36m agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 5:19amMarket snapshot<\/p>\n
Price current around 4:15pm AEDT<\/p>\n
Just nowTue 31 Mar 2026 at 5:54am<\/p>\n
Star Entertainment licence to remain suspended<\/p>\n
The Star Entertainment Group <\/b>has been advised <\/b>by the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC)<\/b> that the suspension of the licence<\/b> for The Star Sydney<\/b> will remain in effect<\/b> at this time.<\/p>\n
The NICC has also advised The Star that the Manager’s appointment for The Star Sydney Casino has been extended to 30 September 2026<\/b> unless terminated earlier by the NICC.<\/p>\n
This aligns with the current term of appointments of the Special Manager to The Star Gold Coast and the external advisor for The Star Brisbane.<\/p>\n
13m agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 5:42am<\/p>\n
ASX200 graph<\/p>\n
Here’s the graph showing what the ASX200 did today.<\/p>\n
It began rallying quickly before midday, then it slowly declined through the afternoon before closing 20.8 points higher on yesterday’s close.<\/p>\n
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26m agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 5:29amASX up 0.25% to finish March but down 7.8% for the month<\/p>\n
It could have been better, it could have been worse…<\/p>\n
The ASX 200 <\/b>spent the morning in the red before an impressive lunchtime rally that saw it up around 1 per cent in the early afternoon.<\/p>\n
But it finished just 0.25% higher<\/b> at 8481.8, up by 20.8 points<\/b>.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t a spectacular end to the month, but at least the ASX didn’t fall further.<\/p>\n
Academic & Educational Services <\/b>and Technology<\/b> were the best performing sectors, while the drag came from Energy <\/b>and Consumer Non-Cyclicals<\/b>.<\/p>\n
In the month of March, the ASX dropped around 7.8%<\/b>.<\/p>\n
42m agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 5:13am<\/p>\n
RBA minutes, Middle East conflict, federal budget windfall<\/p>\n
Westpac head of FM strategy Martin Whetton<\/b> has sent around a note with a snapshot of some of today’s economic news:<\/p>\n 46m agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 5:08amMore ‘cost pressures’ for retail sector after RBA decision on card surcharges<\/p>\n Consumers may be applauding the decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia decision to ban card surcharges<\/b>, but not everyone is happy about it.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Australian Retail Council (ARC) <\/b>says the move will add to cost pressures across the retail sector, particularly for smaller businesses operating on tight margins.<\/p>\n “Retailers don’t surcharge by choice. Lower interchange fees and greater transparency are welcome steps, but they do not eliminate the cost of accepting card payments, nor do they guarantee that savings will be passed through in full,” ARC CEO Chris Rodwell<\/b> said.<\/p>\n “Removing surcharges reduces the flexibility retailers have to cover those costs, and that pressure will be felt most by smaller businesses already facing a cost-of-doing-business crisis,” Mr Rodwell said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n October 1st <\/b>is when surcharging on debit and credit cards will end.<\/p>\n Read more about the RBA’s decision from ABC News business reporter Adelaide Miller<\/b>:<\/p>\n 1h agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 4:31amWho pays for petrol explained in ABC Business Daily podcast<\/p>\n The latest ABC Business Daily podcast is out, with Chief Business Correspondent Ian Verrender joining Carrington Clarke.<\/p>\n And they’re discussing today’s hot topic: fuel prices and the government’s attempt at easing pain at the pump.<\/p>\n It’s a great listen, you can hear the podcast here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 1h agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 4:25amWhen will petrol and diesel prices drop in Australia?<\/p>\n Australians are set to see some relief at the petrol pump after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a cut to the fuel excise.<\/p>\n With the tax temporarily cut in half, the 53 cent-a-litre charge will\u00a0fall by 26.3 cents\u00a0<\/strong>for\u00a0three months<\/strong>\u2014 from April 1 until June 30.<\/p>\n The heavy vehicle road user charge \u2014 about 32 cents a litre<\/b> \u2014 will also be reduced to zero for three months, in a bid to support truck drivers.<\/p>\n ABC News reporter\u00a0Hanan Dervisevic<\/b> breaks it all down for you:<\/p>\n 1h agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 4:15amNSW premier calls for more sovereignty on national energy supply as petrol prices rise<\/p>\n NSW Premier Chris Minns has argued Australia needs greater “sovereignty” over its energy and must electrify its economy if it is to survive future oil shocks.<\/p>\n Mr Minns made the comments while announcing the state’s fuel saving measures under the national fuel security plan.<\/p>\n “We need more sovereignty and control over our energy, and we need to be able to drive our economy independent of what happens in the Middle East,” he said.<\/p>\n “We have to consider the next conflict and anyone who thinks this is the last war in the Middle East is a complete mug \u2014 we have to start thinking about the future.<\/p>\n “This is a long-term change, but the question is \u2014 do we start tomorrow or do we just wait for the next war?”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Read more of the story here:<\/p>\n 1h agoTue 31 Mar 2026 at 3:59am<\/p>\n Oil price rides waves of headline-driven volatility<\/p>\n Tony Sycamore from IG<\/b>\u00a0says the price of crude oil has given up its early gains on the latest signs of US de-escalation in the Middle East.<\/p>\n “As we enter the second month of the conflict in Iran, oil markets continue to ride a wave of headline-driven volatility, with ripples felt across most asset classes,” Mr Sycamore writes.<\/p>\n “This morning brought another sharp swing: reports that Iran struck a fully laden Kuwaiti oil tanker<\/a>, the Al-Salmi, off Dubai triggered an immediate spike, pushing WTI crude as high as $106.86 in early trade.<\/p>\n\n
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