The ASX gained today, rallying 0.25% or 17.50 points to 7,032.70 and crossing above its 50-day moving average.
Gains came on the back of lower-than-expected CPI data for the month of October, which came in at 4.9% compared to the predicted 5.2%.
This subsequently gave investors greater confidence the RBA would not hike rates again at its December meeting next week, although anything is still possible.
As for the ASX 200 sectors, Energy continued to drag today, shedding 0.76% in today’s trading and 2.3% over the last five trading days.
Consumer Discretionary, Healthcare and Real Estate all made strong showings, gaining more than 1%, but the standout today was Information Technology, which gained 2.10%.
The commodity markets did not share the buoyancy of the ASX today. All but silver (+2.43%) and gold (+0.54%) fell, with tin falling the hardest, shedding 2.26%.
Best-performing stocks on the ASX200 today were Link Administration Holdings Ltd, up 8.27%, and Fisher and Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd, up 7.39%.
Analysts unable to rule out December rate hike
"Australia's CPI numbers dropped to 4.9% in October from the previous month's 5.6%, with the easing of inflation largely attributable to lower petrol prices,” eToro market analyst Farhan Badami said.
“While this was good news, given most analysts estimated the CPI figure to be 5.2%, inflation still remains uncomfortably high due to a substantial increase in rental CPI over 2023, widely linked to record-high migration rates.
“The saving grace for the rental market in October was rental assistance subsidies, which prevented rents from increasing as steeply as they did in September.
“Following the release of these latest figures, the Australian dollar and the policy-sensitive three-year government bond yield experienced declines, whereas the ASX continued its upward trend.
“Despite the RBA’s hawkish stance, the possibility of another rate hike seems unlikely in the first quarter of 2024, given the current trend indicated by key indicators such as CPI.
“Homeowners carrying mortgages will be relieved to see this, as housing debt servicing costs had already reached all-time highs.
“The RBA’s next rate call is slated for Tuesday and while these figures point to the potential easing on rate pressures in 2024, one last hike for the year is not yet out of the question."
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