The ASX 200 ended modestly higher after a choppy session, with investors digesting profit results and awaiting a key speech from US Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Heavy losses in miners and healthcare, including further weakness in CSL, were offset by strong gains in the big banks. James Hardie slumped on weak US demand, while Breville and Iluka also disappointed. On the upside, Magellan, Stockland, Lottery Corp and Transurban all posted strong results and lifted sharply.

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