All eyes will be on the Jackson Hole in Wyoming this week, where the annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium will be held by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. This years symposium will take place from 23rd until the 25th of August and the topic for the upcoming event will be “Changing Market Structure and Implications for Monetary Policy”. About Jackson Hole Economic Symposium The key feature of the meeting is the discussion that takes place between the participants.
Because of the high-profile participants and the topics that are discussed in the event, there is a considerable interest in the symposium, however, to help foster the open discussion that is critical to the event, the attendance is very limited. The event receives a large number of requests from media agencies worldwide, however, the press presence is also limited to a group that is selected to provide transparency to the symposium. Importance of the event The symposium is closely followed by financial markets participants around the world and over the past decade it has attracted more attention, this is mainly because what has happened in the past.
Some of the biggest monetary policies were initially revealed at the event, although they were not formally announced. During the event, any unexpected comment from any participants can influence the global financial markets. Here are some notable moments from the Jackson Hole Symposium: 2005 – Raghuram Rajan (then the professor at the University of Chicago and former governor of Reserve Bank of India) warned about risks that the financial system had absorbed throughout the years.
Three years later, the US subprime mortgage crisis erupted into the global financial crisis. 2012 – Michael Woodford (macroeconomist and monetary theorist, Columbia University) presented where he said that Fed’s stance on keeping its main interest rate near zero until a certain time would reflect pessimism about the speed of the economy’s recovery. Later that year, the Fed announced it would keep rates near zero until unemployment fell to 6.50% and inflation did not climb above 2.50%. 2014 – Mario Draghi (ECB president) hinted that the ECB was edging closer to embarking on its QE path. During the event, Mario Draghi said that ECB could use ‘all the available instruments’.
His announcement came just two months after ECB introduced negative deposit rates in the Eurozone, the financial markets rallied during his speech at the Jackson Hole. The symposium is a must watch financial market event and it is worth keeping an eye on the discussions and speeches during the event as we may see statements from some of the most influential people from around the world. This year, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will headline the event in Jackson Hole with a speech about monetary policy in a changing economy, according to the Fed Board so it’s time to mark your calendars!
Klāvs Valters Market Analyst
By
Adam Taylor
CFTe. Director, Go Markets London.
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The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is one of the world's top 20 exchanges, hosting over 2,000 listed companies worth approximately $2 trillion.
Quick Facts:
The ASX operates as Australia's primary stock exchange, combining market trading, clearinghouse operations, and trade and payment settlement.
It represents roughly 80% of the Australian equity market value through its flagship ASX 200 index.
2,000+ companies and 300+ ETFs are listed on the exchange, spanning from mining giants to tech innovators.
How does the ASX work?
The ASX combines three critical functions in one system.
As a market operator, it provides the electronic platform where buyers and sellers meet. Trading occurs through a sophisticated computer system that matches orders in milliseconds, replacing the traditional floor-based trading that once defined stock exchanges globally.
The exchange also acts as a clearinghouse, ensuring trades settle correctly. When you buy shares, the ASX guarantees the transaction completes, managing the transfer of securities and funds between parties.
Finally, it serves as a payments facilitator, processing the money flows that accompany each trade. This integrated approach reduces settlement risk and keeps the market running smoothly.
What are ASX trading hours?
The ASX operates from 10:00am to 4:00pm Sydney time (AEST/AEDT) on business days, with a pre-open phase from 7:00am.
Stocks open alphabetically in staggered intervals starting at 10:00am, followed by continuous trading until the closing auction at 4:00pm.
The exchange observes Australian public holidays and adjusts for daylight saving time between October and April, which can affect coordination with international markets.
ASX trading hours by time zone
Phase
Sydney (AEST)
Tokyo (JST)
London (BST)
New York (EDT)
Pre-Open
7:00am - 10:00am
6:00am - 9:00am
10:00pm - 1:00am
5:00pm - 8:00pm*
Normal Trading
10:00am - 4:00pm
9:00am - 3:00pm
1:00am - 7:00am
8:00pm - 2:00am*
Closing Auction
4:00pm - 4:10pm
3:00pm - 3:10pm
7:00am - 7:10am
2:00am - 2:10am
*Previous day. Note: Times shown assume daylight saving time in effect (AEST/BST/EDT). Japan does not observe daylight saving. Time differences vary when regions switch between standard and daylight saving at different dates.
