-month price target on Santana Minerals (ASX:SMI) from $1.30 to $1.18 and maintain a speculative buy rating on the gold miner following the release of the company's updated Pre-Feasibility Study for its 100% owned Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project in New Zealand. It is well placed to complete its Fast Track application, commence early site works in 2HCY25, make a Final Investment Decision in early CY26 and commence construction in 1HCY26. It remains one of the nearest term, new gold development projects on the ASX and is why the analyst has maintained a spec buy rating on the company.

Wall Street closed mixed to start the new quarter as investors rotated out of tech stocks to start the new quarter. The Dow Jones rose 0.91%, the S&P 500 fell 0.11% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.82%. Investors are also weighing the latest developments with President Trump's major tax and spending bill while assessing comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell around the rate outlook in the US.In Europe overnight, markets closed mostly lower as investors monitored the European Central Bank's annual forum in Portugal. The STOXX 600 fell 0.2%, Germany's DAX lost 0.8%, the French CAC closed flat, and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day up 0.3%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, markets closed mixed as investors assessed record gains on Wall St to end June and remain concerned over the global impact of tariffs amid the looming deadline day next week. China's CSI index rose 0.17%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was closed for a public holiday, Japan's Nikkei fell 1.24%, and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.6%.The ASX200 started the new trading month virtually flat as investors regrouped to navigate the start of FY26 with headwinds in the form of geopolitical tensions, trade wars and elevated valuations creeping in from FY25.Over the last 12-months financials stocks have soared over 26% led by sector heavyweight CBA (ASX:CBA) which has experienced share price appreciation of 45% as investors flocked to safe haven investments during the last 12-months of elevated volatility and uncertainty. For the same reason, gold stocks have also been on a tear over the last financial year.Heading into the new year, the first session of FY26 was uneventful as investors still await clarity on the tariff front, particularly on the outcome of talks between the US and China. Both rate sensitive sectors in tech and real estate stocks offset weakness among industrials and materials stocks on Tuesday.Superannuation takeover target Insignia Financial (ASX:IFL) rallied over 5% on Tuesday after final takeover bidder, CC Capital, said it would continue working toward making a binding offer for the company after months and other bidders involved in the deal.And in the healthcare space Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) shares rose over 8.5% after the company announced progress of its treatments with the US FDA toward commercialisation, with the company intending to file by the end of the year for accelerated approval. What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil is trading 0.45% higher at US$65.40/barrel, gold is up 1.04% at US$3337.65/ounce, and iron ore is down 1.12% at US$93.41/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.72 US cents, 94.51 Japanese Yen, 47.85 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 0.21%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has maintained a buy rating on Perenti (ASX:PRN) and have raised the 12-month price target to $1.80 from $1.45 following the announcement of a contract win at the Great Fingall underground project with Westgold Resources (ASX:WGX) in WA worth $200m over 3-years.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Yancoal (ASX:YAL) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 9-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $5.91 to the range of $6.70 to $6.90 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

US equities brushed off the mid- session nerves as both the S&P500 and the Nasdaq reset the closing record highs, advancing 0.52% and 0.47% respectively, while the Dow Jones climbed 275 points or 0.63%. Gains followed the announcement that Canada revokes its digital service tax to facilitate trade negotiations with the US. And as President Donald Trump's 90- day tariff postponement is scheduled to expire next week, investors are watching out for announcements of any trade deals between the US and its trading partners.  European markets closed in the red. The German DAX down 0.51%, France's CAC down 0.33%, the FTSE 100 down 0.43% and the STOXX600 down 0.42%. Locally yesterday, the ASX200 advanced 0.33% with healthcare, industrials and consumer discretionary industry sectors in the lead. Meanwhile, materials declined the most, with Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL), Nickel Industries (ASX:NIC) and Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC), the worst performing stocks of the session.  What to watch today:The Australian market is set to open slightly lower this morning, down just 0.07% according to the SPI futures. In commodities, Crude oil is down 0.8% and more than 5% over the week, now trading just under US$65 per barrel, amid easing tensions in the Middle East as well as prospects that OPEC+ will further increase its oil output. The safe-haven gold price is 1.1% in the green, trading at US$3,304 an ounce, after hitting an over one- month low earlier in the session as trade talks progress. And iron ore is trading flat at US$94.47 per tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintain a Speculative Buy rating on WA1 Resources (ASX:WA1) and have reduced their valuation from $26.50 to $25.70. At the current share price of $15.84, this implies 63% 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 $7.84 to the range of $8.60 to $8.80 over 21 days, according to the standard principles of technical analysis. 

