AM 18 Sep 26: Wall Street rebounds as rates remain in focus
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What’s the overall market outlook for Wall Street and Australia today?
A listener production.
A rebound on Wall Street a day after the US Fed Reserve lifted rates. The Aussie share market looks set for a positive open. And why interest rates are also in focus here today. Good morning, I'm James Gruber. And I'm Gillian Bowen. It's Friday the 18th of September and this is the morning edition of the ComSec Market Update.
Happy Fri-Yay, everyone. As I like to say, we have made it to the end of another week. And what a difference a day makes. This time yesterday, James, you were talking about Wall Street being lower as it reacted to the US Fed Reserve decision to hike interest rates for the first time in three years. And this morning, it seems investors sleeping on it has had the opposite effect.
Why did US stocks rebound after the Fed’s rate‑hike announcement?
All three major US stock indexes have finished the trading day sharply higher.
Yeah, it has been a recovery. There are a few things that are likely at play, including having a bit more time to assess what US Fed Reserve Chair Kevin Walsh said at his news conference yesterday, and also the accompanying statement, and the fact that the decision to raise rates was unanimous and that the central bank is unanimous in tackling inflation, and that's been welcomed by markets. There was also some solid labor data out of the US as well, which helped.
So turning to the Aussie market, we finished the day yesterday in positive territory despite the falls on Wall Street on Wednesday, gaining 0.4%. That was driven here by the financial sector. Healthcare and real estate as well as industrials were also positive, but energy dropped more than a
percent. So this morning, the Aussie share market is set to continue along those positive lines. Index futures were up 0.7% shortly after 6am. And the focus on interest rates is likely to continue this morning. RBA Governor Michelle Bullock and several members of her team will appear before the House of Reps Standing Committee on Economics in Canberra from 9.30 this morning. It's a timely appearance ahead of the RBA's rate decision at the end of this month.
Okay, so let's move on to commodities.
How is the Australian share market positioned for a positive open?
Oil prices remain elevated, but there has been a bit of movement there, James.
Certainly has. So oil prices dropped, touching a one-week low before pairing losses after supply disruption fears were calmed by reports of Saudi oil moving through Oman. Brent crude futures settled 1% lower at $104.82 a barrel. Base metal prices were higher. Copper futures rallied up 2.4% as Chinese buyers returned to the market after a recent sell-off, while demand prospects brightened and the dollar softened. Meanwhile, aluminium futures edged up 0.3%. Gold futures rebounded from a near six-week low in the previous session, as easing oil prices and a lower US dollar lent support, while investors assessed the latest Fed Reserve rate hike. The futures settled 0.3% higher at US$4,400 an ounce. Iron ore futures settled flat at US$97.42 a tonne.
So if we have a look at currencies, they were higher against the US dollar this morning. One Australian dollar is buying 71.10 US cents. The euro is worth 1.1479 US dollars, while one US dollar is buying 155.97 Japanese yen.
What are the latest movements in oil, base metals and precious metals?
Okay, let's get a wrap of what's happened overseas with markets. So we mentioned the headlines at the top, but here are the closing numbers from Wall Street. The Dow Jones Index finished up 0.6%. The S&P 500 rose 1.1% and the NASDAQ added 1.7%. James, let's go through some of the finer details.
So there was a bounce back on Thursday US time as easing oil prices, dropping US treasury yields and solid labor data helped markets move beyond the Federal Reserve's first interest rate hike in more than three years. Tech led the percentage gainers among 11 major sectors of the S&P 500. Consumer staples and financials were the sole decliners, showing only nominal losses on the day. Semiconductors were among the clear outperformers, up over 3%. Magnificent 7 stocks lifted too, with Nvidia and Amazon rising more than 2% each, while fellow member Microsoft added 1.5%. Homebuilders gained ground after housing data showed single-family housing starts and pending home sales increased last month.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What’s the overall market outlook for Wall Street and Australia today?
0:02–0:54
2
Why did US stocks rebound after the Fed’s rate‑hike announcement?
0:54–2:16
3
How is the Australian share market positioned for a positive open?
2:16–3:39
4
What are the latest movements in oil, base metals and precious metals?
3:39–4:58
5
Which European and Asian markets are driving global risk appetite?
4:58–6:12
6
Why have expectations for Aussie interest‑rate moves shifted dramatically?
6:12–7:55
7
What key takeaways should investors remember before the market close?
7:55–9:00
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from CommSec Market Update
PM 17 Sep 26: Bank gains keep ASX positive
AM 17 Sep 26: The Federal Reserve raises rates by 25 bps
PM 16 Sep 26: Markets brace for US rate decision
AM 16 Sep 26: US stocks slide as oil surges, bond yields jump
PM 15 Sep 26: ASX slumps to 3-month low
AM 15 Sep 26: AI stocks send US share markets lower