the COB: what a week!

·20 min·2 clips

Juliette Sali explains how a ceasefire announcement sparked a 4.4% market rally amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

The episode opens with host Juliette Sali introducing the day's market close, noting the ASX200's modest decline but highlighting a 4.4% weekly gain - the best since October 2022. She attributes this rally to relief following ceasefire announcements in Middle East conflicts, though acknowledges ongoing geopolitical tensions including Strait of Hormuz closures and US-Iran negotiations. Sali reviews sector performance, noting tech stocks declined 1.7% with specific mentions of Life360's 4% drop after CEO Lauren Antonoff announced AI-related layoffs via LinkedIn. Banking stocks showed strength with CBA rising above $180, while gold stocks displayed mixed movements. Company news includes Telex Pharmaceuticals receiving FDA approval, Fortescue accelerating decarbonization plans, AMP prioritizing wealth division growth, and Magellan shareholders approving a $1.6 billion takeover. Guest Shane Oliver from AMP joins to analyze the week's developments, explaining how markets have recovered two-thirds to three-quarters of their earlier 2024 slump on ceasefire optimism. He details ongoing oil supply constraints, noting a 10-15% global shortfall that will take weeks or months to resolve, keeping fuel prices elevated. Oliver calculates Australian families face an extra $80 monthly on petrol despite recent excise cuts, with diesel users seeing no relief. He discusses inflation implications, suggesting fuel prices could contribute 1.1-1.2 percentage points to inflation, potentially pushing it toward 5% and increasing RBA rate hike risks. The conversation shifts to personal strategies for managing market noise, with Oliver sharing his enjoyment of fantasy novels like Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series and Taylor Swift's music, particularly the song Opalite. Returning to market analysis, experts discuss Telex Pharmaceuticals as the stock of the day, noting its 40% decline over the past year despite recent FDA approval and strong profitability from its Illusive Six product. The episode concludes with a preview of upcoming economic data including US inflation figures and weekend peace talks in Pakistan, recapping the ASX200's 4.4% weekly gain.

As heard by us

A strong ASX week sits uneasily beside a stubborn fuel shock and inflation pressure.

A strong week for the ASX lands with a sharper domestic sting. The episode sets the ASX 200's 4.4 percent five-day rise, its best week since October 2022, against fuel costs that still leave a typical Aussie household finding about $80 more each month to fill the car, even after…

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You want the ASX 200's best week since October 2022, with the petrol bill attached.

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