The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is all set to open higher today, with futures suggesting a 0.3% gain, driven by a robust rally on Wall Street.
Investors are closely monitoring the policy direction of the incoming Trump administration following today's inauguration.
TikTok spared
It seems he has already changed the course of the proposed TikTok ban, which has terminally online progressives and his supporters alike cheering – not to mention the advertisers who channel billions into the platform.
The national security implications of averting the ban will reveal themselves more slowly, but that’s another story.
Discussions between the incoming US leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping on said social media platform, trade and fentanyl seemed to boost sentiment too.
US markets surged on Friday, marking their strongest week since the November presidential elections.
The Dow Jones rose 335 points (0.8%) while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq climbed 1.0% and 1.5% respectively.
For the week, the Dow gained 3.7%, the S&P 500 rose 2.9% and the Nasdaq added 2.4%.
Semiconductor stocks led the rally, with Nvidia and Broadcom advancing 3.1% and 3.5%, respectively.
Intel soared 9.3% on takeover speculation, while Qorvo surged 14.4% following Starboard Value's disclosure of a 7.7% stake.
European markets
European equities ended higher, with mining stocks leading gains. The FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 0.7%, logging a 2.3% weekly gain.
London’s FTSE 100 hit a record high, up 1.4% for the day and 3.1% for the week.
Reports of merger talks between mining behemoths Glencore and Rio Tinto – which would be the industry’s largest in history – buoyed stocks, with Glencore up 2.7% and Rio Tinto rising 2.2% in London trading.
Iron ore futures added 0.7% on Friday to US$101.21 per tonne, climbing 3.2% for the week.
Gold futures eased slightly to US$2,748.70 per ounce but posted a weekly gain of 1.2%. Brent crude dipped 0.6% to US$80.79 per barrel, while US Nymex crude fell 1.0% to US$77.88, with both benchmarks extending weekly gains.
US industrial production jumped 0.9% in December, surpassing expectations, while housing starts surged 15.8%.
These figures contributed to a rise in US Treasury yields, with the 10-year yield up to 4.62%.
The Australian dollar traded near 61.90 US cents at the close.
What’s happening in small caps?
- Great Boulder Resources Ltd has delivered news on exploration at its flagship Side Well Gold Project near Meekatharra in WA, which hosts a mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 668,000 ounces at 2.8 g/t gold.
- Brightstar Resources Ltd has kicked off its 2025 drilling program at the recently acquired Sandstone Gold Project, close to the town of Sandstone in WA’s Murchison region.
- Predictive Discovery Ltd has approval from Guinea’s Ministère de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable (the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development) for the Bankan Gold Project.
- Eclipse Metals Ltd is making progress at its Grønnedal prospect at the Ivigtût Project in southwestern Greenland and hopes to expand its MRE.
- CuFe Ltd has tapped experienced geologist, company director and ex-Rio Tinto executive David Palmer to join its board as a non-executive director with effect from February 1.