2h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 5:08amMarket snapshotASX 200: +0.1% at 8,860 pointsAustralian dollar: +0.01 at 68.47 US centsS&P 500: +0.5% to 6,913 pointsNasdaq: +0.9% to 23,436 pointsFTSE: +0.1% to 10,150 pointsEuroStoxx: +1% to 608 pointsSpot gold: +0.4% to $US4,956/ounce
Brent crude: +0.1% to $US64.61/barrel
Iron ore: -0.6% to $US104.81/tonneBitcoin: +0.4% to $US89,831

Prices current around 4:10pm AEDT

Live updates on the major ASX indices:

1h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 6:05am

Have a good weekend

We will end our business blog for another week.

With all the geopolitical turmoil, it is not surprising that the ASX didn’t end the week in positive territory.

But Friday’s small gains mean that it was down only fractionally over the week.

And the Australian dollar climbed noticeably against the US dollar, increasing by more than 2 per cent.

Enjoy whatever you do this weekend and don’t forget to cheer for Australia’s Alex de Minaur at Melbourne Park this evening.

He’s facing dangerous American Francis Tiafoe in the men’s third round at the Australian Open.

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1h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 5:41am

DroneShield down 5.5%

It wasn’t so long ago that we were marvelling at the rise and rise of DroneShield.

But the Australian defence technology company that specialises in counter-drone systems had a day to forget.

It led the companies that lost the most on the ASX 200 on Friday, shedding 5.5%.

2h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 5:36am

Top movers on Friday

Life360 Inc was by far the best performer to end the week, jumping by more than 27%.

Regis Resources also registered a double-digit increase on Friday.

Top Friday movers(refinitiv.com)

2h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 5:15am

ASX ends the day in positive territory

It hasn’t been a memorable day on the ASX 200, but at least the market has made gains, albeit very small ones.

Friday’s close is 8,860, up by 11 points or 0.13%.

It follows on from a recovery on Wall Street overnight, with US President Donald Trump backing down on his threats over extra tariffs and Greenland.

The Australian dollar has continued its gains against the US dollar, climbing every so slightly to 68.47 cents.

And the spot gold price has pushed through the $US4,900 barrier to sit at an eye-watering $US4,956 an ounce.

2h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 4:46am

Asia shares rise after Bank of Japan keeps rates on hold

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has left benchmark interest rates on hold, which has seen stocks advance in Asian trading on Friday.

Gold and silver surged to new peaks as the US dollar came under renewed pressure.

BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda will hold a media conference to explain the decision to keep rates on hold later on Friday.

The yen weakened 0.1% against the greenback after the BOJ’s decision, last trading at 158.61 yen per US dollar.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.5%, while the Nikkei climbed 0.3%.

“The tone appears hawkish,” said David Chao, global market strategist for Asia-Pacific at Invesco in Singapore.

“The BOJ has raised four of its six inflation projections and indicated that further rate hikes are likely if these forecasts are realised.”

Earlier in the trading session, government data showed Japan’s core consumer prices rose 2.4% in December from a year earlier, in line with analysts’ estimates.

With reporting by Reuters

3h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 4:16am

BBQ prices down but cost of beer is going up

If you’re thinking of throwing a steak and a few prawns on the barbie this weekend, there’s good news that BBQ prices have fallen, according to trading platform eToro.

Analysis from eToro says that the cost of a BBQ in Australia has dropped 3 per cent since last year and is even cheaper than in 2024.

For a family of four, and a meal consisting of prawns, meat skewers, burgers, sausages and salad, the average cost is now $77.84, compared to $80.30 in 2025 and $81.89 in 2024.

But it’s significantly higher than in 2023 when it cost only $62.26.

Alcohol, eToro says, is more expensive this year.

Analysis found that a typical Australian drinks selection has risen nearly 9 per cent year-on-year, from $140 in 2025 to $152 in 2026.

A 24-pack of a popular beer brand has increased 9 per cent from $55 to $60, while another well-known beer has also risen nearly 9 per cent, or by $3, to $37 for a 12-pack.

But at least the food side of things is trending down ahead of our backyard banquets this weekend.

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3h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 3:49am

Market snapshotASX 200: +0.2% at 8,866 pointsAustralian dollar: +0.01 at 68.41 US centsS&P 500: +0.5% to 6,913 pointsNasdaq: +0.9% to 23,436 pointsFTSE: +0.1% to 10,150 pointsEuroStoxx: +1% to 608 pointsSpot gold: +0.3% to $US4,950/ounce
Brent crude: +0.1% to $US64.61/barrel
Iron ore: -0.6% to $US104.81/tonneBitcoin: +0.4% to $US89,830

Prices current around 2:45pm AEDT

Live updates on the major ASX indices:

3h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 3:44am

JPMorgan Chase latest target of Donald Trump

The revenge tour of the US president shows no sign of ending, with an American banking giant the latest target for retribution.

Donald Trump is suing JPMorgan Chase and its chief executive Jamie Dimon for $US5 billion ($7.3 billion) over allegations that JPMorgan stopped providing banking services to him and his businesses for political reasons after he left office in January 2021.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County court in Florida, alleges that JPMorgan abruptly closed multiple accounts in February 2021 with just 60 days notice and no explanation.

