End of Day Report – Wednesday 4 March: ASX 200 drops 176 with banks and resources sold down | Tech holds up

Day 5 - The ASX 200 fell another 176 points to 8901 (1.9%) as resources and banks came under pressure. Asian regional markets went into full panic mode with Korea down 11%, its largest move since the GFC. It had been a tear for some weeks and has now come undone. Resources were under serious pressure from the off. BHP down 3.5% with FMG off 3.0% and the gold miners down but not quite out. NST down 2.5% and EVN off 4.7%. Lithium stocks dropped, LTR down 3.2% and PLS off 1.3%. Copper stocks also falling hard, SFR down 2.9% and CSC down 2.2%. BSL bucked the trend as management said it was happy to chat to SGH! Uranium stocks dipped with PDN down 7.6% and BOE falling 8.4%. Oil and gas stocks were slightly lower, STO down 0.4%, BPT dipping 0.9% and VEA off 1.9%. WDS rose 0.9%.Banks fell after safe haven status was revoked today. CBA down 1.2% and MQG falling 2.5% as the Big Bank Basket dropped to $ (%). ANZ a big casualty off %. Other financials also eased, with insurers sloppy. QBE down % and MFG seeing profit taking off %. Industrials were generally weaker, WES continued to fall, CSL lost another 1.6% with COH down 3.5%. QAN dipped 2.7% and retail stocks fell. FLT down 1.1% and JBH off 1.7%. Tech managed to hold up with XRO up 2.0% and WTC flat. The All-Tech Index down 0.6%.In corporate news, EDV results underwhelmed off 3.5% and A1N jumped 4.4% as Kyle and Jackie seem to be heading for an expensive divorce!On the economic front, GDP came in slightly better than the RBA had forecast at 0.8%. China’s National People’s Congress in focus. Asian markets crushed, Korea off around 12%, Japan fell 3.9%, HK off 3.0% and China down 1.4%. 10-year yields jump to 4.75%US Futures down DJ off 216 pts and Nasdaq down 200.—Marcus Today – Daily Market InsightsMarcus Today provides clear, practical commentary for self-directed investors – covering markets, portfolios, education, and decision-making without the noise.If you'd like to go further:Start a free 14-day trial of Marcus Today http://bit.ly/mt-trial-podcastJoin Marcus Today Use code MTPODCAST for 10% off http://bit.ly/mt-join-podcast-offerMT20 – Managed ETF Portfolio A professionally managed portfolio run by Marcus Padley and the team, using ASX-listed ETFs with active market timing. http://bit.ly/mt20-podcastPrinciples – How We Think About Investing A short video series on timing, behaviour, and decision-making. No stock tips. http://bit.ly/mt-principles-podcast—Disclaimer This podcast is general information only and does not consider your personal circumstances. It is not personal financial advice.