ASX Market Update: Aussie bourse pushed down as banking selloff continues and after hot jobs report

The Market Herald
20 Feb

The ASX200 has been down 1.33% at 8,307 points.

The market opened lower on Thursday and continued to drag after the Federal Reserve indicated it would take a cautious approach to future rate cuts – and a selloff in major Australian banks continues to be a trend for the week.

Listen to the HotCopper podcast for in-depth discussions and insights on all the biggest headlines from throughout the week. On Spotify, Apple, and more.

Also weighing on the market was a report on jobs data from the ABS which showed 44,000 people found work in January, but the unemployment rate rose to 4.1% for January, compared to 4% the previous month.

Telecommunications has been the strongest performing sector today, up 1.91%, followed by Energy, up 1.02%, and Industrials, up 0.43%.

Real Estate has been today’s worst performer, down 2.93%, followed by Materials, down 2.25%, and Financial, 2.16% lower.

Megaport Ltd (ASX:MP1) has been nearly 19% higher after reporting its annual recurring revenue had grown 18% during the first half of the 2025 fiscal year.

The company – which provides Network as a Service solutions, last traded at $11.35.

Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) has been 5.5% higher, also on half-year results, which showed its underlying earnings – or EBITDA – rose to $960M compared to $632M during the first half of fiscal year 2024.

Whitehaven has been $5.58/share.

And Fortescue (ASX:FMG) was in the red, falling 7.3% after reporting its profit had fallen by half in the first half of fiscal year 2025, prompting a selloff.

Fortescue has been trading at $18.03 today.

Join the discussion: See what’s trending right now on Australia’s largest stock forum and be part of the conversations that move the markets.

The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. Viewers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a certified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. For full disclaimer information, please click here.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Most Discussed

  1. 1
     
     
     
     
  2. 2
     
     
     
     
  3. 3
     
     
     
     
  4. 4
     
     
     
     
  5. 5
     
     
     
     
  6. 6
     
     
     
     
  7. 7
     
     
     
     
  8. 8
     
     
     
     
  9. 9
     
     
     
     
  10. 10