End of Day Report – Monday 2 June: ASX 200 falls 21 | SOL/BKW merger sees huge gains for both

ASX 200 fell 21 points in quiet trade to 8415 (0.1%). Most sectors showing losses as nerves crept back in on Trump and Chinese negotiations. Banks slipped with WBC off 1.2% and the Big Bank Basket down to $275.32 (-0.1%). MQG fell 1.0% with insurers better, QBE up 1.3% and MPL rising 2.1%. REITs slid, GMD down 0.9% and VCX off 0.4%. Industrials were mostly flat, WOW and COL better, WES up 0.5% and SGH doing well, up 0.7% with BXB rallying 1.0%. TLS continued to push higher, tech was mixed as WTC fell 2.3% and XRO rose 1.5% with the All-Tech Index down 0.5%. Healthcare under a little pressure, SIG off 3.2% following the sell-down last week.

In resources, iron ore down in Singapore, BHP off 1.2% and FMG sliding 2.5%. Lithium stocks under pressure following the UBS downgrade last week, MIN off 11.8% and PLS falling 8.1%. Gold miners were better as bullion pushed higher on steel tariff issues, EVN up 3.1% and NEM up 1.2%. Oil and gas stocks eased slightly and uranium stocks fell. In corporate news, SOL announced a merger with BKW to create a new $15bn top 50 stock. Both stocks rallied hard on the news, a $500m zero discount capital raising also helped sentiment. BSL jumped 4.4% on US tariff moves, APE extended the buyback, JHX rose 1.4% on securing a new debt facility. Nothing on the economic front locally, China and US ratchet up war of words. Asian markets fell, Japan down 1.3%, HK off 1.9% and China down 0.5%. 10-year yields steady at 4.26%.

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