Wall Street closed higher on Friday as investors looked past President Trump's latest swipe at Canada. The S&P500 rose 0.52% to close at a fresh record high while the Dow Jones added 1% and the Nasdaq ended the day up also 0.52% and also to a fresh record high. On Friday President Trump posted on truth social, his social media platform, that talks between the U.S. and Canada were being terminated. Investors remain confused about the global tariff situation amid the looming July 9 tariff delay deadline, but pushed stocks higher on Friday on reports that the U.S. is close to announcing trade deals with 10 major partners.In Europe on Friday, markets closed higher on optimism of improving trade talks between the U.S. and China. The STOXX 600 rose 1.1%, Germany's DAX added 1.5%, the French CAC climbed 1.8% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.7%.Across the Asia region on Friday, markets closed mixed as investors assessed China's May industrial output data indicating industrial profits fell 9.1% over the first 5-months of the year. China's CSI index fell 0.61%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.17%, Japan's Nikkei rose 1.43% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 0.77%.Locally on Friday the key index posted a 0.43% loss as a sharp sell-off in financials, healthcare and REIT stocks weighed on the key index. For the week, the ASX200 posted a 0.1% gain though led by financials and materials stocks posting over 1.5% gains each.Reece (ASX:REH) tumbled over 18% on Friday after announcing its FY25 earnings were expected to fall significantly from the year prior, while Woolworths (ASX:WOW) shares fell 1% despite the supermarket giant announcing it will close its loss-making MyDeal marketplace just 3-years after purchasing it. What to watch today:The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 65.38 U.S. cents, 94.36 Japanese yen, 47.62 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.On the commodities front this morning oil has continued to retreat, trading down 0.26% at US$65.07/barrel, uranium is up 0.7% at US$ 79.05/pound, gold is down 1.65% at US$3273.67/ounce, and iron ore is up 0.01% at US$94.49/tonne.Ahead of the first trading session of the new week the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.06%.Trading ideas:Bell Potter has decreased the 12-month price target on Chalice Mining (ASX:CHN) from $5.75 to $4.10 and maintain a speculative buy rating on the copper miner following key updates out of the company confirming the development plan for its 100%-owned Gonneville project near Perth. The updates give the market greater clarity on the project development milestones with the plan striking the right balance between value extraction and mining and processing routes that minimise capex.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Data3 (ASX:DTL) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 59-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $7.51 to the range of $8.90 to $9.30 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mixed on Wednesday as investors await clarity on ceasefire reports out of Iran and Israel. The S&P 500 was little changed, the Nasdaq added 0.31% and the Dow Jones ended the day down 0.25%.Investors bought into the some of magnificent 7 overnight sending Nvidia shares up 4.3% to a fresh record high while Alphabet added 2.3%.In Europe overnight, markets closed lower despite a strong rally for defence stocks amid uncertainty over the Middle East war. The STOXX600 fell 0.7%, Germany's DAX dropped 0.6%, the French CAC lost 0.8%, and in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.5%.Across the Asia region on Wednesday markets closed mostly higher as investors weighed up ceasefire hopes against fresh commentary out of the U.S. Fed where Powell said policymakers were "well positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance." Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.22% on Wednesday, China's CSI index climbed 1.44%, Japan's Nikkei added 0.4% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.15%.Locally on Wednesday, the ASX200 posted a mere 0.04% gain as a more than 1% rally for financials stocks offset weakness among the materials and energy sectors.The monthly CPI read coming in below market forecasts at a rate of 2.1% for May signals the RBA is on track to consider another rate cut in the very near future which fueled tailwinds for the REIT and Discretionary sectors today, both of which perform better in lower interest rate environments. Sentiment remains shaky though on a global scale as investors are stuck in a limbo of asking if the ceasefire is or is not going ahead in the Middle East. It