The S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% higher to close at 8,617 on Thursday, supported by gains in gold and tech stocks, while a hotter inflation reading tempered expectations for monetary easing and rekindled concerns about a potential rate hike. The caution followed Wednesday’s data showing consumer prices rising for a fourth straight month in October, pushing further beyond the RBA’s 2%–3% target band. The upside surprise drove a meaningful shift in market pricing, with only a slim chance now attached to a May rate cut next year and a growing likelihood of a hike by year-end. Meanwhile, a strong lead from Wall Street overnight supported sentiment amid rising expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut. Gold miners advanced 1.1% to a two-week high, supported by firmer bullion prices under the increasingly dovish Fed outlook. Technology stocks followed their US counterparts higher, climbing more than 2%, with Wisetech Global up nearly 5%.
