Australian Stock Market Hits Record High Amid Fed Rate Cut Expectations

According to Odaily, the Australian stock market reached a historic peak on Tuesday, driven by growing expectations of a significant interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve this week. The S&P/ASX 200 index rose by 0.3% to 8,148.8 points, surpassing the previous record of 8,148.7 points set on August 1. The CME's FedWatch tool indicates that 62% of market participants now anticipate a 50 basis point rate cut. Traders are also awaiting Australia's August employment report, due on Friday, to gauge the labor market's response to high interest rates. Since November 2023, the Reserve Bank of Australia has maintained interest rates at a 12-year high of 4.35%. Financial stocks, which are sensitive to interest rate changes, increased by 0.3%, with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia rising by 0.4%. Gold stocks continued their upward trend for the sixth consecutive day. Mining stocks saw a slight increase of 0.1%, with industry giants BHP Group and Rio Tinto gaining 0.3% and 0.7%, respectively. Technology stocks surged by up to 1%, reaching new record highs.