Top ASX Indices
S&P/ASX 200
This is the exchange's flagship index. It tracks the 200 largest companies by market capitalisation and represents approximately 80% of Australia's equity market.
It serves as the primary benchmark for most investors and fund managers and is rebalanced quarterly to ensure it reflects the current market leaders.
The ASX also breaks down into 11 sector-specific indices, allowing investors to track performance in areas like financials, materials, healthcare, and technology.
These indices can help identify which parts of the Australian economy are strengthening or weakening.
ASX sector breakdown as of 31 December 2025. Source: S&P Global
Financials dominates as the largest sector, driven by Commonwealth Bank, NAB, Westpac, and ANZ. These banking giants provide lending, wealth management, and insurance services across Australia.
Materials ranks second, led by mining powerhouses BHP and Rio Tinto. This sector extracts and processes resources, including iron ore, coal, copper, and gold.
Consumer Discretionary includes retailers, media companies, and hospitality groups that benefit when household spending rises.
Industrials encompasses construction firms, airlines, and professional services businesses.
Healthcare features companies like CSL, a global biotech leader, and Cochlear, which produces hearing implants.
Real Estate features property developers and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) that own and manage commercial and residential assets.
Communication Services includes telecommunications providers like Telstra alongside media and entertainment companies.
Energy tracks oil and gas producers (many renewable energy companies typically fall under utilities).
Consumer Staples covers essential goods providers like supermarkets and food producers.
Information Technology includes software developers and IT services firms.
Utilities covers electricity, gas, and water suppliers, including renewable energy.
ASX Symbol
Sector
Top Stocks
% of ASX 200
XFJ
Financials
CBA, NAB, ANZ
33.4%
XMJ
Materials
Orica, Amcor, BHP
23.2%
XDJ
Consumer Discretionary
Harvey Norman, Crown
7.4%
XNJ
Industrials
Qantas, Transurban
7.4%
XHJ
Health Care
ResMed, CSL and Cochlear
7.1%
XRE
Real Estate
Mirvac, LendLease, Westfield
6.7%
XTJXIJ
Communication Services
Telstra, Airtasker
3.7%
XEJ
Energy
Santos, Woodside
3.6%
XSJ
Consumer Staples
Woolworths, Westfarmers
3.4%
XIJ
Information Technology
Dicker Data, Xero
2.5%
XUJ
Utilities
AGL, APA Group
1.4%
Data accurate as of 31 December 2025
Top ASX companies
Three companies consistently lead the S&P/ASX 200 by market capitalisation.
Commonwealth Bank (Mkt cap: A$259 bln)
Commonwealth Bank holds the top position on the ASX as Australia's biggest lender.
Founded in 1911 and fully privatised by 1996, CBA offers retail banking, business lending, wealth management, and insurance.
Its performance often signals the health of the domestic economy.
BHP Group (Mkt cap: A$241 bln)
BHP Group stands as the world's largest mining company.
Its diversified portfolio spans iron ore, copper, coal, and nickel operations globally.
It serves as a bellwether for Australian commodity markets.
CSL Limited (Mkt cap: A$182 bln)
CSL Limited leads the Australian healthcare sector as a global biotech firm.
Established in 1916, CSL develops treatments for rare diseases and manufactures influenza vaccines.
The company demonstrates Australian innovation competing on the world stage.
The ASX serves as a vital mechanism for capital formation in Australia. It tends to provide price signals that reflect market expectations.
When share prices rise, it suggests optimism about economic conditions. Falling markets may indicate concerns about future growth.
Australian companies raise funds through initial public offerings and follow-on share sales on the ASX, using proceeds to expand operations, fund research, or pay down debt.
Investors in these shares benefit from potential capital gains and dividend income. Many Australians build retirement savings through superannuation funds that invest heavily in ASX-listed companies.
Employment in financial services also depends partly on a healthy stock market. Brokers, analysts, fund managers, and supporting roles exist because of active capital markets.
Key takeaways
The ASX functions as a market operator, clearinghouse, and payments facilitator, providing the infrastructure that enables capital formation and supports retirement savings for millions of Australians.
Its flagship index, the S&P/ASX 200, tracks the 200 largest companies and captures about 80% of market capitalisation, while the All Ordinaries index covers the top 500.
Financials and Materials dominate the exchange, led by Commonwealth Bank, BHP, and CSL, reflecting Australia's strength in banking and resources.
