The main stock market index in Australia (ASX200) decreased 241 points or 2.95% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Australia. Australia Stock Market Index - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

The S&P/ASX 200 index, the most prominent index of stocks listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), lost over one fifth of its value between the end of February and the end of March 2020, owing to the economic impact of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It has since recovered, and surpassed its pre-corona level in April 2021. Despite fluctuations, it reached its highest value in January 2025 at 8532.3 during this period.The S&P/ASX 200 index is considered the benchmark index for the Australian share market and contains the 200 largest companies listed on the ASX.

The main stock market index in Australia (ASX200) decreased 221 points or 2.71% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Australia. Australia Stock Market Index - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

Key information about Australia S&P/ASX 200

• Australia S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,172.4 points in Feb 2025, compared with 8,532.3 points at the previous month end
• Australia Equity Market Index: Month End: ASX: S&P/ASX 200 data is updated monthly, available from May 1992 to Feb 2025, with an average number of 4,604.3 points
• The data reached an all-time high of 8,532.3 points in Jan 2025 and a record low of 1,428.8 points in Oct 1992

The S&P/ASX 200 Index (XJO) is recognised as the investable benchmark for the Australian equity market, it addresses the needs of investment managers to benchmark against a portfolio characterised by sufficient size and liquidity. The S&P/ASX 200 is comprised of the S&P/ASX 100 plus an additional 100 stocks. It forms the basis for the S&P/ASX 200 Index Future and Options and the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)

The average value of daily trades on Australian equity markets jumped sharply in the first quarter of 2020, increasing from around 6.5 billion Australian dollars in the previous quarter to over 9.4 billion Australian dollars. While this spike was likely due to the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, values did not return back to their trend value for the previous two years. While the quarterly average between Q1 2017 and Q4 2019 was around 6.4 billion U.S. dollars, the average between the first quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2024 was over eight billion Australian dollars. In general, between 80 and 85 percent of these the total values traded was on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), with the remainder being on the Chi-X Australia platform, which is operated by the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE).

The main stock market index in Australia (ASX200) decreased 341 points or 4.18% since the beginning of 2025, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Australia. Australia Stock Market Index - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

Australian Securities Exchange stock price, live market quote, shares value, historical data, intraday chart, earnings per share and news.

Between January 2010 and May 2024, the total market capitalization of domestic companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) grew from 1.32 trillion Australian dollars to 2.67 trillion Australian dollars. While the overall trend was upward, the growth curve was far from linear. The two most notable periods of decline were from March to September 2011, and the crash of March 2020 caused by the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A list of the top 20 companies on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), ranked by market capitalization.

The All Ordinaries, comprised of the 500 most important companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), lost nearly 30 percent of its value between the end of January and the end of March 2020, owing to the economic impact of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It has since recovered and surpassed its pre-corona level in April 2021. Despite fluctuations, it reached its highest value in March 2024 at 8,153.7 during this period.The All Ordinaries index is considered a benchmark index for the Australian share market and includes the value of over 95 percent the the shares listed on the ASX. The other main benchmark index for the Australian economy is the S&P ASX 200, which is comprised of the 200 largest companies listed on the ASX.

Australia ASX Index: S&P/ASX 300 data was reported at 8,103.900 Point in Feb 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8,460.400 Point for Jan 2025. Australia ASX Index: S&P/ASX 300 data is updated monthly, averaging 4,601.300 Point from May 1992 (Median) to Feb 2025, with 394 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8,460.400 Point in Jan 2025 and a record low of 1,419.300 Point in Oct 1992. Australia ASX Index: S&P/ASX 300 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Australian Securities Exchange. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Australia – Table AU.Z001: Australian Stock Exchange: Indices. The S&P/ASX 300 Index (XKO) provides additional depth and coverage to the S&P/ASX 200 whilst maintaining strict liquidity guidelines. It provides up to an additional 100 small-cap stocks to the S&P/ASX 200. The S&P/ASX 300 Index forms the basis for the Vanuard Australian Shares Index 300 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF).

Prices for Australia Stock Market Index (All Ordinaries Composite) including live quotes, historical charts and news. Australia Stock Market Index (All Ordinaries Composite) was last updated by Trading Economics this March 27 of 2025.

The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries index saw a price return of 2,892.51 Australian dollars in July 2023. Due to the financial effects of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the price return for the index decreased significantly between the end of February and the end of March 2020.

ASX index performance affected by the coronavirus pandemic

The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries index is a key benchmark for small-cap Australian companies. The index measures companies included in the S&P/ASX 300 but not in the S&P/ASX 100. In comparison, the S&P/ASX 200 index measures the performance of the 200 largest companies listed on the ASX. Due to the financial effects of the global coronavirus pandemic, it lost more than one-fifth of its value between the end of February and the end of March 2020. Since then, it has improved and surpassed its pre-corona level with its value peaking around 7.5 thousand index points in August 2021.

Financial markets in Australia

Financial markets in Australia are an integral part of the country's economy. The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is the country's primary stock exchange and, as of December 2022, it had a domestic market capitalization of approximately 2.46 trillion Australian dollars. As of April 2023, the largest company listed on the ASX was BHP Group Limited, with a total market capitalization of over 228 billion Australian dollars. The financial sector dominated the list of the largest Australian domestic companies, with five of the top 10 companies being either retail or investment banking groups. Overall, financial markets in Australia are diverse, and robust, attracting both local and international investors.

