Daily Market Update: 15 September 2025

Banks and miners lead ASX gains

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) climbed 0.7 per cent to 8,864.9 on Friday, while the All-Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) added 0.6 per cent to 9,128.7. Gains followed a strong lead from Wall Street and were broad-based, with 10 of 11 sectors finishing higher. The financials sector was a standout, with all major banks advancing; Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) rose 1.3 per cent, Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC) gained 1.4 per cent, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ASX: ANZ) added 1.1 per cent, and National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) increased 1.2 per cent.

Gold miners shine, energy under pressure

The materials sector added over 1 per cent, driven by strength in gold stocks amid a surge in the price of the precious metal to as high as US$3,639 an ounce. Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) jumped 6.4 per cent, Bellevue Gold Limited (ASX: BGL) soared 7.2 per cent, and Capricorn Metals Limited (ASX: CMM) climbed 3.8 per cent. BHP Group Limited (ASX: BHP) also added 1.3 per cent. Energy lagged, with crude oil prices weighing on the sector, Woodside Energy Group Limited (ASX: WDS) dropped 3.4 per cent and Karoon Energy Limited (ASX: KAR) declined 2.7 per cent. In corporate news, BSP Financial Group Limited (ASX: BFL) surged 12.8 per cent following assurances from Papua New Guinea’s prime minister, and Ventia Services Group Limited (ASX: VNT) rose 5.6 per cent after securing a $100 million City of Sydney contract extension.

Wall Street sets new highs on rate cut bets

Globally, equity markets were buoyed by expectations of monetary easing, with traders largely pricing in a 25-basis-point rate cut at the United States Federal Reserve‘s September 17 meeting. The S&P 500 Index (NYSE: SPX) and Nasdaq 100 Index (NASDAQ: NDX) both hit new highs, lifted by tech stocks—Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) rallied 6 per cent and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) rose 2.1 per cent after avoiding a potential EU antitrust fine. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DJI), however, slipped due to declines in Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) and Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE: SHW). For the week, the S&P 500 gained 1.6 per cent, the Nasdaq climbed 2 per cent, and the Dow headed for its first weekly gain in three weeks.