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May 28, 2026
The Markets Brief
ASX Pre-Market · 7:30am AEST
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Opening Note
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Market Bias
Mixed — oil slide offsets flat Wall Street gains
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ASX Read
ASX faces drag from oil, copper fall despite firm prior close
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Main Driver
WTI crude -2.95% on Iran deal reports
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The ASX enters Thursday on a cautious footing despite Wall Street's near-flat overnight session — S&P 500 +0.02% to 7,520.4, Nasdaq +0.07% to 26,674.7 — with the real pressure coming from commodity markets. WTI crude fell 2.95% to $89.41 on reports of a draft US-Iran deal that could restore Strait of Hormuz traffic, while copper dropped 1.54% to $6.34 and gold slipped 0.17% to $4,488.50. The AUD eased 0.37% to $0.7143, compounding the cross-asset headwinds. The US 10-year yield declined 4 basis points to 4.48%, offering modest support for rate-sensitive equities. Energy and materials stocks face the most direct selling pressure at the open, with the oil move hitting producers and the copper fall weighing on diversified miners. ASX Ltd's 9.74% session drop to $46.06 — the sharpest single-stock move in Wednesday's session — overshadows otherwise solid gains in Goodman Group (+3.73%), South32 (+3.46%), and CSL (+2.44%). The iron ore outlook remains under scrutiny, with BHP and Fortescue flagging further China-driven pain. Australia's domestic CGT debate adds a secondary overhang for property-linked and investment-platform stocks.
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Market Tape
| S&P 500 +0.02% to 7,520.4; Nasdaq +0.07% to 26,674.7 — minimal Wall Street lead for ASX; no directional conviction from US equities | | ASX 200 closed +0.69% to 8,717.7 Wednesday — prior session strength may fade given commodity headwinds overnight | | WTI crude -2.95% to $89.41; copper -1.54% to $6.34; AUD/USD -0.37% to 0.7143 — energy and materials sectors face selling pressure at open | | US 10-year yield -4bps to 4.48% — mild rate relief supports defensives and yield-sensitives but insufficient to offset commodity drag |
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The Read
| The 2.95% fall in WTI crude and 1.54% drop in copper compress margins and valuations for ASX energy and base-metals names simultaneously, narrowing the market's leadership to defensives and rate beneficiaries. | | A softer AUD at $0.7143 partially cushions offshore earnings for global earners like CSL and Computershare but does not offset lower commodity price realisations for resource exporters. |
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Stocks In Play
| WDS/STO (Woodside/Santos) — WTI crude -2.95% to $89.41 on Iran deal draft; energy sector under direct pressure at open | | BHP/FMG (BHP/Fortescue) — copper -1.54%, iron ore outlook deteriorating per China steel data; materials sector facing dual headwinds | | ASX (ASX Ltd) — stock fell 9.74% to $46.06 Wednesday; no major company-specific news in data; magnitude warrants continued monitoring for any after-hours disclosure |
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Markets at a Glance
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Indices
| ASX 200 |
8,717.7 |
▲ +0.69% |
| S&P 500 |
7,520.4 |
▲ +0.02% |
| Dow Jones |
50,644.3 |
▲ +0.36% |
| Nasdaq |
26,674.7 |
▲ +0.07% |
FX
| AUD/USD |
0.7143 |
▼ -0.37% |
| AUD/GBP |
0.5314 |
▼ -0.19% |
| AUD/EUR |
0.6138 |
▼ -0.36% |
| AUD/JPY |
113.8040 |
▼ -0.31% |
Rates
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Commodities
| Gold |
$4,488.50 |
▼ -0.17% |
| WTI Oil |
$89.41 |
▼ -2.95% |
| Copper |
$6.34 |
▼ -1.54% |
Crypto
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ASX Market Movers · Previous Session
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▲ Top Gainers
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GMG
Goodman Group
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$31.13 |
▲ +3.73% |
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S32
South32
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$4.79 |
▲ +3.46% |
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ALL
Aristocrat
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$50.28 |
▲ +3.20% |
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ORG
Origin Energy
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$10.96 |
▲ +3.01% |
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LYC
Lynas Rare Earths
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$19.44 |
▲ +2.80% |
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CSL
CSL
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$99.26 |
▲ +2.44% |
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WHC
Whitehaven Coal
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$8.73 |
▲ +2.22% |
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CPU
Computershare
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$33.92 |
▲ +2.14% |
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▼ Top Losers
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ASX
ASX Ltd
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$46.06 |
▼ -9.74% |
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IGO
IGO
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$9.25 |
▼ -2.32% |
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PLS
Pilbara Minerals
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$6.28 |
▼ -1.87% |
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TWE
Treasury Wine
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$4.38 |
▼ -1.13% |
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TLS
Telstra
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$5.23 |
▼ -0.95% |
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MIN
Mineral Resources
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$70.97 |
▼ -0.74% |
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SHL
Sonic Healthcare
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$18.88 |
▼ -0.74% |
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NAB
NAB
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$37.75 |
▼ -0.63% |
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What Moves Markets
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Draft US-Iran nuclear deal reported, potentially restoring Strait of Hormuz oil traffic — Why it matters: ASX energy producers Woodside, Santos, and Beach Energy are directly exposed to oil price direction; a confirmed deal would structurally reprice the energy sector lower — What to watch: WTI crude price at or below $87/bbl would accelerate selling; any Trump statement confirming or rejecting the deal is the immediate trigger
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Australia CGT overhaul debate intensifying, with Paul Keating urging Labor to hold the line — Why it matters: property-linked stocks, platforms, and investment managers including REITs and wealth managers face structural valuation risk if CGT discount changes proceed — What to watch: any government announcement on exemptions or implementation timeline; parliament's senate estimates proceedings
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China steel production at multi-year low while iron ore imports rise — Why it matters: BHP, Fortescue, and Rio Tinto face a deteriorating demand signal for their primary export commodity, with oversupply risk building — What to watch: spot iron ore price direction and any Chinese policy stimulus announcement that could revive steel demand
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ASX Focus
Overview
ASX Ltd's 9.74% plunge to $46.06 dominates Wednesday's session narrative, while the broader market faces a Thursday open under pressure from WTI crude's 2.95% slide on Iran deal reports and copper's 1.54% fall, both weighing directly on energy and materials — the ASX's two largest sector exposures.
