2h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 8:35pmMarket snapshotASX 200 futures: +1% to 8,815 pointsAustralian dollar: -0.2% at 69.45 US centsS&P 500: +0.6% to 6,979 pointsNasdaq: +0.6% to 23,609 pointsFTSE: +1.2% to 10,341 pointsEuroStoxx: +1% to 636 pointsSpot gold: -4.1% to $US4,663/ounceBrent crude: -4.5% to $US66.20/barrelIron ore: -1% to $US102.80 a tonneBitcoin: +2.5% to $US78,262

Price current around 7:30am AEDT

Live updates on the major ASX indices:

34m agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 10:08pm

ICYMI: Alan Kohler’s Finance Report

51m agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 9:51pm

Rate hike would boost savings or erode buffers

Late last year, my partner and I felt uneasy about the direction the world was heading. We expected that Trump’s behavior would create ripple effects globally, especially in the stock market, and that did play out. To protect ourselves, we decided to use our savings to pay off the mortgage so we could feel secure in owning our home outright.

– Missy

I don’t believe we’ll get a rate hike. My bet is the RBA will hold. We have only just started saving with the last 3 cuts, so for us, we won’t have to cut our spending yet if they do raise rates, but it means less of a buffer

– Hopeful

Hi Stephanie. As a retiree with money in the bank and no mortgage I am very lucky I know. Rate rises are good for me. I do appreciate the difficulties faced by younger generations but we have all been through them in our early days. My only advice – buy where you can afford not where you want . Long commutes are part of the early days process.

– Phillip

As always, there’s a range of different ways an interest rate hike would affect Australians.

Thanks to all of our readers writing in — keep your comments coming.

1h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 9:41pm

🎥Why the RBA might not hike interest rates in February

Most economists are calling a rate hike this arvo but not all.

AMP chief economist and head of investment strategy Shane Oliver told The Business host Kirsten Aiken he believed the RBA would likely keep rates on hold at Tuesday’s meeting, although he acknowledged it was a very close call.

Watch his interview:

Loading…1h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 9:16pmGold falls 4pc to $US4,670

The precious metals market has collapsed, with gold and silver prices plummeting from recent record highs.

Gold fell 4% to $US4,670 an ounce, by 8:15am AEDT.

The commodities rout was sparked by the appointment of new US Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh.

Fund managers are divided on whether the worst-case scenario has been avoided for financial markets, or whether there are further significant shifts ahead.

Read more from business correspondent David Taylor.

1h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 8:57pmCurrent ASIC deputy Sarah Court named next chair of regulator

Sarah Court has been appointed as the incoming chair of the corporate regulator ASIC.

Ms Court will commence as chair on June 1, while current boss Joe Longo leaves at the end of May.

Sarah Court appear, alongside Joe Longo, at a Senate hearing in 2023. (AAP: Lukas Coch)

Ms Court is currently the deputy chair of ASIC and her appointment has been welcomed by her predecessor.

“Her work as ASIC’s Deputy Chair has been instrumental to the success of the agency’s structural transformation that has strengthened our enforcement posture and work, leading to better outcomes for consumers and a fairer financial system,” Mr Longo said.

“ASIC will be in very capable hands under her leadership.”

In a statement, Ms Court said: “ASIC’s work is critically important for all Australians and it will be a privilege to take on the role of Chair in June.”

Ms Court became deputy chair of the regulator in 2021 and previously served three terms as an ACCC commissioner.

1h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 8:52pm

💬How are you feeling about interest rates?

The RBA made it clear at the end of last year we weren’t looking at any more rate cuts, and hikes were instead on the table.

Whether you’re a home owner with a mortgage, a saver, a renter, a would-be buyer, a retiree or anyone in between, let us know how you’re feeling about interest rates at the moment.

How will a rate hike today affect you if it does come to pass?

Have you done anything to prepare for a hike, for example, fix your home loan rate?

Join the conversation by leaving us a comment above ⬆️

1h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 8:47pmS&P 500 rallies to record high territory

The S&P 500 rallied to record-high territory on Monday, lifted by gains in chipmakers and other companies related to artificial intelligence, while smaller companies also rose sharply.

The Russell 2000 index jumped 1.1%, with the small-cap index significantly outperforming the S&P 500 and Nasdaq far in 2026.

Alphabet and Amazon each rose more than 1% ahead of their quarterly reports later this week that will give investors an additional glimpse of the race to dominate AI technology.

AI-related data firm Palantir climbed 0.1% ahead of its quarterly report after the bell.

Chipmakers benefiting from AI-related demand for their components also rallied. SanDisk surged nearly 14%, while Advanced Micro Devices and Micron Technology added 4.3% and 5.1% respectively.

It was the S&P 500’s first gain in three sessions following recent worries about pricey valuations of technology companies whose shares have soared in recent years on optimism about AI.

The S&P 500 is up about 2% in 2026, lagging the Russell 2000’s nearly 7% rally.

Investors often view gains in small-cap stocks as a reflection of confidence in the economy.

“The fundamentals are good and earnings are strong. We have positive surprises both for revenues and earnings, pretty much across the board,” said Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at Ingalls & Snyder in New York.

Analysts expect S&P 500 companies to have grown their earnings nearly 11% in the December quarter, up from an estimate of about 9% at the start of January, according to LSEG. Technology-related companies are driving most of that growth.

Reporting with Reuters

2h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 8:36pm

How has the RBA’s cash rate tracked?

The Reserve Bank’s monetary policy board is forecast to raise the cash rate back to 3.85% later this afternoon, from 3.6%, where it has sat since August last year.

So, how did we get here?

Here’s how the cash rate has tracked over the past few years:

2h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 8:21pmReserve Bank decision at 2:30pm AEDT2h agoMon 2 Feb 2026 at 8:21pmASX to rise

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday’s markets live blog, where we’ll bring you the latest price action and news on the ASX and beyond.

A rally on Wall Street overnight sets the tone for local market action today.

The Dow Jones index advanced 1.2 per cent, the S&P 500 gained 0.6 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.7 per cent.

ASX futures were up 86 points or 1 per cent to 8,818 at 7am AEDT.

At the same time, the Australian dollar was down 0.2 per cent to 69.42 US cents.

Brent crude oil was down 4.2 per cent, trading at $US66.33 a barrel.

Spot gold dropped 3.9 per cent to $US4,673.

Iron ore lost 1 per cent to $US102.80 a tonne.