End of Day – Thu 24 Mar

• The ASX 200 had a quiet day bucking the downdraft from US markets rising nine points to 7387 (+0.1%). It was a tale of two sectors, banks down, resources up. The banks weakened ever so slightly despite another $2.5bn buyback from NAB, CBA down 0.1%, ANZ off 0.6% and the Big Bank Basket down to $190.75. MQG down a little, off 1.7% and insurers flat. Healthcare slid with CSL flat, RMD copping a downgrade off 4.2% and FPH down 3.5% after broker downgrades following guidance. Industrials sideways today, WES fell 0.4%, JHX down 3.4% as US housing slipping in latest numbers. Tech stocks fell with SQ2 down 2.3%, WTC down 0.1% and XRO off 0.2%. The All-Tech Index down 0.8%. Resources doing ok, BHP up 1.8%, RIO up 2.0% and MGX up 8.1%. Lithium took a break, S32 better by 1.0% and BKY smashing it up 21.7% chasing the Spanish listing higher. Energy stocks as expected better, STO up 1.5%, WPL up 2.8% and WHC up 6.5%. In corporate news, JBH rose 4.3% after another set of good numbers, bulletproof it seems. BKW up 5.0% after record numbers and raising prices, and UWL back and down 0.6% despite Macquarie and PSP circling. CWN looks to have clung on to its Perth licence, just up 0.2% on the news. Asian markets slightly weaker with Japan down 0.5% with China down 0.7% and HK up 0.2%. 10-year yields at 2.73%

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