End of Day Report – Friday 12 December: ASX 200 up 105 | Gold miners soar, banks rally hard

The ASX 200 finished the week on a very firm note up 105 points to 8697(1.2%). Up 0.7% for the week. Across the board gains, with banks surging as CBA rose 2.1% and NAB up 1.8% after its AGM. The Big Bank Basket rose to $272.70 (+1.8%). Other financials also did well, MQG bouncing 2.7% and insurers too better. QBE and SUN up over 1%. REITs bounced, GMG up 0.8% and VCX up 2.4% with healthcare too also doing well, CSL rallying 2.9% with SIG up 1.4%. Industrials better but not flying. Retail saw some shoppers out and about, JBH up 2.7% and MYR up 4.4% with losses in LOV and TPW continuing. Tech remained a sub-optimal place to be, TNE down 1.6% with XRO continuing to fall, down another 0.5% with the All-Tech Index off 0.2%.Resources again was the place to be. Gold miners soared as brokers started to amend forecasts for metal prices higher as 2026 comes into view. NST up 2.9%, GMD up 7.6% and NEM rising 5.7%. BHP and RIO also strong on copper exposure, and uranium stocks gained ground. PDN up 4.8% and DYL rising 4.9%. Lithium stocks were a little depressed.In corporate news, former ANZ CEO is suing the bank for his lost $13.5m bonus. ASB dropped 3% on news that Jim Chalmers will allow Hanwha to increase its stake to near 20%. 4DX jumped 8.8% on an options deal and BMC Minerals debuted.Nothing on the economic front.Asian markets pushed higher, Japan up 1.7% with HK up 1.4% and China up 0.1%. Want to invest with Marcus Today? Our MT20 portfolio is designed for investors seeking exposure to our strategy while we do the hard work for you. If you’re looking for personal financial advice, our friends at Clime Investment Management can help. Their team of licensed advisers operates across most states, offering tailored financial planning services.  Why not sign up for a free trial? Gain access to expert insights, research, and analysis to become a better investor.