Thursday 22nd January 2026
Daily Market Update: 23 January 2026
ASX rebounds amid easing global tensions
The Australian sharemarket ended its three-day losing streak on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) rising 65.8 points, or 0.8 per cent, to close at 8848.70. Investor sentiment was buoyed by easing geopolitical concerns, particularly surrounding the Greenland trade framework, which outweighed a stronger-than-expected domestic jobs report. Despite the unemployment rate falling to 4.1 per cent and jobs surging by 65,200 in December, the market looked past the potential for a rate hike by the Reserve Bank of Australia, instead tracking a strong lead from Wall Street and a risk-on mood globally.
Energy and banks drive market gains
The energy sector led the charge, with Santos Limited (ASX: STO) jumping 5.3 per cent after announcing the first LNG cargo loading from its Barossa project, easing investor concerns. Woodside Energy Group Limited (ASX: WDS) rose 2.9 per cent alongside firmer oil prices. Banking stocks also rebounded, following an upgrade by Macquarie Group Limited (ASX: MQG), with National Australia Bank Limited (ASX: NAB) up 3 per cent and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) climbing 2.3 per cent. Meanwhile, Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) dropped 5.1 per cent on disappointing quarterly results, and gold miners like Northern Star Resources Ltd (ASX: NST) and Regis Resources Limited (ASX: RRL) fell sharply following production guidance downgrades.
US markets lift as Trump eases tariff threats
Wall Street rallied on Thursday as global trade tensions cooled, with US President Donald Trump backing away from tariff threats against Europe in favour of a tentative Greenland agreement. The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ: IXIC) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX: DJI) each gained 0.7 per cent, while the S&P 500 Index (INDEXSP: .INX) rose 0.6 per cent. Tech giants led the gains, including Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META), up 5.7 per cent, and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), up 1.5 per cent. Robust economic data, including upwardly revised GDP and steady jobless claims, helped offset rate-cut expectations and bolstered investor confidence.
| Australian Indices | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| ASX 200 | 0.7 | -0.1 | 1.8 | -1.5 | 9.1 |
| Financials | 1.7 | -2.3 | -2.9 | -7.9 | 3.6 |
| Resources | -0.8 | 1.7 | 8.7 | 17.1 | 41.3 |
| Information Technology | 0.5 | -3.3 | -5.3 | -21.7 | -16.3 |
| Global Indices | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| US 500 | 0.5 | -2.0 | -1.9 | -1.7 | 4.9 |
| Europe | -0.2 | -2.2 | -0.6 | 0.8 | 18.9 |
| Japan | -0.3 | -3.3 | -1.0 | -2.7 | 15.5 |
| China top 50 | -0.9 | -2.3 | -0.8 | -5.4 | 21.6 |
| India top 50 | 0.4 | -4.0 | -7.0 | -9.7 | -6.4 |
| Fixed Interest | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| Australian Treasury Bond | -0.2 | -0.5 | 0.3 | -2.6 | 2.6 |
| Australian Corporate Bond | -0.2 | -0.4 | 0.4 | -2.2 | 3.5 |
| US Treasury | 0.2 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.8 | 5.1 |
| Cash | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 4.0 |
| Commodities & Crypto | Daily % | Weekly % | 1 Month % | 3 Month % | 1 Year % |
| Gold | -2.4 | 4.4 | 8.2 | 14.5 | 63.6 |
| Silver | -2.2 | 2.8 | 34.7 | 90.2 | 187.0 |
| Crude Oil | 1.9 | 2.6 | 5.0 | 4.9 | -8.7 |
| Bitcoin | -0.5 | -9.8 | -3.3 | -22.5 | -22.7 |