Safe-haven demand:
The Iran conflict directed flows into US assets across equities, Treasuries, and the dollar itself.
Yield advantage:
The federal funds rate at 3.50% to 3.75% provides a meaningful return floor relative to most peers, helping to sustain capital inflows.
Energy insulation:
The US position as an oil exporter creates a structural terms-of-trade benefit when oil prices rise sharply.
Rate cut repricing:
Market expectations for 2026 Fed cuts have been scaled back significantly, removing a key source of dollar headwinds.
What markets are watching next
The DXY's ability to hold above 100 is the near-term reference point. The 10 April CPI print is the most direct test. A reading above expectations may add further support, while a soft print could give traders reason to take some dollar positions off the table.
The main risks to the upside case are a sudden diplomatic resolution in the Middle East, which could reduce safe-haven demand quickly, or a labour market print on 3 April that is weak enough to revive recession concerns and push rate cut expectations higher again.
Energy import exposure:
Rising Brent crude hits New Zealand's trade balance directly and adds upside pressure to domestic inflation.
Yield gap:
The 2.25% Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) policy rate sits below the Fed and the RBA, sustaining negative carry against both the USD and AUD.
Risk-off positioning:
As a commodity and risk currency, the NZD tends to underperform when global sentiment deteriorates.
Trade uncertainty:
Ongoing tariff related uncertainty continues to weigh on export sector confidence.
Risks and constraints
Any unexpected hawkish commentary from the RBNZ or a sharp decline in oil prices could provide some relief. A broader improvement in global risk appetite would also tend to benefit the NZD, given its sensitivity to sentiment shifts.
But the structural yield disadvantage is not going away quickly, and that may continue to limit the pair's recovery potential.
Tokyo CPI, 30 March (AEDT):
March inflation data. A strong read may build the case for BOJ action at the April meeting.
BOJ meeting, 27 and 28 April (AEST):
Markets are treating this as a live event. The quarterly outlook report may include updated inflation forecasts that shift rate hike timing expectations.
Intervention watch:
Japan's Ministry of Finance has been explicit about the 160 level. Actual intervention, or a credible threat of it, could trigger a sharp and fast reversal.
What could shift the outlook
A hawkish BOJ, actual FX intervention, or a softer US CPI print that reduces dollar support could all push USD/JPY lower from current levels. On the other side, a dovish hold from the BOJ combined with continued dollar strength could see the pair test 160 and potentially beyond, which would likely intensify the intervention conversation in Tokyo.
For traders watching AUD/JPY and other yen crosses, the BOJ meeting on 27 and 28 April carries similar weight. A hawkish shift tends to compress yen crosses broadly, not just USD/JPY.
A strong read may strengthen the case for a more hawkish BOJ at the April meeting.
3
Apr
US labour market (NFP)
USD pairs, AUD/USD, NZD/USD · 10:30 pm AEDT
A weak result could revive recession concerns and alter Fed pricing.
10
Apr
US CPI - March
USD/JPY, EUR/USD, gold · 10:30 pm AEST
The most direct test of whether inflation is easing fast enough to reopen the rate cut conversation.
27-28
Apr
BOJ meeting and quarterly outlook report
JPY crosses, AUD/JPY · AEST
The key policy event for yen crosses. Updated inflation forecasts may shift rate hike timing expectations.
关键关卡和信号
这些是交易者和决策者最密切关注的参考点。每一个都可能是定位转变或官方应对措施的潜在触发因素。
◆
DXY 100.00
A psychologically and technically significant support level. Holding above it may sustain the dollar's current run across major pairs. A break below it would likely signal a broader sentiment shift.
◆
USD/JPY 160.00
Japan's Ministry of Finance has consistently referenced this level as a threshold requiring attention. Actual intervention, or a credible threat of it, has historically been capable of producing sharp and fast reversals in the pair.
◆
Brent crude US$120
A move to this level would likely intensify risk off behaviour across FX markets, putting further pressure on energy importing currencies including the NZD, EUR, and JPY.
◆
AUD/USD 0.7000
This level has historically attracted buying interest and may act as a near term directional reference for positioning in the pair.
Bottom line
The FX moves heading into April were shaped by a combination of geopolitical shock, yield divergence, and a repricing of central bank expectations that few had positioned for at the start of the quarter. The dollar's dual role as a high yielding and safe haven currency has put it in an unusually strong position, but that position is not unconditional.
