End of Day Report – Monday 15 December: ASX 200 fall 62 points | Miners sold down, banks steady

The ASX 200 started off the week down 62 points to 8635 (0.7%). Miners bore the brunt of the selling after a stellar week last week, with BHP down 2.9% and RIO falling 2.4% on lower iron ore and copper prices.  Gold miners too in profit taking mode after solid gains on Friday. GMD fell 5.4% and NEM off 0.9%. Lithium miners were also in profit taking mode as PLS fell 3.9% and LTR off 6.4%. Uranium stocks dropped hard as the AI trade in the US was called into question again, and thus the energy trade. NXG fell 4.5% and PDN down 4.7% with BOE off 8.2%. The banks were relatively calm as CBA fell 0.6% with the other three higher. The Big Bank Basket eased to $272.41 (-0.1%). Other financials eased, ASX under pressure following the ASIC reforms, GQG up 1.1% and SOL falling 1.2%. Insurers were generally better. Healthcare mixed as CSL stumbled 2.5% lower, TLX falling another 4.2%. REITs mixed, industrials mixed too. TLS down 0.8% and TPG up 1.8% with tech trying to find a base, WTC down 0.7% and XRO up 0.6%. The All-Tech Index up 0.04%. Retailers also found some bargain hunters, JBH up 2.3% and APE recovering 1.0%. In corporate news, TWE in a trading halt pending outlook statement. EOS jumped 28.9% on an US$80m order from South Korea. 4DX rose 9.9% on news of approvals in Canada. WGX announced plans to spin off non-core assets and FMG announced plans to buy the remaining shares in Alta Copper. Nothing locally on the economic front but Japanese factory sentiment improved opening the way to a rate rise this week. China announced its weakest retail numbers since Covid. Asian markets eased on US falls, Japan down 1.4%, HK down 0.9% and China off 0.2%.US futures were better, Dow up 160 and Nasdaq up 52.10-year yields steady at 4.72%.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.