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Flat start seen for ASX as Wall Street ends mixed
The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is likely to start little changed on Thursday after a mixed night on Wall Street, with corporate earnings results driving the market through the day. The March futures contract of the ASX 200 index was last quoted just two points below the prior settlement at 8,956 points at the time of writing, indicating a flat start for the benchmark at 10:00 am AEDT (11:00 pm GMT Wednesday). Overnight in the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite indexes eased, while the S&P 500 index was little changed as a stronger-than-expected employment data raised expectations of slower United States interest-rate cuts. The Dow fell 0.1%, the S&P 500 finished virtually unchanged, while the Nasdaq Composite eased 0.2%. Although the market still expects at least a 25-basis-point cut in June, the chances that rates would be unchanged in the U.S. thereafter increased. New York Life Investments Global Market Strategist Julia Hermann said investors digested changes to rate cut bets "quite well" because they interpreted the strong jobs report as good news for the economy. "This is constructive news in that the economy is not in dire need of rate cuts because the jobs market
ASX
ASX 200 jumps 1.7% as CBA surges, CSL plummets
The Australian sharemarket closed higher on Wednesday as investors digested a wave of corporate earnings, with strong banking and industrial results driving broad-based gains. The S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 147.4 points, or 1.7%, to 9,014.8, bringing the benchmark closer to its record high of 9,115.2 set in October. Nine of the 11 sectors finished in positive territory. Financials led the advance, powered by a standout performance from Commonwealth Bank. Shares in the nation’s largest lender surged 6.8%. The move followed the bank’s first-half results for the 2026 financial year, which showed a 5% rise in net profit after tax to A$5.412 billion. Other major lenders also advanced, with National Australia Bank up 3.4%, Westpac rising 2.5%, and ANZ adding 1.3%. The Materials sector contributed to the rally, led by James Hardie, which rose 4.2%. The building products group reported EBITDA of US$330 million for the December quarter, exceeding guidance of between $298 million and US$318 million. Mining heavyweights added further support, with BHP up 1.6%, Rio Tinto adding 1.2%, and Fortescue rising 2.3%. However, gains were partially offset by a sharp fall in CSL. The biotechnology group plunged 4.6% after announcing
ASX
Trading floor: CSL tanks; CBA, Aussie Broadband rise
Azzet reports on three stocks with price moving updates today. CSL tumbles after bombshell announcements ~ Shares in CSL (ASX: CSL) were trading 6.4% lower by 1:50 pm AEDT (2:50 am GMT), with the market reacting negatively to the double-whammy bombshell the Biotech giant unfurled on the investors. Given the brutal year CSL experienced in 2025, revelations that CEO Paul McKenzie is retiring – disclosed in the dying minutes of trading yesterday – may in isolation have been seen as a blessing for shareholders. After all, the share price is down 41% in one year, and today’s falls have pushed it to a new multi-year low of $151.58. Revelations today that the company experienced a 81% slump in half-year earnings to US$400 million only heighten uncertainty over where the seemingly rudderless stock will go from here. Management attributed the disappointing first-half results to a number of factors, including government policy changes, one-off restructuring costs and impairments. In FY26, total after-tax non-restructuring related impairments of approximately $1.1 billion will be booked, almost all of which was recognised in the first half. While FY26 guidance was reaffirmed - including NPATA growth of 4-7% and revenue gr
ASX
Mixed Wall Street finish puts ASX start in doubt
The outlook for Australian share prices is uncertain on Wednesday, with corporate profit results likely to determine how the market opens. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) beat expectations with half-year results released before trading resumed, while former market darling CSL (ASX: CSL) disappointed with interim earnings and after sacking its Chief Executive Officer. Although Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) futures trading indicated the benchmark ASX200 would start higher, Chief CommSec Economist Ryan Felsman said it could be pressured by the weak U.S. lead-in and lower gold, oil and copper prices overnight. “Commodity stocks will limit gains on the benchmark,” he told Azzet. According to ASX futures trading, the index should begin 0.32% stronger as the March share price index contract was quoted 29 points above the previous settlement at 8,848 points at the time of writing. Weaker than expected retail sales data undermined United States equity markets, with two of the three main benchmarks ending down lower on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT). The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite Indexes fell while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to a new high as investors analysed corporate results, earnings and fi
ASX
ASX 200 ends flat as tech gains; EOS jumps 11.8%
