Afternoon Report | ASX climbs

Wednesday 18 March 2026 The Reserve Bank has lifted interest rates, but it was a close call, and another rate hike in May is no longer a sure thing. The competition regulator warns petrol stations over the price of fuel Australia heads towards a free trade deal with the EU The be ...  Show more

Yesterday the Reserve Bank increased the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1 per cent. It’s the second rate hike in a row - but while last time the decision was unanimous, this time it was much closer, with the board split 5-4.Diana Mousina, Deputy Chief Economist at AMP ...  Show more

US equities surged again yesterday, closing off their intraday highs but nevertheless achieving new records. US PPI data confirmed that growth is slowing, providing more of the data that the Fed needs to start cutting rates again – markets will now scrutinise today’s CPI data for ...  Show more

Big week for financial earnings (0:20). Dearth of economic data given government shutdown (3:20). AI dealmaking (6:50). CAT's valuation (10:40). Gold hitting new highs (13:30). Bitcoin and crypto liquidations (15:20). Bond update (17:15).Show Notes:Crypto stocks trade lower amid ...  Show more

The Nikkei 225 was up around 1.5% and the Topix hit a record high this morning after Japan’s prime minister resigned over the weekend. It’s hoped that a new regime should provide greater longer-term policy and political stability, and a more conducive pro-growth environment for t ...  Show more

Markets faced a turbulent week, starting with caution amid hawkish Fed commentary and trade tensions, but ending on a more optimistic note thanks to a solid US inflation report. Global equities rebounded on Friday, though US equities still closed the week in negative territory. I ...  Show more