The final trading day of the week is proving to be a difficult one to stomach for Aussie investors. Heading into the afternoon the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is tracking 2.34% lower — a performance not seen since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year.
The dastardly downward move is unfolding as concerns around persistent inflation swell. While markets experienced a short-lived rejuvenation yesterday following official interest rate increases in Australia and the United States, investors are mindful of what's to come.
Fuelling this unease, the Reserve Bank of Australia formalised its expectations for 6% inflation by December. For context, this estimate is up from its initial forecast of 3.25%. Consequently, the market is unsettled as it contemplates how far interest rate rises could go. At the same time, can central banks tame inflation without inducing a recession?
In light of this, days like this make it interesting to see which ASX 200 shares can hold up in the face of adversity.
These ASX 200 shares are making the most of a bad day
Today, there are seven ASX-listed companies that are avoiding the chaos playing out. Notably, the shares are sprinkled across a handful of different sectors including healthcare, materials, consumer staples, and consumer discretionary.
Firstly, the healthcare sector is putting up a valiant fight against today's negative sentiment. The two ASX 200 healthcare shares in the green are Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd (ASX: FPH) and Resmed Inc (ASX: RMD) — up 1.4% and 0.6% respectively. Both businesses are wildly profitable and have relatively low debt levels.
The next lot of shares to escape the clutches of inflation fears are two companies in the consumer staples sector. Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) and Metcash Limited (ASX: MTS) are serving up modest gains, up 0.9% and 0.2% respectively.
Finally, the remaining green ASX 200 shares are spread across various sectors. These companies include Amcor Plc (ASX: AMC), Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES), and Cimic Group Ltd (ASX: CIM). Gains across these individual shares range between 0.1% and 0.6%.
One thing is for sure, there are no ASX 200 tech companies making the green list today. The troubled sector is being beaten to a pulp, down 4% with big losses across names such as Xero Limited (ASX: XRO) and WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC).