is a watch-and-wait situation as it continues to unfold.As global defence spend ramps up, DroneShield (ASX:DRO) shares are flying with the company announcing yesterday the receipt of a $61.6m for European military, marking its biggest contract in company history. Shares in the counter drone tech company soared over 20% on Wednesday following the deal announcement. What to watch todayOn the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.87% higher at US$64.93/barrel, uranium is up a further 0.45% at US$77.90/pound, gold is up 0.3% at US$3332.26/ounce and iron ore is down 0.12% at US$94.52/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.17 U.S. cents, 94.41 Japanese yen, 47.71 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Thursday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down half a percent. Trading IdeasBell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on DroneShield (ASX:DRO) from $1.50 to $2.60 and maintain a buy rating on the counter-drone technology company following the announcement of the company's record contract receipt valued at $61.6m, indicating significant earnings growth, increasing scale and frequency of contracts and industry tailwinds.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Fletcher Building (ASX:FBU) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 79-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $2.67 to the range of $2.21 to $2.31 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall St closed higher on Tuesday as investors hold onto hopes of a ceasefire in the Middle East. The Dow Jones rose 1.2%, the S&P500 added 1.11% and the Nasdaq ended the day up 1.43%.While President Trump reported on Tuesday morning that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been agreed upon, reports then followed that Iran has not agreed to a ceasefire thus sparking fears of prolonged tensions. Despite this confusion, markets still rallied, and energy stocks plummeted amid the dive in the price of oil overnight.In Europe overnight, global hopes of a ceasefire boosted markets in the region with the STOXX 600 rising 1.2% on Tuesday while Germany's DAX added 1.6%, the French CAC rose 1% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day flat. Oil and gas stocks weighed on market gains in the region amid the tumbling price of energy commodities due to the lack of supply concerns from the Middle East that initially led to a spike when the war between Iran and Israel first broke out.Across the Asia region on Tuesday, positive global sentiment on ceasefire hopes extended into the region with markets closing higher led by South Korea's Kospi Index rising 2.96%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 2.06%, China's CSI index gained 1.2% and Japan's Nikkei added 1.14% on Tuesday.Ceasefire talks in the Middle East boosted global investor sentiment overnight leading to the local market rallying 0.95% on Tuesday led by materials stocks posting a near 2% gain, while the energy sector tumbled almost 4% on the sliding price of oil.Two local IPOs had investors hitting the buy button yesterday with Greatland Gold (ASX:GGP) jumping 7.9% on debut while Virgin Australia (ASX:VAH) shares also took flight on IPO with the airline ending its re-debut session up over 8%.KFC Australia operator Collins Food (ASX:CKF) soared 16.5% yesterday despite announcing weaker results for FY25 including NPAT down almost 15% and the full year dividend down 7%. Investors likely welcomed the strength of results in the second half of FY25 and revenue increasing over 2%. What to watch today On the commodities front this morning oil has extended its decline to trade 5.92% lower at US$64.45/barrel, uranium is up 2.17% at US$77.55/pound, gold is down 1.51% at US$3317.46/ounce and iron ore is down 0.02% at US$94.75/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.04 US cents, 94.12 Japanese Yen, 47.86 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of the midweek trading session in Australia the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.06% tracking global market gains overnight.Trading IdeasBell Potter has downgraded the rating on Adairs (ASX:ADH) from a buy to a hold and have reduced the 12-month price target on the company from $2.65 to $2.10 following the release of Adairs' Q4 results including higher fixed costs and the company's Focus on Furniture division down 9.3% on the PCP amid tough market headwinds.