The Australian market ended the day lower after GDP growth figures came in better than expected at around midday. The ASX 200 lost 0.76% or 55 points to 7,259 points and all sectors — with the exception of Energy (+1.11%) — finishied lower, led by Tech stocks (-1.56%).
Energy stocks are being supported by ongoing high oil prices with both Santos and Woodside in the green, while Yancoal, New Hope and Whitehaven got a boost as NSW increased coal royalties.
Qantas finshed higher as Vanessa Hudson stepped into the managing director and group CEO role effective today, following the resignation of Alan Joyce.
Macquarie ended the day down 3.8% to $170.21 per share as it pushed back near-term profit expectations due to a slight delay from its funds management unit, Macquarie Asset Management, although the medium and longer-term outlook remains intact.
ResMed lost more than 2.8% after UBS analysts downgraded the health tech stock due to worries about weight loss drugs like Ozempic reducing the prevalence of sleep apnea.
GDP beats forecasts
Annual gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 2.1%, against an expectation of 1.8%. That compares to 2.3% annual growth in the previous quarter. Interestingly, GDP fell by 0.3% per capita despite a national trade surplus.
eToro market analyst Farhan Badami explained: “Despite a slowdown in domestic spending caused by high inflation and interest rates, the rise in both international students and tourism has helped offset sluggishness in household consumption.
“Education stands out as one of Australia's largest service exports and stakeholders in this sector will undoubtedly rejoice as the number of international students in Australia finally reached pre-pandemic levels this quarter.
“The influx of people to Australia is poised to trigger a ripple effect, benefiting complementary industries such as hospitality, retail, real estate and transportation. Part of the GDP growth can also be credited to the public sector's relative strength, as government spending contributed to the overall headline figure.
Analysts fear for the worst
“Many analysts feared for the worst due to the impact of fluctuating interest rates and the ongoing challenges posed by a sluggish post-COVID recovery in China.
"Despite the somewhat modest GDP figures, the overall outcome remains positive. However, there are potential challenges on the horizon, particularly if there is a decline in public demand, which could potentially undo the progress achieved in this quarter," said Badami.
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