End of Day – Mon 31 Jan

• The ASX 200 had a volatile session closing down 17 points to 6972 after erasing early falls but nervous ahead of RBA meeting tomorrow. Last day for quarterlies saw analysts busy, ANN earnings warning on cost pressures and margin contraction. The stock tumbled 14.3% but off early lows. Banks were soggy falling to $167.70 (2.2%) in the Big Bank Basket. MQG suffering falling 1.8% and REITs finding favour with GMG rising 1.1%. Tech was also in demand as SQ2 rose 8.1% on a good move in Block in US. XRO recovered 2.8% after being oversold. WTC also in demand up 4.9% and the All-Tech Index up 3.0%. Healthcare better with CSL rising 1.1%, RMD up 2.1% on broker upgrades. Industrials mostly positive, ALL up 1.5%, REH up 3.8% and DMP rose 3.9%.
• Miners mixed though despite iron ore gains, BHP lost 1.2% and RIO off 1.9%. FMG bucked the trend rising 2.2%.  Gold miners mixed but energy stocks doing very well, STO up 1.6% and WPL up 0.9%.
•  In corporate news, it was ANN that dominated with a warning for the sector perhaps, ARB gave a positive update rising 7.9% and today is the last day of the BHP DLC. RBA tomorrow. Asian markets closed for Lunar New Year. 10-year yields ease to 1.91%

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