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ASX set to fall; JB Hi-Fi reports record sales
The Australian sharemarket is expected to open lower on Monday as investors brace for one of the busiest weeks of the year for domestic corporate results, while an ongoing stalemate in the Middle East conflict and growing expectations of another Reserve Bank of Australia interest rate hike weigh on sentiment. S&P/ASX 200 Index futures pointed to a 0.4% decline at Monday's open, extending last week's losses after more companies missed profit expectations than exceeded them. JB Hi-Fi Group reported a 4.3% increase in sales and a 5.8% rise in earnings before interest and tax, in what was described as an exceptional result given current market conditions. Group CEO, Nick Wells noted: “We are pleased to report record sales and solid earnings for FY26. In an uncertain retail environment where customers are seeking value, our brands continued to resonate and our teams continued to execute to a high standard.” United States benchmarks closed modestly lower on Friday as investors digested weaker-than-expected economic data, concerns over elevated valuations among AI-related companies and renewed Middle East tensions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%, while the S&P 500 declined 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped
ASX
ASX falls 0.8% as miners drag index lower
The Australian sharemarket extended its decline for a third consecutive session on Friday, with weakness in mining stocks weighing on the benchmark as investors reduced exposure ahead of a busy earnings season next week. The S&P/ASX 200 fell 73.3 points, or 0.8%, to 9,115.2, with six of the 11 sectors finishing lower. The index declined 1.6% over the week. The Materials sector led the declines, with BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue falling 3.3%, 3.1% and 1.3%, respectively. Industrials also weakened, with Brambles down 0.4%, Transurban falling 4.1% and Atlas Arteria declining 0.8%. Australian real estate investment trusts also finished lower. Goodman Group declined 1.3%, Charter Hall fell 0.4% and Scentre Group lost 0.5%. Information technology was a bright spot, with Xero gaining 5.5%, WiseTech Global rising 5.6% and TechnologyOne advancing 3.2%. Among individual movers, QBE Insurance fell 1.6% after reporting US$1.03 billion (A$1.46 billion) in net profit after tax for the six months ended 30 June, up 0.97% year-on-year. Baby Bunting climbed 5.8% after reporting a 17.5% increase in full-year profit from a year earlier. The retailer also flagged an expected increase in pro forma net profit for the current financi
ASX
ASX set to fall as Wall St rallies to record high
Australian shares are expected to open lower on Friday, despite a strong finish on Wall Street, as softer United States producer price data boosted expectations that Federal Reserve policymakers will leave interest rates unchanged at their September meeting. S&P/ASX 200 futures were down 37 points, or 0.4%, at 9,091. In the U.S., major benchmark averages finished higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.1%, the S&P 500 climbing 0.7% to a fresh record high and the Nasdaq advancing 0.8%. "The AI earnings-driven tech boom continues," Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Advisors in New York was quoted as saying in a Reuters story. "It's an earnings boom, not a bubble." The probability of the Fed holding interest rates unchanged next month has risen to 65.6%, according to the CME's FedWatch metric. The figure stood at 59.4% a day earlier, 45% a week ago and 24.9% a month ago. The Australian sharemarket finished Thursday's session slightly lower following a series of corporate earnings reports and a sell-off in Commonwealth Bank shares. The S&P/ASX 200 declined 20.9 points, or 0.2%, to 9,188.5, with six of the 11 sectors ending lower. Among companies reporting results on Friday are Abacus St
ASX
ASX falls amid earnings; CBA decline weighs
The Australian sharemarket fell on Thursday following a series of earnings results and a sell-off in Commonwealth Bank shares. The S&P/ASX 200 declined 20.9 points, or 0.2%, to 9,188.5, with six of the 11 sectors closing lower. Communication services led the declines, with Telstra falling 3.2% despite reporting a 2.7% year-on-year increase in full-year profit to A$2.41 billion. Telstra also announced plans for a share buyback worth up to $1 billion in FY27. The telecommunications company completed a $1.25 billion share buyback programme in June 2026. The Information Technology sector finished higher overall. WiseTech Global gained 1.7%, Xero slipped 0.3%, NextDC added 1.7%, and TechnologyOne fell 0.4%. Financials finished marginally higher, despite CBA falling 2.2% after Australia’s largest bank reported a better-than-expected profit result on Wednesday. National Australia Bank gained 1.2%, while Westpac advanced 0.9%. ANZ surged 4.5% after reporting a $1.9 billion cash profit for the three months ended 30 June, up 2% year-on-year. The bank said support from the first home buyer scheme helped mortgage applications remain flat. Among individual movers, ASX Ltd jumped 9% after reporting a 5% increase in full-
ASX
ASX set to fall; US CPI data boosts tech overnight
