End of Day Report – Thursday 3 April: ASX rallies off lows | China to react

The ASX 200 finished down only 75 points to 7860 (0.9%) as it bounced solidly from support at 7800. The extreme knee jerk reaction on the promises in the Rose Garden saw banks back on the defensive buyers list and companies with little or no overseas exposure did better. CBA rose 1.0% with the Big Bank Basket up to $251.54 (0.2%). ANZ had a shaky start after moves to increase its capital requirements, closing down 1.4% with MQG on the nose off 2.9%. Financial services copped it with GQG off 5.2% and PPT down 4.8%. ZIP remained undone as US consumer confidence woes will continue. NWL hit hard off 8.7%. REITs also reversing some recent gains, GMG off 3.7% and CHC down 4.7%. Healthcare stocks found buyers, CSL up 1.0% and PME rising 2.0%. Industrials eased, WOW and COL better on defensive buyers, WES up 0.3% and REA doing better, up 0.9%. Tech followed US tech lower, WTC off 2.7% with XRO falling 3.4%. The All-Tech Index down 1.2%.Resources were hurt badly, BHP down 3.4% and RIO off 2.7% with MIN falling 9.5% and PLS down another 6.8%. Gold miners were boosted by bullion price rises on tariff uncertainty, NEM up 2.3% and NST up 2.1%. SPR rose 4.4% with WGX also better. Oil and gas stocks fell hard, WDS down 2.9% and BPT off 2.9%. WHC dropped 7.6% on broker downgrades and uranium still toxic, PDN down 1.3%. In corporate news, TWE reassured no impact from tariffs. CTT smacked 14.5% on serious impact from rising tariffs.Nothing on the economic front although the RBA released its financial stability report. Asian markets fared better than some feared, with Japan down 3.5%. China down 0.4% and HK off 1.6%. AUD stable with bond yields falling to 4.24% in the 10’s. Dow futures down 2.0%, NASDAQ futures worse at -3.1%.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.