Pre-Market Report – Wednesday 1 April: US markets soar on peace hope | Oil falls, gold up

Good morning and welcome to the Marcus today pre-market podcast. My name is Henry Jennings.

It is April fullstay, 1st of April, 2026. And as usual, with all the information contained

in this podcast, it is general advice only. So please do your own research, contact your

own financial advisor regarding any of the thoughts, ideas or insights in this podcast.

All right, well, it's fair to say that last night was an interesting night to say the least,

as they say, as John Lennon said, give peace a chance. And it certainly seems as if there is peace

in the wind, if nothing else. But at the moment, we are still somewhat in the dark, although

President Trump is due to speak later the evening in the US. So later this morning in our time zone.

But the fact that the US is talking peace and even the Iranian president, whoever he is today,

is also wanting the war to end. It does take two to tango.

Dow Jones was up 1,125 points or 2.5 percent had a high of 1167 up. So pretty much closing

at its high for the day, 264 was the top of the bottom of the market, 264 up. The Nasdaq

raced away 3.8 percent higher, 796 points to 21,591, the S&P 500 in the middle for Ditalaz.

Always 2.9 percent higher, 185.6528. And the Russell 2000 doing very well, 3.4 percent higher,

82 points to 2496. So it's the best day since last May for the S&P 500.

VIX volatility index, as you would imagine with all this positivity breaking out, closed down

18.3 points. Still 25 though, down 6 points. European market stocks 600 up 0.4,

50 up 0.5, Germany up 0.5, but they wouldn't have seen the big rise in the US and the news coming

out of the Middle East. Donald Trump now saying that he can declare the war is over without having

control over the strait of Humors and that his allies in inverted commas should find some courage

and keep the strait open by themselves. And you can't rely on the US in the future.

I think NATO is going to be struggling in this environment. China yesterday down 0.8 of a percent.

Japan down 1.3 Hong Kong up 0.2 Bitcoin rallied at 2.1 percent to 67,991. The Aussie dollars

better back up towards 69 cents and the US dollar index, which will be the casualty if peace

does break out, or is down 0.6 of a percent. That money that flowed into the US dollar will flow

out again. And hot on the heels of Jerome Powell's comments, yesterday the 30-year bond, 4.914,

0.6 basis points higher, but the 10-year down 2.6 basis points, 4.32 percent the yield, 2 years 4.1

basis point down 3.8 percent. The Aussie 10 back to 4.96 down 6.5 basis points there. So that is all

good news as far as the market goes. Now it was the end of the month, the end of the quarter as well.

So some of these moves might need to be taken with a grain of salt, especially as we don't

see much in terms of new news, although I'm just seeing coming across the CNBC why President

Trump is signing an executive order, limiting mail in voting. Very important stuff at the moment

for that, but maybe we'll get more out of the President that the Wall Street General reporter

that Donald Trump had told AIDS, it is willing to end military hostilities, even if the

straight of Hummus remained largely shut. Interestingly in the previous session yesterday we saw one of

the tankers hit in the port of Dubai. So certainly lots going on. Technology stocks, the technology

select sector spider fund in the USXLK closed more than 4 percent higher Nvidia was up 5.6 percent

and Microsoft which has been well and truly under the Koch was up 3.1 percent. So there we go,

Nasdaq still 10 percent off its recent intraday high and the Dow and the S&P are down more than

8 and 6 percent respectively. So there we go, the S&P 500 lost 5.1 percent in March, which is pretty

much since the war. The Dow dropped 5.4 and the Nasdaq has declined 4.8. Interestingly the Russell

2000 actually rose 0.6 percent in the quarter with the Nasdaq losing more than 7 percent in the

quarter and the S&P 500 down 4.6 percent in the Dow down 3.6 percent. So interesting times to

say the least. In terms of the stocks, last night Apple a day up 2.9 percent, Microsoft up 3.1

Amazonians up 3.6 Alphabeti Spaghetti 5.1 percent. Go baby, Meta now known as Scanbook up 6.7 percent

Tesla up 4.6. The chip stocks have an almighty run Nvidia up 5.6 Broadcom up 5.5 ASMR up 5.3

Intel up 7.1 and financials doing well JP Morgan up 3.7 Wells for go up the same Goldman Sachs 4.8

and Morgan Stanley up 3.9 percent. Spy futures are showing again of 130 points or 1.5 percent 8643

yesterday we closed up 21 points. It was a topsy-turvy kind of day yesterday with the news flow

coming in also we saw the RBA minutes but we did close up a quarter of a percent. Last week

don't forget we're up 1 percent. So not doing too badly. Resources were flat yesterday.