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Ampol (ASX:ALD) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 33-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $25.34 to the range of $23.40-$23.80 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street started the new trading week with a surprising but welcome rally as investors welcomed the delayed reaction by Iran to the U.S. launching an attack on its nuclear facilities over the weekend. Oil prices tumbled overnight as investors now bet the impact of the Middle East war won't be as great as was first expected on global oil supply from the region. The S&P500 rose 0.96% on Monday, the Dow Jones gained 0.89% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.94%.In Europe overnight markets extended their losing run to close lower as investors in the region still fear retaliation from Iran may be incoming. The STOXX 600 fell 0.25% on Tuesday, while Germany's DAX lost 0.3%, the French CAC closed 0.7% lower and, in the UK, the FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.2%.Across the Asia markets on Monday it was a mostly negative session following the U.S. attack on Iran over the weekend sparking further concerns of escalated and prolonged tensions in the Middle East and beyond. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.13%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.67%, China's CSI index gained 0.2% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day down 0.24%.The ASX started the new trading week in the red with a 0.36% loss at the closing bell as investors fear Iran will respond to the US attacks over the weekend, which is the key driver of oil and uranium prices rising further overnight. The US entering the Middle East war takes the conflict from a regional to global war, spreading fear and further uncertainty among global markets and investors. Financial stocks were up due to their safe-haven nature in the local market while energy stocks are on a run amid fears of impact on global oil supply due to the Middle East war. Industrial, healthcare and staples stocks took the biggest hit on the local market to start the week with losses over and near 1% each.Homewares retailer Adairs (ASX:ADH) followed the recent retailer trend by plunging over 20% on Monday after warning the FY25 earnings will come in below FY24's amid elevated promotional activity eating into margins on the back of a slow down in consumer spend.What to watch todayOn the commodities front this morning oil has tumbled 8.85% to trade at US$67.49/barrel, uranium is up 1.5% at US$75.90/pound, gold is up 0.03% at US$3370/ounce and iron ore is down 0.02% at US$94.75/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 64.64 U.S. cents, 94.41 Japanese yen, 47.63 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Tuesdays trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the new trading day up 0.73%. Virgin Australia is also set to rejoin the key index today through an IPO pricing the company at $2.90/share.Trading IdeasBell Potter has downgraded the rating on Smartpay Holdings (ASX:SMP) from a buy to a hold and have reduced the 12-month price target on the full-service provider of payment solutions after the company announced it has entered into a Scheme Implementation Agreement with Shift4Payments to be acquired at a cash price of NZ$1.20/share. The analyst believes the offer is opportunistic and undervalues the quality of the asset.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Woolworths Group (ASX:WOW) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 28-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $31.41 to the range of $30.20 to $30.50 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street ended Friday's session mixed as investors remained concerned about escalating tensions in the Middle East. The S&P500 fell 0.22%, the Dow Jones rose 0.08%, and the Nasdaq ended the day down 0.51%. Chip stocks came under pressure on Friday on reports that the U.S. may revoke some wavers placed on tariffs for chip stocks, leading to Nvidia shares dropping 1% on Friday.In Europe on Friday markets closed mostly higher for the session but lower across markets for the week amid escalating tensions on a global geopolitical scale. The STOXX 600 rose 0.1% on Friday, Germany's DAX added 1.21%, the French CAC rose 0.5% and, in the UK the FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.2%.Across Asia markets on Friday, it was a mixed session as investors assessed the potential U.S. involvement in the Middle East at the same time as China held rates steady despite its economy being in deflationary mode. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.26%, China's CSI index closed flat, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.22% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 1.5%.Locally to end the last trading week, the ASX200 posted a 0.21% loss amid growing investor uncertainty on a global scale. Utilities stocks rose 0.74% on Friday while consumer staples and discretionary stocks fell 0.87% and 0.63% respectively.Betr rose 5.3% on Friday after lobbing an all-scrip bid for PointsBet (ASX:PBH), while Bowen Coking Coal (ASX:BCB) plummeted almost 50% after announcing the weak coal markets and the ‘unsustainable' QLD coal royalty regime could spark the company to temporarily pause operations.What to watch todayOn the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.73% higher at US$74.04/barrel, gold is down just 0.05% at US$3367.91/ounce, uranium is up 1.47% at US$75.90/pound after the US attacked 3 nuclear sites in Iran, and iron ore is trading 0.06% higher at US$94.77/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.33 US cents, 94.35 Japanese Yen, 47.95 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 down 0.24% after the U.S. attacked Iran over the weekend, further escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.Trading IdeasBell Potter has downgraded the rating on REA Group (ASX:REA) a buy to a hold and have slightly reduced the 12-month price target on the leading online real estate platform from $267 to $262 following soft May volumes of national listings and the outlook for eased listings into FY26.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on TechnologyOne (ASX:TNE) 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 $40.58 to the range of $36.40 to $37.20 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed mixed on Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve's latest policy update kept the US interest rate steady with Chair Jerome Powell signalling it would wait to see the impact of President Trump's tariffs on inflation before proceeding with rate cuts. The Dow Jones fell 0.1%, the S&P 500 slipped just 0.03% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day up 0.13%.In Europe overnight, markets in the region closed mostly lower as investors continue to monitor the latest developments in the Middle East. The STOXX 600 fell 0.34%, Germany's DAX and the French CAC each lost 0.4% and the FTSE 100 ended the day up 0.1%.Across the Asia region on Wednesday, markets in the region closed mixed amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.9%, South Korea's Kospi Index climbed 0.74%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.12% and China's CSI index ended the day up 0.12%.The local market's lacklustre performance this week extended into the midweek session with the key index ending the day down 0.12% as Iran-Israel attacks entered a 5th straight day and global markets were sold off on Tuesday as a result with no end-date or macro certainty in sight.Profit taking has hit the gold stocks yesterday with investors cashing in recent gains to capitalise on the soaring gold price which topped another record just days ago.Retailers have done it tough lately with widespread sell-offs amid elevated promotional activity leading to margin contraction as well as downgraded guidance and weaker outlook. Lovisa tumbled 5% yesterday despite no news out of the fashion jewellery retailer.What to watch todayOn the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.4% higher at US$75.15/barrel, gold is down 0.36% at US$3375/ounce and iron ore is trading 0.16% lower at US$94.71/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 65.07 US cents, 94.34 Japanese Yen, 48.33 British Pence and 1 New Zealand dollar 8 cents.The SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.23% extending on yesterday's losses.Trading ideasBell Potter has downgraded the rating on Centuria Office REIT (ASX:COF) to a sell from a hold and have reduced the 12-month price target on the externally-managed REIT from $1.20 to $1.10 as the analyst feels the share price has run ahead of market conditions.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Duratec (ASX:DUR) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 113-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $1.36 to the range of $0.95 to $1.03 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Wall Street closed lower across the major averages on Tuesday as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise, hitting a 5th day of attacks between Iran and Israel. The Dow Jones lost 0.7%, the S&P500 fell 0.84% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 0.91%.President Trump took to Truth Social, his social media platform, demanding ‘unconditional surrender' from Iran's leader as he departed the G7 conference early to deal with the situation in the Middle East.In Europe overnight, markets in the region fell as the Israel-Iran conflict continues. The STOXX 600 fell 0.8%, Germany's DAX lost 1%, the French