End of Day Report – Wednesday 23 April: ASX 200 closes up 104 | CBA and gold miners sink

The ASX 200 was a mirror of yesterday with CBA and gold miners down today and the rest of the market up. The index closed up 104 points at 7920(1.3%). In the banks, CBA fell 2.5% with NAB the standout up 3.2% with the Big Bank Basket down to $258.77 (-0.8%). MQG leapt 5.3% with other financials back in demand, PNI up 6.0% and GQG up 7.1%. REITs also doing well with GMG rallying 3.0% and VCX up 2.7%. Industrials firmed across the board, WES up 1.8%, ALL rising 4.4% and SGH up 3.2%. Healthcare stocks also saw gain, TLX up 12.5% on a sales update. Tech stocks better, WTC put in 5.5% with XRO up 2.9% and the All-Tech Index up 3.5%. Resources were generally firm, BHP up 3.3% with FMG rallying 2.7%, LYC fell 7.6% on possible Chinese de-escalation, gold miners too saw some profit taking across the board, with NST down 9.6% and EVN falling 10.9% as NEM dropped 7.0%. Uranium stocks had a lovely day out, PDN reassured the markets with a production update, up 24.6%, and Spott has been buying the sector; DYL is up 12.0% with oil and gas stocks also doing well, STO is up 6.1% with WDS putting on 3.6%. On the corporate front, IFL revealed FUM and rallied 4.5% with CTT falling 24.4% on reporting weak demand in US on tariff uncertainty. On the economic front, new business activity in Australia’s private sector rose at the fastest pace in three years. Asian markets firmed with Japan up 1.9%, HK up 2.2% and China up 0.3%. 10-year yields eased slightly to 4.26%.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.