The week in equities, rates, currencies and commodities across Australia, the US, Europe, China and Japan. This week's leader: Nikkei 225 (+1.57% over 7 days).
| Region | Index | Level | Week | YTD | 12-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | ASX 200 | 8731.20 | -0.11% | +0.19% | -0.16% |
| US | S&P 500 | 7637.76 | +0.61% | +11.57% | +15.17% |
| US | Nasdaq Composite | 26418.30 | +1.29% | +13.67% | +17.57% |
| US | Dow Jones | 51778.04 | -0.55% | +7.73% | +12.21% |
| Europe | FTSE 100 | 10816.10 | +1.56% | +8.91% | +17.21% |
| Europe | DAX | 25716.71 | +0.58% | +5.01% | +8.63% |
| Europe | CAC 40 | 8186.93 | +0.09% | +0.46% | +4.23% |
| Europe | Euro Stoxx 50 | 6322.90 | -0.04% | +9.09% | +15.87% |
| China | Shanghai Composite | 3913.39 | +0.65% | -1.40% | +2.13% |
| China | Hang Seng | 24812.55 | +0.03% | -3.19% | -6.53% |
| Japan | Nikkei 225 | 65018.95 | +1.57% | +29.16% | +43.52% |
Top 3 this week
- Nikkei 225 (Japan)+1.57%
- FTSE 100 (Europe)+1.56%
- Nasdaq Composite (US)+1.29%
Worst 3 this week
- Dow Jones (US)-0.55%
- ASX 200 (Australia)-0.11%
- Euro Stoxx 50 (Europe)-0.04%
This week reflected a broadly constructive but unspectacular tone across equity markets. In Australia, attention centred on releases from the RBA and the ABS, as investors weighed the inflation and growth outlook ahead of any shift in monetary policy. In the US and Europe, risk appetite remained measured, while China and Japan continued to move with domestic macro signals, without any single region or sector clearly leading across the board this week.
On rates and currencies, the Reserve Bank of Australia remains front of mind with its cash rate target, as markets try to gauge the next steps in the cycle following the latest CPI and GDP figures from the ABS. These data points continue to shape expectations for bond yields and for the Australian dollar's path against the euro and other major currencies. Commodities, including gold and oil, remain sensitive to these macro cross-currents, in an environment where central banks are still leaning towards caution.
For a long-term investor split between France and Australia, this week is a reminder of the value of staying diversified across both markets rather than reacting to short-term noise. The discussions flagged by Firstlinks around capital gains treatment and portfolio structuring also underline the importance of viewing holdings as a whole, spanning both Australian and European exposure, rather than making hasty moves in response to any single piece of macro news.
This content is general information only and does not constitute personal financial advice. Index levels reflect the latest available close at the time this article was generated; the "Week" change covers the trailing 7 days, and YTD and 12-month changes are calculated from available daily closing prices.