ASX 200 report:
21 July 2026

The Australia 200 trades 13 points (-0.15%) lower at 8777 at 3.40pm AEST.

ASX 200 holds steady as traders await key RBA data

The ASX 200 has today followed a well-rehearsed routine we've seen frequently in recent weeks: an early fall of 58 points (-0.66%) to a low of 8733, before clawing back most of those losses ahead of the close.

The cautious and somewhat directionless trading is partly a by-product of the uncertainty created by the renewed escalation in the Middle East, but more broadly reflects the mixed local backdrop. Over the next week, we'll get the labour force and inflation updates, both critical inputs for the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) ahead of its next interest rate meeting, while the August earnings season is also fast approaching.

With so much on the horizon, it makes sense that many who are already positioned are happy to hold tight for now, while those looking to open fresh positions are choosing to wait a couple of weeks for a bit more clarity.

ASX 200 stocks

Financials sector

The ASX 200 financials sector fell for a third straight session on profit-taking after a good run higher and some nerves ahead of Thursday's labour force update.

• ANZ dropped 1.43% to $35.63
• NAB fell 1.36% to $39.15
• Westpac slid 1.34% to $36.17
• Commonwealth Bank edged 0.59% lower to $170.19
• In today's other notable moves, South32 jumped 5.76% to $4.31 after releasing a strong quarterly production report that beat fiscal year (FY) 2026 guidance and lifted sales volumes by 15%
• AMP rose 0.24% to $2.10, its highest level since June 2019, after delivering stronger-than-expected full-year results and an upgraded outlook last week.

Materials sector

The ASX 200 materials sector, which at this morning's low had fallen 15.30% from its mid-June high, ran into buyers on hopes that a proposed 10-day ceasefire in the Middle East might help de-escalate tensions and calm inflationary concerns.

Copper futures rose 1.23% to $6.41:

• Capstone Copper lifted 3.78% to $12.91
• Sandfire Resources 1.18% to $18.07.

A 1.42% rise in gold to $4065 also boosted the gold miners:

• Evolution Mining surged 5.42% to $10.84
• Genesis Minerals lifted4.35% to $5.75
• Regis Resources gained 4.16% to $5.88.

Partially offsetting these gains, the big miners eased as iron ore futures fell 1.07% to $98.55 on concerns around Chinese steel mill profitability.

• Mineral Resources dropped 1.91% to $63.39
• Fortescue lost 0.96% to $18.58
• Rio Tinto slid 0.58% to $157.04.

Technology sector

While it was again quiet at an index level, there were some noticeable moves under the hood. The ASX 200 information technology (IT) sector sprang higher, helped by a rebound in the volatile Korean equity market and a solid result from NextDC.

• NextDC lifted 7.20% to $13.99 after reporting an 11% jump in contracted utilisation to 740 MW on new customer wins. The company's forward order book has also grown to 565 MW, and it confirmed unchanged guidance for FY2026.
• SiteMinder rose 3.89% to $3.47
•  Life360 added 2.09% to $26.09.

Telecommunications sector

Megaport jumped 4.83% to $18.90.

ASX 200 technical analysis

The ASX 200 has been encapsulated within a broad 9000 – 8500 trading range for the past 15 weeks.

Within that – the 8800 - 8780 level, which includes the 200-day moving average (MA), has acted like a magnet for the past six weeks.

Looking ahead, we see scope for the ASX 200 to continue to trade sideways within this range possibly into the start of the August reporting season – while remaining open-minded as to what direction the break of the range will eventually come.

ASX 200 daily candlestick chart

• _{Source: TradingView. The figures stated are as of 21 July 2026. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. This report does not contain and is not to be taken as containing any financial product advice or financial product recommendation.}