ASX 200 rises 0.3% to 9,084 as sentiment improves

Australia’s ASX 200 rose 30 points, or 0.3%, to close at 9,084 on Thursday, snapping a six-day losing streak.

Gains in consumer durables, non-energy minerals, and healthcare helped lift sentiment, aided by a modest rise in U.S. futures after the Treasury said it would double longer-term debt purchases to ease yields.

Local markets rebounded from a two-week low as top trading partner China kept lending rates at record lows for a 15th month to support growth.

However, domestic headwinds capped momentum: July employment unexpectedly fell, pushing the jobless rate to a three-month high, while August inflation expectations rose from July’s six-month low, underscoring sticky price pressures with trimmed mean CPI up 3.6% yoy in June, the fastest since September 2024.

Miners advanced, led by BHP (2.5%) and Rio Tinto (1.6%), while Northern Star Resources surged 5.9% on a 24% profit jump.

In contrast, the big four banks slid 1.5% and 2.5%.

Traders now await Friday’s flash PMI prints for August.