By doing so, Mr Trump claims JPMorgan and Mr Dimon cut him and his businesses off from millions of dollars, disrupted their operations and forced them to urgently open bank accounts elsewhere.

“JPMC debanked [Mr Trump and his businesses] because it believed that the political tide at the moment favoured doing so,” the lawsuit alleges.

In a statement, JPMorgan said it believed the suit had no merit.

Banks have faced growing political pressure in recent years, particularly from conservatives who say lenders have for political reasons discriminated against industries such as firearms and fossil fuels.

That pressure has intensified during Trump’s second White House term, with the Republican accusing some banks of refusing to serve him and other conservatives. Banks have denied that allegation.

With reporting by Associated Press and Reuters

4h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 3:25am

Intel struggles to meet AI data center demand, shares drop 13 per cent

Intel said it struggled to satisfy demand for its server chips used in AI data centres, and forecast quarterly revenue and profit below market estimates, sending shares down -13% in after-hours trading.

The forecast underscores the difficulties faced by Intel in predicting global chip markets, where the company’s current products are the result of decisions made years ago. 

The company, whose shares have risen 40% in the past month, recently launched a long-awaited laptop chip designed to reclaim its lead in personal computers just as a memory chip crunch is expected to depress sales across that industry.

Meanwhile, Intel executives said the company was caught off guard by surging demand for server central processors that accompany AI chips. 

Despite running its factories at capacity, Intel cannot keep up with demand for the chips, leaving profitable data centre sales on the table while the new PC chip squeezes its margins.

“In the short term, I’m disappointed that we are not able to fully meet the demand in our markets,” Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan told analysts on a conference call.

The company forecast current-quarter revenue between $US11.7 billion and $US12.7 billion, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $US12.51 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

It expects adjusted earnings per share to break even in the first quarter, compared with expectations of adjusted earnings of 5 cents per share.

– Reuters

4h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 3:10am

Water Corporation investigates private sector water supply for Port Hedland

Water Corporation has called for third-party applications to supply water in bulk to Port Hedland.

It comes after the utility issued and then retracted advice there was not enough water to support major new developments.

Here is the full piece from Alistair Bates, Kimberley Putland and Kelsey Reid. 

4h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 3:02am

Australian dollar’s rise vs greenback

As we reported earlier, the US dollar is on track for its worst week in a year.

Its woes have helped the Australian dollar reach 15-month highs against the greenback, trading near 68.4 cents, having been around 67 cents on Wednesday.

Since the start of 2026, our currency has increased around 2.5% against the US dollar and by more than 10 per cent since January 2025.

You’re probably wondering when the last time the Aussie dollar hit the 70 cent barrier.

That was almost three years ago on February 15, 2023, when it only briefly touched that mark.

It’s still got a way to go to get back to that point.

Aussie dollar’s climb (refinitiv.com)4h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 2:55amSectors and stocks

Across the ASX 200 sectors, Technology is at the top, up +2.1%, while Academic and Educational Services is down the bottom, down -0.6%.

Here is a snapshot:

ASX 200 Sector Summary (Refinitiv)

97 stocks are in the red, while four are unchanged, and 99 are gaining. 

Here are the top movers, with Life360 (a family safety and location sharing app) up a massive +28.2%.

ASX 200 top movers (Refinitiv)

And here are the bottom movers, with DroneShield down -6.3%.

ASX 200 bottom movers (Refinitiv)

5h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 2:40am

Movement across the day

The ASX 200 gradually rose throughout morning trade before some dips at around 12:30pm and 1pm. It’s been tracking fairly steady for the past 40 minutes.

ASX 200 daily movement (Refinitiv)5h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 2:37amMarket movement

Let’s have a look at what markets are doing in afternoon trade.

The ASX 200 is up +0.3% at 8,877 points.

The Aussie dollar is pretty flat at 68 US cents.

I’ll provide a breakdown of the sectors in a moment!

5h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 2:17am

US and China sign off on TikTok agreement to avoid ban

There’s good news for users of TikTok in the United States.

The social media giant has reached a deal for a new joint venture in the US to avoid being banned for American users.

The agreement provides for ‍investors — including ⁠cloud computing giant Oracle, private equity group Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX — to hold a ‌stake of 80.1 per cent in the new joint venture.

But TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, will retain a 19.9 per cent stake in the company.

Under the arrangement, the joint venture will assume responsibility for content moderation within the US as well as the development and enforcement of related policies.

The ABC’s Jason Fang spoke to an Australia-based expert who described the development as “a defining moment”.

5h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 2:02am

Asian shares up ahead of Bank of Japan rate decision

Earlier, we were reporting on expectations in the countdown to a big decision later on Friday from the Bank of Japan’s latest policy meeting where it’s expected to keep rates on hold.

Ahead of that decision, Asian stocks have made tepid gains today.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan is up 0.4% while the Nikkei edged 0.2% higher.

