21.08.202506:54:52UTC+00ASX 200 Ends at Record High, Breaks 9,000 Mark

The S&P/ASX 200 exceeded the significant 9,000-mark for the first time, concluding Thursday's trading session at an unprecedented high of 9,019. This surge was propelled by optimistic economic indicators and promising corporate earnings. August saw Australia's private sector growing at its most rapid rate since April 2022, with the purchasing managers' index climbing to 54.9. This increase was fueled by robust expansion in both the services sector (55.1 compared to July's 54.1) and the manufacturing sector (52.9 versus 51.3), attributed to a substantial uptick in new orders and an expanding customer base. Concurrently, consumer inflation expectations decreased for the second month in a row, reaching a five-month low of 3.9% in August, down from 4.7% in July. Adding to the index's upward trajectory were widespread stock gains, bolstered by the unfolding corporate earnings season. Remarkably, Brambles surged 11.7% to a historic peak after posting a significant increase in annual profits and announcing a share buyback initiative. Other standout performers included Woolworths, Transurban, and Macquarie, which rose by 2.6%, 2.5%, and 2.2%, respectively.