CAC fell 0.8% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.5%.Across the Asia region on Tuesday markets closed mixed as investors assessed the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Lingering uncertainty and rising energy costs are weighing on global investor sentiment due to the conflict, at a time where volatility and uncertainty was already heightened due to US tariffs and global tensions rising on the trade front. Japan's Nikkei added 0.6%, China's CSI index closed flat, Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.34% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 0.12%.The local market started the new trading week virtually flat with a 0.01% gain on Monday before see-sawing between positive and negative on Tuesday to close down 0.08% as investors reacted to escalating tensions in the Middle East and Trump urging for Tehran's evacuation amid the Iran-Israel attacks. Volatility, rising geopolitical tensions and macro and market uncertainty have been the core drivers of market movements in recent times weighing on investor sentiment. Rate sensitive sectors posted gains yesterday with Tech and REIT stocks ending the day up 0.32% and 0.23% respectively while utilities stocks took the biggest hit with a 0.68% loss.Gold miners regained some ground on Tuesday following Monday's sell-off as investors fled to safe-haven assets again in the face of growing geopolitical tensions, while uranium miners extended their recent surge on nuclear power demand rising.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning, oil continues to climb, trading up 4.6% at US$75.06/barrel, gold is up 0.2% at US$3390/ounce and iron ore is down 0.16% at US$95.23/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.70 US cents, 93.96 Japanese Yen, 47.79 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 down 0.19% tracking the global market sell off overnight.Trading IdeasBell Potter has increased the 12-month price target on IVE Group (ASX:IGL) following the company's investor strategy session where it upgraded guidance for FY25 for underlying NPAT to come in around $50m, representing a 4.7% upgrade, driven by margin expansion.Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on Lendlease (ASX:LLC) 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 $5.55 to the range of $5.20 to $5.26 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

The boys are generally confused as to how these smiling bears play instruments. If you want to watch along with us, head to vimeo.com/headfullofradio

US equities rallied overnight off the back of optimism that the Israel and Iran conflict will be contained. The Dow Jones gained 300 points or 0.75%, the S&P500 gained 0.94% and the tech- heavy Nasdaq advanced 1.52%. Following Israel's strike on Iran on Friday, the market took comfort in the fact that this wouldn't escalate on Monday, after Iran reportedly spoke with several countries to pressure for an immediate ceasefire.European equities also rallied with all markets closing in the green. The German DAX and France's CAC both up 0.8%, the FTSE100 up 0.3% and the STOXX600 index up 0.36%.Locally yesterday, the Aussie market closed flat, up just 0.01% as the energy sector rallied following the spike in oil prices amid the Israel - Iran conflict. Energy producers posted very impressive gains, including Deep Yellow (ASX:DYL) advancing over 20% yesterday, Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) up more than 17%, Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) up over 15% and Santos (ASX:STO) up over 10%.What to watch today:Our local market is set to open higher this morning, with the SPI futures suggesting a 0.06% rise at the open this morning.In commodities:Crude oil has eased, now trading 2.7% lower at US$71.00 per barrel, following Friday's sharp 7% rally. This came after reports Iran sought to de-escalate tensions with Israel and resume nuclear negotiations. The decline followed an overnight surge to US$77.49 after Israeli strikes targeted Iran's South Pars gas field and an oil depot near Tehra Meanwhile, gold is trading 1.3% lower at US$3,386 an ounce and iron ore is also in the red at US$95.23 per tonne.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter maintain a Speculative Buy rating on clinical stage biotech company Syntara (ASX:SNT). They've valued the company at $0.12 and at its current share of $0.057 this implies 110.5% share price growth in a year.And Trading Central have identified a bearish signal in Perpetual (ASX:PPT) indicating that the stock price may fall from the price of $17.96 to the range of $14.80 to $15.40 over 34 days according to the standard principles of technical analysis.