Banks were flat yesterday. Technology was up 3 percent and I would expect technology stocks

to give us a good run today in our market in terms of that. CDIs and dual-listed life 367.1

block 5.5 even resmade managed to 2 percent rise. Telex pharmaceutical up 7.7 percent and James

up 7.7. Commodities with the US dollar under pressure. Commodities were looking all right.

We did see WTI fall 1.8 percent to 102.9. The Brent crude price also fell gold up nearly 4 percent 165

but to 46.68 in terms of the Aussie dollar gold price. Let's just have a little look at where we

are this morning. That is 6772. So not a bad effort platinum up 3 percent. The US silver 7.3 percent

although solar panels replacing fossil fuels. US copper up 2.7 LME copper up 1.1 aluminium

at 1.6 zinc up 1.1 ton up 0.4 of a percent. In terms of the stocks BHP up 5.4 percent

Rio up 5 percent VALA 3.8 Anglo 2.8 Antofagasta 5.3 percent copper stocks going like a train

three-port Mac Moran up 7.6 and Capstone up 8.5 Uranium stocks as well doing well Camaco 5.6

and next gen 7.2 percent Gold stocks flying newmon up 5 percent Barric up 6.3 Goldfields up 3.1

has paid to keep the faith with resources sigma up 3.5 percent Album R up 1.5 and in the global

energy stocks Woodside fell 1.6 percent Exxon and Chevron down over 1 percent Shell up 0.8 of a percent

so it should be a pretty good day today but of course we are waiting for more news to come out from

the US. The news out in our market 7 group has appointed a vick bansal to its borders and executive

director he will remain in his current role at borough while supporting the transition

to the incoming chief executive Matt McKenzie Goldman Sachs has upgraded its aluminium forecast

following further supply disruptions over the weekend star has exited its queen

wharf as the partners take control we also have open AI closing $177 billion funding round

at a valuation of $852 billion so they've raised $122 billion US or $177 billion Aussie

for a valuation of $852.122 out of $852 is a lot of cash isn't it so there we go

also a little bit of certainty appearing in the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the new federal reserve

chief there are reports that the US Senate banking committee is preparing to hold a confirmation

meeting for Kevin the president's nominee he hasn't yet even been confirmed so we shall see

could take place as soon as the week of April the 11th we're right what else have we got happening

in Australia this morning plenty going on I'm on the call on Osby's at noon today so that'll be

exciting for all back core chair Lockland Edwards has disclosed the purchase of 89,000 shares

a really a metals has entered a commitment for $150 million senior secured financing package

there we also have what else of interest pro medicus has launched a buyback of up to 10.4

million shares drawn from 1st of April 2026 to 31st of March 27 wider companies launched

buybacks instead of paying dividends well buybacks are far more flexible in that they can be

adjusted they can be suspended depending on circumstances so it does give companies more flexibility

and does show that they believe that their own shares are cheap and are a good investment of course

it also helps shrink the the hurdles for this CEO and others for remuneration in terms of raising

the EPS less shares same earnings higher EPS which sometimes triggers nice little fat bonuses

are a few rare secure as equity subscriptions totaling $230 million dollars so that's good the

equity subscriptions comprise 50 million euros from I won't even try and pronounce it it's German

the German Royal Materials Fund and a hundred million bucks a hundred million dollars US

from export finance Australia European Lithium launches new on-market share buyback that one

will run from the 15th of April to the 15th of October Oceana Gold is to list on the New York

Stock Exchange on the 7th of April this year national nine network at nine entertainment rather

has reinstated outperform at McQuarry priorating was neutral target price there is $1.15

Pexa Group downgraded to neutral from buy at UBS target price cut to 1570 from 1750

Carlos Santana Minerals initiated outperform at Forsyth Bar target price there is $1.35 New

Zealand dollars New Zealand dollars for that one Forsyth Bar obviously a New Zealand

broker Bain Capital continuing IPO process for Estier Health despite fielding offers in the

2 to 2.7 billion dollar range you can drive it a small bus through that range and that as they say

I'm just trying to see if there's any more news coming out at the moment

AGL has backed the $400 million Kiwana gas project that is the WA it is a $490 million

backing of a 220 megawatt gas fired plant so they had previously agreed to purchase four turbines

for $185 million it'd be funded the balance sheet with capital spending spread across three

financial years that's it for me thanks very much listening I have a great day I think it's

going to be a much better day than we've seen for a while of course it is all at the

behest of the president of the United States and of course the president of Iran whoever that

may be today a bit of a poison cellist that one all right thanks again for your support I'll be

back midday with the members exclusive podcast and the softening with the end of day podcast

you can catch me on the Osby's the call at noon thanks again

you