| Name | Daily Close | Daily Change | Daily Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 44,175.61 | 206.97 | 0.47% |
| S&P 500 | 6,389.45 | 49.45 | 0.78% |
| Nasdaq | 21,450.02 | 207.32 | 0.98% |
| VIX | 15.89 | 0.74 | 4.88% |
| Gold | 3,413.70 | -77.6 | -2.22% |
| Oil | 63.97 | 0.09 | 0.14% |
OVERVIEW OF THE US MARKET
U.S. markets were modestly lower on Monday. President Trump extended a deadline for higher tariffs on China, while gold prices were still down following his declaration that there would be no tariff on gold bars.
Wall Street refrained from making big bets ahead of key inflation report, with a rally in stocks stalling near record highs.
Markets barely budged on a news report that Donald Trump is extending a tariff truce with China.
Investors are turning to economic data for clues on whether the Federal Reserve will be able cut rates in September. Meantime, Trump signed an order extending the truce with the Asian nation for 90 days, CNBC reported.
The S&P 500 remained below 6,400. Megacaps were mixed, with Tesla Inc. up and Apple Inc. down. The US president signaled he’d be open to allowing Nvidia Corp. to sell a scaled-back version of its most advanced AI chip to China.
OVERVIEW OF THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET
Australia’s share market climbed to a new intraday high on August 11, 2025, propelled by a surge in materials amid lithium euphoria, as the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.43%, or 37.7 points, to 8,844.8. The broader All Ordinaries advanced 0.45% to 9,117.6, with advancers outnumbering decliners 149 to 128 on the S&P/ASX 300, marking a solid start to a pivotal week.
Eight of 11 sectors gained, led by materials (+1.58%) on reports of CATL suspending production at its Jianxiawo lithium mine, sparking a rally in battery metals. Consumer staples (+0.95%), health care (+0.55%), and financials (+0.43%) provided balance, while consumer discretionary slumped 1.63% and information technology fell 0.73%. Resources notched a sixth straight gain, up 1.4%, with iron ore at US$102.60 boosting BHP (+1.5%-3%), Fortescue, and Rio Tinto.
Lithium standouts dominated: Energy Transition Minerals (+67.3%), Pilbara Minerals (+19.7% to assumed price), Liontown Resources (+18.3%), Core Lithium (+15%), and IGO (+8.6%). Rare earths like Victory Metals (+12.8%) and American Rare Earths (+8.1%) extended runs. Decliners included Block (-9%) on soft results, JB Hi-Fi (-8.4%) post-earnings and CEO exit, Iress (-7.2%), and AMP (-7.2%) on pullback.
Big four banks supported financials, with ANZ, CBA, and Westpac up over 1%. Health care rebounded 0.6%, led by CSL (+1.1% to $263.82) despite US tariff jitters. The Aussie dollar rose 0.06% to 65.26 US cents.
Investors eye August 12’s RBA decision, anticipated to be cut to 3.60%. AMP’s Diana Mousina flags August-September correction risks from valuations, US tariffs, debt, and growth slowdowns, though commodity strength sustains miners’ rotation from banks.