Escalation of attacks between Iran and Israel hit global markets on Friday.Wall Street closed lower as investors assessed the worsening tensions in the Middle East with the S&P500 dropping1.13%, while the Dow Jones lost 1.8% and the tech heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 1.3%. Oil and defensive stocks rose on Friday amid the rising price of oil due to Middle East tensions and as investors buy into the defence sector driven by rising geopolitical tensions.In Europe on Friday markets closed in the red after Israel launched air strikes on Iran. The STOXX 600 fell 1%, Germany's DAX and the French CAC each lost 1.1% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day down 0.5%.Across the Asia region on Friday markets closed mixed as investors assessed an announcement by Trump that a deal had been done with China to the effect of 55% on imports from China into the U.S. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.11% on Friday, China's CSI index closed flat, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.65% and south Korea's Kospi index rose 0.45%.Locally on Friday, the ASX200 posted a 0.2% loss after Israel attacked Iran's nuclear program sites in a significant escalation of tensions in the Middle East.Luxury online fashion retailer Cettire tanked a further 20% on Friday following a 31% drop on Thursday after the company announced its second profit downgrade in less than two months, citing uncertainty around tariffs and elevated promotional activity as the drivers of the downgrades.Gold miners jumped on Friday amid the renewed geopolitical tensions driving investor uncertainty hence leading to a flock to safe-havens, while energy stocks also soared on the 13% spike in brent oil prices amid the rising Middle East tensions.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 7.26% higher at US$72.98/barrel, gold is up 1.36% at US$3432/ounce and iron ore is down 0.08% at US$95.38/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.85 US cents, 93.59 Japanese Yen, 47.96 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 down 0.23%.Trading Ideas:Bell Potter has reduced the 12-month price target on Accent Group (ASX:AX1) from $2.60 to $2.10 and maintain a buy rating on the footwear and fashion retailer following the company providing a FY25 trading update last week including group like-for-like sales down 1% in 2H25 to date, and gross margins fell 80bps on the PCP.Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on New Hope Corporation (ASX:NHC) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 85-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $3.87 to the range of $4.60 to $4.75 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The Supreme Court hears oral arguments for a major transgender case. The big question before the court is: Can a state ban transgender treatments on minors?  Trump might replace Pete Hegseth - his pick to lead the Defense Department — with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Trump taps Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Relevant Links:  More Coverage Supreme Court Transgender Case:  Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGy7M_cQsBk https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oav_Q47LBnU  Articles: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/12/03/supreme-court-case-exposes-transgender-medical-scandal-epic-proportions/  Daily Signal Internship Application: https://www.heritage.org/young-leaders-program  Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The Supreme Court will hear a case determining if states can ban transagender procedures for minors.  South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants 25 million in funding for legal battles against the incoming Trump administration.  New Jersey resident punished for waving American flag.  DOJ revisits gag order against transgender children's hospital whistleblower, Dr. Eithan Haim.  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is defending President Joe Biden's decision to pardon Hunter Biden. President-elect Donald Trump caused plenty of stir over the long holiday weekend by naming Kash Patel to head the FBI.  Israeli American hostage Omer Neutra is confirmed dead.  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Special Council Jack Smith has taken action to drop all charges against Donald Trump.  It appears that Israel and Lebanon have reached a ceasefire agreement. The agreement would end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.  The pentagon has lost $2.5 trillion.  Relevant Links:  https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/11/25/pentagon-lost-track-2-5-trillion/  Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name as Trump's Attorney General nominee.  President Joe Biden quietly awarded the ​​former CEO of Planned Parenthood with the nation's highest civilian award, according to Life News.  The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Laken Riley's murderer was convicted and sentenced.  A new bill would ban biological males from all federal women's bathrooms.  President Elect Donald Trump announced the nominations of Linda McMahon and Michael Whitaker. The majority of American medical societies have released statements infusing political ideology into their missions. The United States shut its embassy in Kyiv. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Laken Riley's alleged murderer is on trial for the third day.  