ASX 200 shook off early apathy post the jobs number and BHP quarterly and saw the ASX 200 up 42 points to 7435 (+0.6%). SPI and ETO expiry helping volumes. Resources led the charge higher with BHP up 1.2%, RIO sprinting ahead 3.3% and FMG doing well up 1.7% ahead of Chinese New Year and better ore prices. Lithium stocks remain under some pressure, PLS up only 0.3% and IGO up 0.9% with some base metal stocks falling, NIC returned from a trading halt falling 6.7% towards placement price. Gold miners were steady but unspectacular. NCM up 0.9% and NST rising 1.0%. Oil and gas stocks eased, WDS down 0.6% and STO down 1.6%. Coal stocks better. Industrials firm with TLS up 1.5% and TCL enjoying lower bond yields up 1.5%. REITs too slightly higher, GMG up 0.6%. Tech stocks in the naughty corner, CPU down 0.1% and XRO off 1.1%. The All-Tech Index fell 0.5%. Healthcare better and banks heading higher again. The Big Bank Basket up to $188.19 (+0.7%). Insurers better despite lower yields, QBE better by 0.8% and SUN up 3.7%. Fund managers slid with MFG still falling, down 0.6%. In corporate news, plenty happening, BHP quarterly production numbers cheered, NWL fell hard on FUA numbers, down 9.2%. NIC returned after 102c placement, AWC troubled by Alcoa numbers disappointingly down 6.8% and PDN fell 5.8% on its quarterly. On the economic front jobs numbers at 3.5% slightly higher, maybe the RBA can pause? Maybe. Asian markets mixed. 10-year yields 3.32% Dow futures down 41 points. Nasdaq futures down 5 points.
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