The ASX 200 finished Thursday’s session virtually unchanged at 8,841, surrendering early gains as strength in consumer non-durables, utilities, and consumer services was offset by weakness in technology and energy stocks. Investors weighed Australia's latest consumer inflation expectations, which eased to a six-month low of 4.7% in July, even as underlying inflation remained stubborn and above the Reserve Bank’s 2–3% target band.
On the global front, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated that U.S. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to meet in late September, ahead of the expiration of the current trade truce. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures edged higher after softer U.S. inflation data tempered expectations of an imminent Federal Reserve rate hike.
In corporate news, BHP Group slipped 2.2% after reporting weaker quarterly copper production, while Rio Tinto declined 0.9%, paring gains from the previous session. In contrast, the major banks advanced between 0.3% and 1.5%. Reece gained 2.3%, ASX Ltd. rose 2.2%, and WiseTech Global added 2.0%, all posting notable increases.
