End of Day – Fri 18 Feb

•  The ASX 200 fell 75 points  ahead of the weekend closing at 7222 (-1.0%). The market staged a pm recovery only to have it snuffed out at the close.  Some solid results helping sentiment and an attempted bounce in iron ore miners was wound back following a couple of dismal days as Chinese authorities try once again to get the price back. BHP unchanged but FMG down 3.2% and S32 still attracting buyers up 1.6%. Gold miners were better as war talk bubbles away, NCM up 2.1% and NST up 1.5%. Must be time for the calls for US$2000 bullion. 
• Lithium stocks shrugged off Albemarle’s disappointment and pushed back up, PLS rose 1.7% and LTR rallied 0.3% as Bell Potter upgraded lithium assumptions. Banks were a little sloppy after days of gains with the Big Bank Basket down to $180.01 (0.8%). Elsewhere in financials, NWL rallied 5.7%, MFG delivered a horror day for the shorts rallying 18.5% after results and dividend announcement coupled with a possible buy back and a good show from Chris Mackay. Hamish who? Insurers though slid as QBE did what it does best. Disappointed. Down 8.7%. Healthcare eased led by CSL down 4.1% as some gains given back and tech under pressure as usual. SQ2 down 3.7% and the All-Tech Index down 1.9%. 
• In corporate news, SIQ rose 11.7% on a good set of numbers, ORG fell 8.3% after selling APLNG stake, IPL suffered a hydrogen emission event in US down 6.1% and ING fell %, no love ‘em at all. Asian markets weaker and 10-year yields up to 2.22% 

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