One soft CPI print, one diplomatic breakthrough, or one labour market miss could change the tone quickly. Currency moves may remain highly data dependent and sensitive to overnight news flow from the Middle East, where developments can gap markets before the next session opens.
The first major bank to report. Management commentary on credit conditions, consumer spending, and the macro outlook will set the tone for financial sector earnings and broader market sentiment.
◆
15 April - Bank of America Q1 earnings
A read on consumer credit conditions and household financial health, particularly relevant given rising energy costs and the 4.4% unemployment rate.
◆
28-29 April - FOMC meeting and policy statement
The month's most consequential event. The statement and any updated forward guidance may effectively confirm whether rate cuts remain a possibility for 2026.
◆
Ongoing - Strait of Hormuz tanker traffic
A live indicator of energy supply risk. Any escalation or resolution carries immediate implications for oil prices, inflation expectations, and the Fed's options.
◆
Ongoing - Sovereign AI export restrictions
Developing policy around technology export curbs may affect capital expenditure plans for US technology firms, with knock-on implications for growth and employment in the sector.
The Bigger Picture
Geopolitical volatility has forced a rotation into energy and defence at the expense of growth oriented technology positions. The estimated US$650 billion AI infrastructure buildout is increasingly being scrutinised for returns on investment. If earnings season disappoints on that front, and if the FOMC signals a prolonged hold, the combination could test risk appetite heading into May.
APAC Sections — GO Markets (Webflow embed snippets)
Key dates (AEST)
13
Apr
M2 money supply and new yuan loans
People's Bank of China
Medium
14
Apr
March balance of trade
General Administration of Customs
High
16
Apr
Q1 GDP and March industrial production
National Bureau of Statistics
High
What markets look for
Evidence of technology-driven industrial production growth consistent with Five-Year Plan priorities
March export resilience in the face of shifting global tariff frameworks
Signs of stabilisation in domestic consumer retail sales
Any implementation detail on the "new-type national system" for AI development
Why it matters for the region
China's shift toward high-value manufacturing and AI self-sufficiency could reshape regional supply chains and influence demand for commodities. A stronger-than-expected trade surplus may support broader regional sentiment, although higher energy costs can pressure margins for Chinese exporters and weigh on import demand. The 16 April GDP release carries the most weight as the first quarterly read on whether the 4.5%-5.0% target is tracking.
Statistics Bureau of Japan · Lead indicator for national trends (AEDT)
Medium
27–28
Apr
BOJ monetary policy meeting and outlook report
Bank of Japan · Live event for rate hike watch (AEST)
High
What markets look for
BOJ guidance on the timing of potential rate increases
March Tokyo CPI data as a lead indicator for national price trends
Updated inflation forecasts in the quarterly outlook report
Official comments on yen volatility and any reference to intervention thresholds
Why it matters
The BOJ remains a global outlier, with its short-term policy rate held at 0.75% after the March meeting, and any hawkish shift could trigger sharp moves in forex pairs involving the yen. Markets are weighing whether the BOJ can tighten policy while the government simultaneously resumes energy subsidies to shield households from rising oil costs. These competing pressures make the April meeting and outlook report unusually informative.
Whether Q1 underlying inflation remains above the RBA's 2%-3% target band
Labour market resilience in the face of rising borrowing costs
The pass-through of global energy prices into domestic transport and logistics costs
RBA minutes (31 March) for any signal of internal policy disagreement
Why it matters
The 29 April CPI release may be the most consequential domestic data point before the RBA's May meeting. If inflation proves sticky or accelerates due to global energy shocks, the probability of a further rate increase could rise, with implications for both the Australian dollar and volatility across the ASX 200. The PPI reading the following day may also provide early signal on whether producer-level cost pressures are building in the pipeline.
Regional themes
◆
ASEAN demand signals
March trade data from Singapore and Malaysia may indicate whether regional electronics demand is holding up amid global uncertainty.
◆
India growth trajectory
Elevated energy costs could weigh on India's 2026 expansion plans, particularly following the New Delhi AI summit and associated infrastructure commitments.
◆
Commodity sentiment
Iron ore and thermal coal prices remain sensitive to signals from China's industrial policy and the pace at which Five-Year Plan priorities translate into actual demand.
◆
Currency pressure
Energy-importing economies across Asia and Europe may face sustained currency headwinds if Brent crude holds above US$100 for an extended period.