Prices for Australia Stock Market Index (AU50) including live quotes, historical charts and news. Australia Stock Market Index (AU50) was last updated by Trading Economics this March 27 of 2025.

In 2024, the average exchange rate from Australian dollar to Singapore dollar amounted to approximately 0.88, meaning that one Australian dollar could buy 0.88 Singapore dollar. This was the lowest value over the past decade. The rate peaked in 2017, when one Australian dollar could buy 1.06 Singapore dollars.

Australia’s affluent segment (including HNW and mass affluent individuals) has experienced robust growth in recent years. Affluent individuals accounted for almost a fifth of the total adult population in 2020 and held 93.1% of the country's total onshore liquid assets in 2020. The affluent segment holds the majority of their wealth in safe-haven assets such as deposits and a substantial amount in risky assets such as equities. Therefore, even though the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused big downward shifts in the stock market performance of the country, thereby adversely affecting the returns of the affluent investors on this asset class, such losses were recovered in the second half of 2020 which saw an easing of lockdown restrictions and restarting of the Australian economy. Nevertheless, a strong predicted retail investments growth is expected over the upcoming period, owing to an effective quarantine program and nascent vaccine program which will raise investor confidence in the economic performance of the country. Further, the country’s savings and investments market is observing a growing preference for robo-advisory by the HNW investors. This demand has also been accelerated by the outbreak of the pandemic that has been a catalyst in increasing the use of digital products and services. Read More

Financial asset investors have benefited from a generally strong domestic sharemarket performance and robust profit margins over the past few years. Typically, industry funds are invested in equities, and industry revenue depends on various sharemarket performances. The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing inflationary pressures significantly disrupted both local and global equity markets, which limited industry performance. Yet, total assets have continued to accumulate over recent years, compounding returns for investors, assisted by previously low interest rates. Overall, industry revenue is expected to climb at an annualised 6.2% over the five years through 2024-25, to $176.3 billion. The low-interest rate environment that characterised the trading landscape until recently affected fixed-income assets' performance, which changed the mix of funds held in various industry investment vehicles. More recently, market volatility and cash rate hikes have led to investors increasingly moving to cash management trusts because of their perceived safety as investment instruments. Related elevated interest rates and negative business confidence are set to hurt returns for many investors in 2024-25, particularly investment portfolios geared for higher risk. Despite these pressures, investor incomes are set to swell by 1.7% in the current year off the back of an anticipated strong domestic sharemarket performance, bumped by strong business profit. A falling MSCI world index and negative consumer sentiment have the potential to continue softening investment performance over the coming years. Yet, inflationary pressures and interest rates are set to gradually ease as trading conditions improve. Projected global financial stability and a sluggish appreciation of the Australian dollar may set the stage for a resurgence in overseas investment in Australian markets, yet continued changes implemented by the FIRB may limit the willingness of overseas investors to spend domestically. The influence of superannuation funds over the industry may continue to rise, drawing funds from retail investors, yet they themselves are a large market. For this reason, continued increases to the Superannuation Guarantee Scheme are likely to boost assets at the disposal of pension funds. Overall, financial asset investor incomes are projected to continue growing at an annualised 3.2% through 2029-30, to total $206.6 billion.

In 2024, stock markets in the United States accounted for roughly 60 percent of world stocks. The next largest country by stock market share was Japan, followed by the United Kingdom. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ are the largest stock exchange operators worldwide. What is a stock exchange? The first modern publicly traded company was the Dutch East Industry Company, which sold shares to the general public to fund expeditions to Asia. Since then, groups of companies have formed exchanges in which brokers and dealers can come together and make transactions in one space. Stock market indices group companies trading on a given exchange, giving an idea of how they evolve in real time. Appeal of stock ownership Over half of adults in the United States are investing money in the stock market. Stocks are an attractive investment because the possible return is higher than offered by other financial instruments.

Abbreviations: AEX = Amsterdam Euronext Stock Exchange; ASX = Australian Securities Exchange; Board = mean size of the board; CACM = China’s A-Share Capital Market; Country = country of data collection; CSE = Colombo Stock Exchange; Data Source = Sampling Source of the studies; DC = developing country; DEV = developed country; FTSE = Financial Times Stock Exchange; GNI = Gross National Income Classification; HI = high-income; IPO = Initial Public Offering; ISE = Indonesian Stock Exchange; LI = low-income; Mean (SD) = mean (and standard deviation) of the performance measure; MFI = Microfinance Institutions; MSE = Madrid Stock Exchange; N = number of observations (number of firms × total length of data collection in years); NSE = Nigerian Stock Exchange; No. Firms = Number of firms in sample; OSE = Oslo Stock Exchange; Period = time frame in which data were collected; % Female = percentage of female board members.Study characteristics and effect size data in 20 studies included in the meta-analysis.

The Australia e-commerce market size was valued at USD 536.0 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group estimates the market to reach USD 1,568.60 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.70% from 2025-2033. The market is driven by the growing reliance on smartphones for purchasing goods, as it allows users to purchase goods anytime and from anywhere, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) due to the capability of AI to recommend products as per the browsing history results in a customized shopping experience.

Report Attribute	Key Statistics
Base Year	2024
Forecast Years	2025-2033
Historical Years	2019-2024
Market Size in 2024	USD 536.0 Billion
Market Forecast in 2033	USD 1,568.60 Billion
Market Growth Rate (2025-2033)	12.70%

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the Australia e-commerce market, along with forecast at the country and regional levels from 2025-2033. The market has been categorized based on type and transaction.