

Afternoon Report | Markets spooked, gold rises
Sep 1, 2025
The market sees a dip in the ASX as inflation remains a concern, yet gold prices are on the rise, giving a boost to mining companies. A fascinating study explores the difficulties in verifying users' ages on social media, raising questions about online safety. Meanwhile, Australia tackles child protection legislation and reacts to an MP's alarming threat against a journalist. In a surprising move, South Australia bans fish-shaped soy sauce containers to cut down on plastic waste, while the world grapples with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Afghanistan.
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Markets React To US Political Signals
- US political comments can move Australian markets by changing expectations about Fed independence and rate cuts.
- Investors fled to safe havens like gold, lifting gold miners while the ASX 200 hit a two-week low.
Sector Winners And Losers On The Day
- Different sectors respond unevenly to market shocks: gold miners surged while banks and major miners fell and tech lagged.
- Individual stocks like Harvey Norman can buck the trend after strong earnings, rising sharply despite broader weakness.
Require Reasonable Steps For Age Checks
- Regulators should require platforms to demonstrate they take reasonable steps to keep under-16s off services rather than picking a single mandated method.
- Use a mix of ID checks, parental approval and emerging AI tools while managing privacy and reliability risks.