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ASX market data
ASX Ltd plunges 9.74% in Wednesday session
ASX Ltd fell 9.74% to $46.06 in Wednesday's session, the largest single-stock decline among major ASX names on the day. No direct company-specific news catalyst was identified in available sources; the scale of the move warrants close attention ahead of Thursday's open for any after-hours disclosure.
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The West Australian / Google News
More China pain in store for WA iron ore: BHP and Fortescue
BHP and Fortescue are flagging further China-driven headwinds for Western Australian iron ore as Chinese steel production falls to a multi-year low. Iron ore imports into China are rising despite weakening steel output, pointing to inventory build rather than genuine demand recovery — a bearish signal for Australian miners.
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ASX market data / rates data
Goodman Group leads ASX gainers, rising 3.73% as yield curve eases
Goodman Group added 3.73% to $31.13 on Wednesday, the top performer among ASX 200 large-caps, supported by a 4 basis point decline in the US 10-year yield to 4.48% which provides relief for rate-sensitive industrial REITs. South32 (+3.46% to $4.79) and CSL (+2.44% to $99.26) also featured prominently among the session's outperformers.
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Macro & Policy
Overview
Australia's capital gains tax overhaul is the dominant domestic policy development, with former Prime Minister Paul Keating publicly urging the Albanese government to hold firm on the CGT changes and resist carve-outs that he argues would damage economic efficiency.
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The Guardian
Trump administration has paid $20bn in tariff refunds, with $65bn more to come
The Trump administration has disbursed $20 billion in tariff refunds to US businesses, with a further $65 billion in refunds pending, signalling a partial unwinding of earlier trade barriers. The development reduces near-term cost pressures on US importers and has modest positive read-through for global trade-exposed Australian exporters.
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Commodities
Overview
WTI crude oil fell 2.95% to $89.41 — the dominant commodity move overnight — driven by reports of a draft US-Iran nuclear agreement that could reopen Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes and materially increase global oil supply.
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Financial Review
Oil suffers second consecutive large fall on Iran deal reports
WTI crude fell 2.95% to $89.41 as reports of a draft US-Iran deal raised the prospect of restored oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, marking a second consecutive significant daily decline. ASX-listed energy producers including Woodside and Santos face direct earnings pressure if crude prices remain at these levels or fall further.
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IndexBox / Google News
China's steel production drops to multi-year low while iron ore imports rise
China's steel production has fallen to its lowest level in several years even as iron ore imports continue to rise, suggesting mills are stockpiling rather than consuming the raw material. This combination is bearish for iron ore price sustainability and directly pressures ASX heavyweights BHP, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue.
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Global Markets
Overview
Wall Street posted a near-flat session overnight — S&P 500 +0.02% to 7,520.4, Dow +0.36% to 50,644.3 — as Salesforce shares sank on a soft revenue outlook, offsetting broader index resilience and leaving US equities unable to provide a positive lead for Australian markets.
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MarketWatch
Salesforce shares sink on soft revenue outlook as AI disruption concerns linger
Salesforce fell after issuing a weaker-than-expected revenue outlook, with management acknowledging uncertainty about AI's impact on its core software business. The result is a cautionary signal for ASX-listed technology and software-exposed names, including Xero and WiseTech, where AI disruption risk is an active valuation debate.
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MarketWatch
The surge in chip stocks this year is putting the dot-com rally to shame
US semiconductor stocks have delivered gains in 2026 that surpass the dot-com era in pace and magnitude, raising valuation sustainability questions for the sector globally. For Australian investors, the read-through is most relevant for ASX-listed technology names and global tech ETF exposures within superannuation and managed fund portfolios.
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The Number
-2.95%
WTI crude oil's overnight decline to $89.41 — its second consecutive large daily fall — on Iran deal reports is the single most consequential price move for the ASX today, directly compressing valuations for Woodside, Santos, and Beach Energy at the open.
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