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Trending stories and market-moving news from the ASX small-cap sector
Weekly Wrap: Markets edge as Rio-Glencore talks spark change in mining bid
Rio Tinto slides 6% on Glencore all-stock merger talks; BlueScope up 2% after rejecting a $30 offer. ASX 200 drifts -0.1% as deal news dominates.
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Trump Tariffs, AI Boom Rewrite 2025 Markets Worldwide
Trump’s tariff turmoil roils markets in 2025, but AI-led rally lifts global equities and the ASX ~14% from April lows.
Latest Hot Topics
Retirees Could Shoulder CSLR Costs as Super Tax Windfall Grows
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New super rules tax earnings for large balances, up to 40% on $10m+
Australian super rules tax earnings on large balances, up to 40% for $10m+, with unrealised gains removed; effective July 1, 2026; industry to consult in Jan.
Mortgage trap in later life: housing debt keeps Australians working longer
Australians risk retirement as property wealth masks crippling debt: half of 55–64 homeowners owe housing debt; average >$230k, pension gap widening.
Weekly wrap: A modest rise to end the week
The Australian share market enjoyed a modest rise to end the week on Friday after a Wall Street rally caused by optimism of more interest rate cuts in the future.
The ASX 200 index closed up 0.5%, or 40 points, to close on 8628.2 points after eight of the 11 sectors rose.
Weekly Wrap: ASX Climbs on Santa Rally as Miners and Gold Stocks Lead Gains
The Santa rally arrived in earnest on the Australian stock exchange as the share market rose the most in almost three weeks on Friday.
A continuing rise in gold stocks and strong gains in miners happened as investors jumped aboard the US interest cuts train, hoping that it was creating a rising market tide that would lift all boats.
Weekly Wrap: Market Higher For A Second Week
Australian shares were up slightly for a second week on Friday with investors hoping for an interest rate cut in the US, even as the chances of a local cut have evaporated.
With the US Fed and the local Reserve Bank both meeting this week to decide on official interest rates, there are still strong hopes the US will cut rate even though still strong Australian inflation have greatly reduced the chances of any cut here.
Weekly Wrap: Australia and the US diverge over interest rates
The past week has been quite a significant one as it became clear that the US and Australia were diverging in a significant way.
Here in Australia the ongoing upward trend in inflation made it clear that there is now little hope of an interest rate cut.
Weekly wrap: Harsh day on ASX wipes off $40 billion
Another bruising day on the Australian share market on Friday saw it shed almost $40 billion and sink to a six-month low as hopes for US rate cuts once again diminished.
The ASX 200 dropped by 136.20 points, or 1.6%, to 8416.50 points as AI worries in the US transferred directly to our market.