ASX 200 futures were down 19 points, or 0.21%, at 8:30 am AEST, pointing to a softer start for local shares.
The expected dip comes after the S&P/ASX 200 closed 5 points (0.06 %) higher at 8,972, after briefly touching a fresh record of 9,054.5—its tenth record high this month. Materials (+2.72 %), Energy (+1.12 %) and Real Estate (+0.85 %) sectors led gains, while Financials (−1.18 %), Consumer Discretionary (−0.91 %) and Consumer Staples (−0.78 %) dragged.
Company results drove sharp moves: Aussie Broadband surged 20.18 % to A$5.36, Ansell jumped 10.32 % to A$34.53, while Reece fell 16.42 % to A$11.76 after weaker earnings. Miners supported gains with BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue all advancing on stronger iron ore prices.
Wall Street cautious ahead of Nvidia results
US markets finished lower as investors weighed the Federal Reserve’s willingness to cut rates amid stagflationary concerns.
Nvidia’s Q2 earnings, due Wednesday, dominate attention with forecasts for US$46 billion in revenue and EPS of US$1.01. Shares closed at US$179.81, just shy of record highs.
The US rates market prices an 82 % chance of a 25 basis-point cut at the September meeting, with cumulative cuts of 52 basis points expected by year end. Key inflation data—the core PCE—remains the main focus.
FTSE and DAX hit record highs
European equities ended mixed.
The UK’s FTSE 100 closed at a record 9,189.22 on 19 August, with intraday highs above 9,222 earlier in the month.
Germany’s DAX reached an all-time closing high of 23,499.32 in May, supported by government spending on infrastructure and defence. Analysts note momentum but flag structural reforms and trade as risks to sustainability.
Currencies: Aussie dollar softens
The Australian dollar slipped from US65.04 cents to US64.77 cents, trading near US64.80 at the US close. The euro fell from US$1.1720 to US$1.1603, while the Japanese yen weakened to JPY147.70 per US dollar.
Oil rises, gold dips
Oil gained on supply risks: Brent rose 1.6 % to US$68.80 a barrel, while WTI added 1.8 % to US$64.80. Base metals advanced, with copper futures up 0.4 % and aluminium 0.9 %. Gold eased US$1 to US$3,417.50 an ounce as a stronger dollar capped gains. Iron ore lifted 0.2 % to US$101.60 per tonne after Rio Tinto halted operations at Simandou in Guinea.