The ASX has traded flat today as banks lifted the financial sector and tech stocks weighed on the ASX200.
The benchmark index closed slightly lower at 8,206.3 points, after reaching a two-day high of 8,247.5 points, following a rebound from a recent two-week low of 8,183.6 points.
This comes amid a decrease in the 10-year US Treasury yield, which fell around 2.7 basis points to 4.218%.
The decline follows a significant rise from 3.60% to 4.23% since September 17, with the majority of the increase occurring after the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates, coinciding with an increasingly robust US economy.
“While it seems US voters are indifferent to the ballooning national debt, given the lack of political debate ahead of the election, investors are watching like hawks and expressing their views via the Treasury market,” said IG Market analyst Tony Sycamore.
He added that a slight fall in yields tended to elicit a risk-positive reaction from investors, whereas even a minor rise prompted a sell-off.
Sycamore highlighted that the US budget deficit could increase by 2-3 percentage points of gross domestic product (GDP) under Donald Trump, compared to about 1-2 percentage points under Kamala Harris.
Despite the focus on rising US debt, Sycamore says such concerns often dissipate swiftly. The property sector, sensitive to interest rate movements, rebounded from recent declines and the healthcare sector also saw gains.
However, the technology sector is on track for a seventh consecutive session of declines, with a nearly 11% drop from its record high earlier this month, largely attributed to losses from Wisetech, whose shares fell 5.8% to A$99.97.
Among the increases in the small cap sector were Globe Metals and Mining Ltd which was up 27.03% to $0.047, Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX:NVA, NASDAQ:NVA) was as much as 19.57% higher at $0.275 intra-day, Botala Energy Ltd (ASX:BTE) increased 16.67% to $0.07, Cooper Metals Ltd (ASX:CPM) was 14.89% higher to $0.054, Ioneer Ltd (ASX:INR, OTC:GSCCF, NASDAQ:IONR) up as much as 7.7% to $.028 and Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX:OBM) lifted again today, up 2.81% to $0.915.
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