The Australian sharemarket is set for a modestly lower open on Thursday following a mixed session on Wall Street, as softer United States inflation boosted risk-sensitive technology stocks and reduced expectations of a September interest rate hike. S&P/ASX 200 futures were down 24 points, or 0.3%, at 9,128. The U.S. consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.1% in July from the previous month and increased 3.4% annually. "The numbers came in right in line. The market's reaction is slightly positive because the market was fearful it was going to come in worse than it did. You're seeing a market thinking that the Fed is not being pushed toward ⁠a rate hike," Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth in Fairfield, Connecticut, was quoted as saying in a Reuters story. Traders are now pricing in a 59.9% chance of the Federal Reserve holding rates at its September meeting, according to the CME Group FedWatch Tool. The Australian sharemarket finished Wednesday’s session lower as investors digested a series of local earnings results. The S&P/ASX 200 fell 41.20 points, or 0.5%, to 9,209.4, with nine of the 11 sectors ending in negative territory. In Thursday’s trade, investors will be monitoring results from AS

ASX
ASX ticks higher as RBA holds rates steady
The Australian sharemarket finished Tuesday's session slightly higher after Reserve Bank of Australia policymakers opted to keep interest rates unchanged, in line with market expectations. The S&P/ASX 200 Index added 18.0 points, or 0.2%, to 9,250.6, with six of the 11 sectors ending higher. The Energy sector led gains as crude oil prices jumped 5% overnight after diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz appeared to reach an impasse. Woodside Energy (WDS) gained 3.8%, Santos (STO) jumped 5.4%, Beach Energy (BPT) rose 5.5% and Viva Energy (VEA) added 2.3%. The defensive Health Care sector also finished higher, with CSL (CSL) adding 2.9%, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare (FPH) rising 1.7%, ResMed (RMD) gaining 3.8% and Pro Medicus (PME) climbing 3.2%. Among individual movers, Life360 plunged 19.4%, leading declines on the index after reporting a 28% drop in second-quarter net income. SGH fell 10.3% after reporting a 35% increase in full-year profit but guiding for weaker-than-expected EBIT growth in FY27. Austal surged 17.5% to lead the day's gains after receiving a A$1.7 billion takeover offer from South Korean defence group Hanwha. On the bond markets, the 10-year yield was up 0.2%
ASX
ASX set for flat open as RBA decision looms
The Australian sharemarket is expected to open largely flat on Tuesday following modest declines on Wall Street overnight, with local investors turning their attention to the Reserve Bank of Australia's interest rate decision later in the session. ASX 200 futures were down 3 points at 9,178, while the S&P 500 closed 0.1% lower. In the United States overnight, major benchmarks finished slightly lower as investors became less optimistic about a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 61 points, or 0.1%, to 53,976.0. The S&P 500 declined 4.5 points, or 0.1%, to 7,753.1, while the Nasdaq dropped 85.3 points, or 0.3%, to 26,605.4. The S&P 500 recorded a record closing high on Friday, supported by much stronger-than-expected earnings results. "It’s record margins and record earnings. That's just been the story of this market, and yet the overlay of the Iran conflict just pulls risk sentiment on and then pulls it off," Tom Hainlin, an investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Minneapolis, was quoted as saying in a Reuters story. "The direct impact is just the energy sector and ... oil prices, and they're just sticky here above where they were on February 27 before the c
ASX
ASX closes 0.3% lower as banks lead decline
The Australian sharemarket fell on Monday as investors weighed a flurry of local corporate results ahead of a closely watched Reserve Bank of Australia interest rate decision on Tuesday. The S&P/ASX 200 declined 31.0 points, or 0.3%, to 9,232.6, despite seven of the 11 sectors finishing higher. Westpac led losses among the heavyweight banks, falling 5.9% after reporting statutory net profit after tax of A$1.8 billion for the three months ended June 30, down 5% from a year earlier. The lender also reported a 20% decline in mortgage applications in its third quarter, as the combined impact of federal budget tax changes and three interest rate increases began to weigh on demand. Commonwealth Bank fell 2.1%, National Australia Bank declined 2.4%, and ANZ slipped 1.7%. The communications sector led gains, with Telstra rising 0.4%, REA Group adding 1.1% and SEEK climbing 6.9%. Car Group was the strongest performer on the index, gaining 9.9% after reporting a 14% increase in net profit for the year ended June 30. In company news, FleetPartners surged 12.1% after rejecting a A$3.60-a-share takeover offer from SG Fleet and reporting that it had received a A$3.80-a-share offer from Element Fleet Management over the week
ASX
ASX set to rise; focus on local earnings
Australian shares are set to open higher on Monday, with the S&P/ASX 200 expected to reach a fresh high as investors prepare for a busy week of company earnings and a key Reserve Bank of Australia policy meeting. ASX 200 futures indicate the index will rise 33 points, or 0.4%, at the opening bell. The expected gain follows a strong session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 closed at a record high on Friday. All three major U.S. indexes posted their biggest weekly gains since April as strong corporate earnings eased concerns over heavy spending by artificial intelligence companies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 151.8 points, or 0.3%, to 54,036.9, while the S&P 500 gained 47.7 points, or 0.6%, to 7,757.6. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 342.3 points, or 1.3%, to 26,690.6. Market sentiment was further supported by a weaker-than-expected U.S. employment report. Nonfarm payrolls fell by 23,000 in July, compared with expectations for an increase of 80,000, reducing expectations of a Federal Reserve rate hike at its September meeting. "You probably have to lower rates to kind of stimulate job growth, but if you lower rates, you're going to also stimulate inflation. So you're kind of in a pickle at this point, and y