End of Day – Tue 3 May

• The ASX 200 dropped 31 points to 7329 (-0.4%). Pre RBA we were drifting slightly lower but RBA waking up finally pushed equities lower. Knee jerk lower with AUD up around 1% and 10-year yields pushing to 3.34%. Banks mixed on the news with the Big Bank Basket down to $185.53 (0.5%). CBA the biggest faller down 0.7% with NAB off 0.7% as we await ANZ on Wednesday. MQG rose 0.1% as CEO was upbeat on economy at 24th Conference and insurers unchanged. Fund managers better as MFG rose 5.0% on media speculation on ex CIO’s future role. GQG also doing well up 4.3%. 
• Industrials were mixed as CSL rose 0.9%, TCL kicked another 1.0% and WOW rose 0.4% on a Q3 update. REITs eased back again on higher rates, GMG off 1.5% and tech stocks mixed. XRO up 2.0%, SQ2 up 4.6% and BNPL ZIP up 5.0% with CPU suffering a 3.6% fall on an update at Macquarie Conference. The All-Tech Index rose 0.7%. Miners were soggy again, China still closed for iron ore, BHP fell 0.7%, FMG off 4.8% and gold miners under pressure with NCM down 0.8% and lithium stocks finding a base. Oil and gas stocks becalmed, coal doing well though with SMR up 7.6% and CRN up 3.5%. 
• In corporate news, plenty of companies reaffirming guidance as MacBank Conference. EML up 2.6% with BAP down 4.9% despite guidance, STX up 4.6% on a flow test at Walyering, ING down 4.3% on an update and WOW modestly higher on Q3 results. On the economic front, RBA moved to raise rates by 25bps. More aggressive and sooner than expected, RBA Chief Lowe fronted media to clarify the decision. Asian markets mostly closed still. 10-year yields rally to 3.34%. 

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