President-elect Donald Trump nominated billionaire Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department.  The far-left Southern Poverty Law Center has set its sights on Not the Bee, the real-news partner of the Christian satire site The Babylon Bee. New York prosecutors are requesting a stay until at least 2029 in New York v. Trump. President Barack Obama praised Trump's border czar nominee Tom Homan in 2016. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use U.S. made long range missiles to strike targets inside Russia.  Over the weekend, Trump announced that he has tapped Chris Wright to serve as secretary of Energy. Wright is the CEO of a fracking and oilfield company called Liberty Energy.  Trump confirms he plans to declare an emergency over the crisis at the border and use military assets to deport illegal aliens.  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: President-elect Donald Trump taps Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his Secretary of Health and Human Services. Lawmakers and officials in Washington D.C. are still reeling after Trump announced yesterday that Rep. Matt Gaetz is his pick for attorney general. Biden has appointed 215 judges during his presidency and is likely to try to get a few more in before he leaves office.  The attorney general of Florida files a lawsuit against FEMA. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: For the first time in 18 years, Republicans in the Senate have a new leader. President-elect Donald Trump appoints Tulsi Gabbard, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and others to cabinet.  The Department of Health and Human Services spends tens of millions of dollars annually on DEI expenses. The president of the host country of the 2024 U.N. climate change conference defends fossil fuels. A federal judge temporarily halts a Louisiana law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: President-elect Donald Trump started announcing his administration.  Protesters gathered over the weekend in Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, New York City, Portland, and Seattle.  Six of America's largest companies have executives on the boards of hospitals that perform child sex-change procedures. . Judge Juan Merchan paused all deadlines in President-elect Donald Trump's New York case. MSNBC has seen a sharp 54% drop in primetime viewership since Donald Trump won the election. Relevant Links: Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Biden delivers remarks to the American people following his vice president's election defeat.  Donald Trump's victory is due in part to his strong performance among Latino voters. How is the corporate media responding to such a significant victory for Trump?  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Former President Donald Trump officially wins the 2024 presidential election.  Republicans take control of the Senate and are projected to win the House.  Kamala Harris concedes.  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: It's election night, and Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump neck and neck in the polls.  Police board up DC ahead of potential violence in the aftermath of the election.  New York Times tech staffers went on strike this week and remain on strike on this Election Day Tuesday.  Several left-wing district attorneys could soon find themselves out of a job. Elon Musk warns that if Kamala Harris wins the presidential election, she might shut down X. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris make their final appeals to voters.  The Harris campaign is in trouble with the Federal Communications Commission over her SNL appearance.  Trump faces backlash after a remark he made in Lititz, Pennsylvania about the “fake news.” Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The corporate media claims former President Donald Trump suggested during a campaign event that Liz Cheney should have guns "trained on her face."  Mark Cuban is a businessman and a vocal Harris supporter. During an interview on ABC's “The View,” Cuban claimed Trump never has inteligent women around him.  In October, the U.S. economy added 12,000 jobs. But Dow Jones has estimated 100,000 jobs would be added in October. Relevant Links https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2024/10/31/rip-jazz-shaw-1959-2024-n3796530#google_vignette Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Pollster Frank Luntz says Biden's ‘garbage' comment might damage Harris' campaign.  Trump says he will “protect the women whether they like it or not.” Multiple concerns over voter fraud are being raised less than a week before the election.  Relevant Links https://justthenews.com/accountability/whistleblowers/retribution-irs-agent-who-blew-whistle-biden-family-given-ultimatum Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda

TOP NEWS | On today's Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Kamala Harris makes her closing argument on the National Mall Tuesday. Biden calls Trump supporters “garbage” on Tuesday.  Sen. JD Vance tells The Daily Signal transgender medical interventions for minors are “crazy” at a rally in Holland, Michigan, on Tuesday.  Muslim Americans in Dearborn, Michigan, say they are unsure how they will cast their vote. The Supreme Court grants an emergency stay allowing Virginia to keep illegal aliens off the voter rolls. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda