ASX 200 kicks another 42 points higher to 7629 to finish the week up around 0.6%. Banks were better again post NAB with the Big Bank Basket up to $204.53(+0.5%). MQG disappointed again. Three in a row, starting to become a habit. Down 2.2%. Insurers mixed, GQG better on div announcement, REITs up as bond yields fell to 4.41%. GMG up 2.7% and SCG rallying 1.0%. Healthcare in the pink, CSL up 0.2% and COH up 1.4%. Industrials bouncing back. WES strategy day yesterday drew positive broker comments, up 2.8%, WOW bounced 0.3% with ‘old skool’ platforms doing well. REA up 2.0% and CAR up 2.2%. Tech better on Apple results, WTC up 1.2% and XRO up 1.3% with the All -Tech Index up 1.5%. In resources, slight improvement in the Three Amigos, FMG the best up 0.4%. Lithium stocks finding some friends for now, PLS up 3.0% and MIN up 1.9%. Gold miners sold off on bullion drop, NST down 1.7% and EVN off 5.6%. Oil and gas doing little. In corporate news, SQ2 rallied hard 9.8% on results despite question on money laundering. BAP now being talked of as a takeover target after 24% fall yesterday. On the economic front, HSBC forecast no change to rates in 2024 and new housing loans rose 17.9% since March. Asian markets mixed, China closed for a holiday, HK up 1.3%. 10-year yields at 4.41%.

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Stocks finished higher Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 322.37 points, or 0.85%, to close at 38,225.66. The S&P 500 gained 0.91% to settle at 5,064.20, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 1.51% to end at 15,840.96.

Apple announces largest-ever $110bn share buyback as iPhone sales drop 10%.

ASX to rise. SPI Futures up 35 points (+0.46%). MQG Results out. US Jobs tonight.

• Base metals mixed. Nickel -0.64%, Zinc +0.59%, Lead +0.09% and Tin +1.38%.
• Copper extended losses, down 1.56% on concerns that the recent 2Y high was based on speculation while physical demand remains weak in China.
• Aluminium down 1.69% on data that showed rebounding inventories.
• Gold eased 0.63%.
• Oil prices under pressure from weaker global demand and rising inventories. WTI -0.14%, and Brent Crude +0.07%.
• Currencies – AUD -0.02%, USD Index -0.34%, Euro +0.02%, and Bitcoin +2.81%.
• 10Y Bond Yields – US 4.589%, Australia 4.430%, and Germany 2.537%.

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ASX 200 rallies 17 points to 7587 (0.2%) as banks take heart from NAB result and new buy back. NAB up 1.5% and the Big Bank Basket up to $203.54 (+1.0%). MQG rallying 1.2% ahead of its results tomorrow, with NWL also doing well up 2.0%. Insurers eased back. REITs slightly better with GMG up 0.8%. Healthcare finding a few friends, CSL up 0.3% and RMD up 0.6%. Industrials mixed, WOW fell 4.2% on quarterly results underwhelming, COL down 1.9% and TLS falling 1.4%. Tech better, XTC up 2.7% and XRO up 0.4% with the All-Tech Index up 0.1%. Resources better as BHP moved slightly higher, RIO down 0.2% and FMG up 1.0% with gold miners putting in a solid day, NST up 1.0% and EVN up 0.8%. Oil and gas down and dirty STO off 0.8% and WDS falling yet another 1.2%. On the corporate front, BAP lived up to low expectations with a bad trading update and cratered 23.9%, NAM got another bid at 70c, RIO was quiet at the AGM on the BHP bid for Anglo, SQ2 fell 5.6% on rumours that US regulators are examining the business. In economic news, Building Approvals missed expectations, falling 1.9% in February. The BoP also missed expectations on exports in commodities. In Asia, Japan unchanged, China closed for a long weekend and HK up 2.4%. 10-year yields at 4.44% slipping slightly lower.

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