The Australian sharemarket ended Tuesday’s session little changed, as strength in technology offset weakness in the health care and financial sectors following last week’s sell-off driven by concerns over heavy artificial intelligence spending. The S&P/ASX 200 Index slipped 2.7 points, or 0.03%, to close at 8,867.4. Eight of the 11 sectors finished higher. Technology stocks extended gains, with WiseTech Global up 2.6%, TechnologyOne adding 1.8%, Xero up 2.2%, and NEXTDC advancing 3.4%. The Materials sector ended higher overall, supported by gains in heavyweight miners BHP, Rio Tinto, up 1.1% and 1.4%, respectively, while Fortescue slipped 1%. Uranium producers also rebounded after heavy selling last week amid doubts that artificial intelligence-driven demand would translate into a significant nuclear power boom. Paladin Energy rose 5.5%, Deep Yellow gained 7.1%, and NexGen Energy added 3.8%. The Health Care sector weighed as CSL fell 5%, although Ramsay Health Care gained 2.6%, Pro Medicus added 4%, and Cochlear posted gains of 1.5%. Macquarie Group added 0.8% after the investment bank reported higher December-quarter profits across all four of its divisions and indicated that its flagship commodities and glob

ASX
Trading floor: EOS, Region Group up; GEM tanks
Azzet reports on three stocks with price moving updates today. Electro Optic Systems tanks after resuming trading today ~ When Electro Optic Systems (ASX: EOS) resumed trading today, after a multi-day trading halt, the market made no secret of what it thought of the defence stock’s response to the short-seller Grizzly Research report, posted at 10.36 am AEDT (11:36 pm GMT) this morning. A fall of around 12% immediately after posting today’s update follows on the heels of a 16% fall on Friday when the company denied media speculation that it may capitalise on strong growth in defence spending in Europe by shifting its headquarters and stock market listing from Australia to Europe. However, by 1:36 pm AEDT (2:36 am GMT), the stock had retraced losses to be up 8%. While EOS acknowledged strong growth in European defence demand, it told the market that no final decisions have been made to shift its headquarters to Europe. Underpinning today’s announcement was a somewhat more sobering response to allegations by Grizzly Research on 6 February, which alleged that several major contracts announced by EOS last year, including a US$80 million laser contract in Korea and the acquisition of the MARSS Group, were "intentionally m
ASX
ASX to add to big gains on back of higher Wall Street
Australian share prices are expected to open higher on Tuesday after United States stocks rose overnight. The ASX 200 index should begin up 0.36% based on Australian Securities Exchange trading, which priced the March share price index contract 32 points higher than the previous close at 8,857 points at the time of writing. This would follow the pattern on Wall Street overnight, where higher technology stock prices helped to boost the main indexes as investors awaited earnings reports and key U.S. economic data this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average put on just 0.04% to clinch a fresh record high, the S&P 500 gained 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1%. "You've a sharply oversold market where a little bit of good news can go a long way," Truist Advisory Services Chief Investment Officer Keith Lerner was quoted in a Reuters story as saying. The Australian market performed strongly on Monday, delivering its strongest one-day gain since April 2025, with the ASX 200 Index surging 1.9% to 8,870.1 points as 11 sectors finished with gains. Company announcements today include Macquarie Group’s (ASX: MQG) operational briefing presentation and earnings from Amotiv (AOV), James Hardie (JHX) and Region Group (RGN).
ASX
ASX 200 jumps 1.9% in broad-based rally
The Australian sharemarket delivered its strongest one-day advance since April 2025 on Monday, as investors returned to beaten-down technology and mining stocks following last week’s sharp sell-off. The S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 161.3 points, or 1.9%, to close at 8,870.1, with all 11 sectors finishing in positive territory in a broad-based rally. The technology sector led the recovery after tumbling nearly 13% last week amid concerns over artificial intelligence capital expenditure and the potential redundancy of some software providers. WiseTech Global added 3.6%, Xero gained 1.4%, TechnologyOne added 3.5%, and NextDC rallied 4.9%. Real estate investment trusts also enjoyed a strong session. Goodman Group was up 6.5%, Charter Hall gained 2.7%, Mirvac lifted 1.3%, and Scentre Group added 1.8%. Mining stocks were buoyed by firmer commodity prices. Gold rose 1.6%, while silver jumped 5.9%. Northern Star lifted 3.6%, Evolution Mining gained 4.5%, and Newmont finished 6.5% higher, tracking the lift in bullion prices. Diversified mining giants BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue also advanced 1.9%, 2.1%, and 2.6%, respectively. The local reporting season also began to gather pace, generating notable individual share pr
ASX
Trading floor: WEB, Pepper Money, Reach Resources lift
Azzet reports on three stocks with price moving updates today. Web Travel recovers on guidance reassurances ~ Following its disastrous 38% routing on Friday - after dropping the Spanish tax audit bombshell on the market - shares in Web Travel (ASX: WEB) clawed back 17.7% by 2:30 pm AEDT (3:30 am GMT) after the hotel room aggregator reassured the market that Friday’s sell-off was a massive overreaction. While the raid on the company’s Palma offices by Spanish tax authorities would suggest something far more sinister was going on, the group’s managing director, John Guscic, in a nothing-to-see-here tone, reaffirmed guidance for the business’s underlying earnings. “If we felt it was in any way material to guidance, future performance or business model, we would have disclosed it,” he told the market today. While that’s reassuring, wary investors clearly want more detail on what the audit is actually about. Assuming Guscic is right in concluding that the Spanish audit won’t impact the travel agent’s prospects for FY26, the share price presents some attractive buying opportunities on a stock that has been trading at a significant discount to its valuation for some time. Based on Morningstar’s valuations – which are typi