End of Day Report – Thursday 17 April: ASX 200 up 60, +2.3% for the week | Gold shines

A good end to the week as the ASX 200 rose 60 points to 7808 (0.8%), breaking through as SPI expiry boosted volumes. Positive US futures helping the Easter Bunny remain positive., For the week the ASX 200 is up 2.3%. Today was all about gold and resources, BHP up 1.1% and RIO up 2.9% doing well on broker reactions to production reports. Gold miners better, but looking a little tired short term, EVN up 1.7% and NST up 1.2% with VAU up 3.2%. Lithium saw some gains, PLS up 4.4% and MIN up 2.4% with LTR up 3.9%. ILU doing well on the rare earths play, up 5.6%. Oil and gas stocks rose, WDS up 3.9% with STO up 2.9% with KAR rising 7.6% on Q1 report. Uranium stocks gaining, as shorts covered, PDN up 4.1% and BOE up 4.0%. Banks were solid, the Big Bank Basket up to $254.43 (+0.7%). Financials were better with CGF rising 10.2% on a 3Q update. IFL rose 3.3% as DD was extended another 4 weeks to both bidders. REITs better as rate fell, 10-year yields dropping to 4.28%. Industrials firmed, with CPU up 1.0%, REA up 0.9% and JHX rallying 2.3% on news big investors are lobbying the ASX to scrutinise the takeover. In corporate news, AMP rallied 3.2% after an increase in net cash flows, BHP shipped weaker-than-expected volume of Australian iron ore over the past three months. PLS blamed the cyclone for a production drop, up 4.4%. WTC fell 2.2% as ASIC looking at White’s trades. On the economic front, we got jobs numbers, 4.1% with 32k new jobs slightly below forecasts. Asian Japan up 0.8%, HK up 1.3% and China off 0.2%. Want to invest with Marcus Today? The Managed Strategy 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.