ASX 200 closes higher after inflation cools; banks drag while Lynas jumps 14%
The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.15% to 8,695.6 Wednesday as miners and rare-earth stocks offset losses in banks after inflation slowed to 3.4% in November. Lynas Rare Earths surged 14.5% following China’s new export controls, while Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, and NAB dropped up to 2%. The Australian dollar slipped to 67.28 U.S. cents. Investors await further CPI data due Jan. 28.