The yen weakened 0.1% to 158.54 against the US dollar ahead of the BOJ meeting, following the release of government data earlier on Friday showing Japan’s core consumer prices rose 2.4% in December from a year earlier, in line with analysts’ estimates.

Korean stocks led gains in Asia, with the Kospi up for a third day by 1.1% after crossing the 5,000 mark for the first time on Thursday, a milestone President Lee Jae Myung had promised to reach through market reforms and tax measures to close the so-called “Korea discount”.

The gains for the tech-heavy index, anchored by chipmaker Samsung, came after Intel on Thursday forecast quarterly revenue and profit below market estimates as it struggled to satisfy demand for server chips used in AI data centres, sending shares down 11% in after-hours trading.

With reporting by Reuters

6h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 1:26am

US dollar faces its worst week since January 2025

The Australian dollar’s rise against the greenback has seen it hit 15-month highs, pushing towards 68.5 cents.

Not surprisingly, the US dollar has had a rough few days that puts it on course for its worst week in a year.

It comes after US President Donald Trump’s Greenland threats and abrupt reversal on tariffs unnerved investors.

The US dollar has borne the brunt of investor angst in the currency markets as assets were pummelled at the start of the week amid the intensifying geopolitical tensions.

The dollar index, which measures the US currency against six units, was at 98.329 after dropping 0.58 per cent in the previous session, on course for a 1 per cent slide, its worst performance in a week since January 2025.

Meanwhile, the yen wobbled near one-week lows ahead of the Bank of Japan policy decision later on Friday.

Investor focus is on the BOJ decision where the central bank is broadly expected to keep rates steady after it raised its policy interest rate to a 30-year high last month.

The spotlight will be on comments from Governor Kazuo Ueda to gauge when the next hike will come and whether there is any hawkish tilt from policymakers to help support the frail yen.

One Australian dollar is buying 108.56 yen.

With reporting by Reuters

6h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:59am

Extension of Eraring Power Station ‘reduces risks’

This week, the exit of the Eraring Power Station in New South Wales was pushed back for the second time.

The planned closure of Australia’s largest coal-fired power station on the shores of Lake Macquarie, south of Newcastle, will be delayed by two years, until 2029.

It was due to shut down in August next year.

In its commodity daily press release, the Commonwealth Bank said the move by Origin Energy was important in “reducing risks to system security”.

“Eraring’s exit is a key watch point for the market as it highlights the complexity of not only replacing fossil fuel power with renewable energy, but also adding enough renewable energy to meet an anticipated step shift increase in electricity demand in coming years,” sustainable and energy economist John Oh said.

“The two driving factors for the extension as stated by Origin Energy was (i) reducing risks to system security (i.e ability to prevent cascading failures in a power system after a disturbance), and (ii) supporting reliable power to NSW households and businesses.”

There had been growing pressure for that timeline to be extended after a warning from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) that the grid was not ready, raising the threat of widespread blackouts.

In a statement on Tuesday, Origin said it had advised AEMO that it would extend the operation of the power plant until April 30, 2029, to “support energy supply in New South Wales through the energy transition”.

“Reliability is related to security in that reliability can only be guaranteed if the power system is secure,” Mr Oh said.

“The delay in exit dates of key coal and gas plants in the last 6 months means that the next major test of the grid from the next round of fossil fuel plant retirements has shifted from 2027 to 2028 with the planned exit of Torrens Island B and Yallourn Power Station.”

7h agoFri 23 Jan 2026 at 12:12am

‘Premature to be talking about rate hikes’ in New Zealand

Inflationary pressures in New Zealand are more benign than they seem, according to Capital Economics, with core inflation remaining “well behaved”, even if numbers have crept up.

A 0.6 per cent rise in New Zealand consumer prices last quarter was higher than the expected 0.5 per cent.

But Abhijit Surya, senior APAC economist for Capital Economics, believes that Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) will keep interest rates on hold.

“Although headline inflation picked up further in Q4, underlying inflation remains well behaved,” Mr Surya wrote.

“That being the case, we still think the RBNZ will keep rates on hold for a prolonged period, whereas markets expect it to start tightening policy later this year.”

Mr Surya said that New Zealand prices remained “in check” and that the RBNZ may not raise rates until next year.

New Zealand’s headline inflation edged up from 3 per cent to 3.1 per cent last year,  the first time in six quarters that inflation came in above the RBA’s 2-3 per cent target band, contrasting strongly with the Bank’s projection for a fall to 2.7 per cent.

“We still think it’s a little premature to be talking about rate hikes given that core inflation remains well behaved,” Mr Surya said.

“As things stand, there’s nothing in the recent slate of data that would prompt the RBNZ to change its view that the economy is operating with substantial excess capacity.

“Accordingly, we still think the Bank will wait until H2 2027 to raise rates.”

But in a separate media statement, ANZ predicted that New Zealand rates would be hiked in December this year, adjusting its original forecast of February 2027.

“Today’s release tips the balance towards hikes this year being likelier than not,” ANX said in its Q4 CPI Review,

“We are now forecasting the first 25bp hike in December, with two follow-up hikes at the February and April 2027 meetings taking the OCR back to an assumed neutral level of 3 per cent as before.”