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ASX seen as unmoved by higher Wall Street close
Australian shares are likely to begin trading little changed on Friday despite a strong performance by stocks in the United States overnight. The March futures contract of the benchmark ASX 200 index was quoted just four points below the previous settlement at 8,806 points in Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) trading at the time of writing. This came after the three major indexes on Wall Street ended higher on Thursday (Friday AEDT) following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to rescind tariff threats on eight European nations and following the release of positive economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6%, the S&P 500 put on 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.9%. Wall Street bounced back for a second day after a sharp sell-off on Tuesday prompted by Trump's tariff threats related to his quest for the U.S. to take control of Greenland. "It's very ‌weird to wake up every day as a money manager and you do not know whether it is Christmas morning or Friday the 13th," Investment Partners Asset Management CEO Gregg Abella was quoted saying in a Reuters story. Abella said geopolitical issues were creating an extra focus on managing client portfolios through volatility, and emphasising the im
ASX
ASX 200 holds gains; labour data boosts RBA hike odds
The Australian sharemarket finished higher on Thursday but pared earlier gains after stronger-than-expected employment data lifted expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia could raise interest rates as soon as next month. The S&P/ASX 200 index closed up 65.8 points, or 0.75%, at 8,848.7, with nine of the 11 sectors ending the session in positive territory. Fresh data showed the unemployment rate falling to 4.1% in December from 4.3% in November, while employment rose by 65,200 jobs, more than double market expectations of around 30,000. The unexpectedly tight labour market increased speculation that the RBA may need to tighten policy sooner than previously anticipated. Energy stocks led the market higher as Brent crude oil traded near US$65 per barrel. Woodside Energy gained 2.9%, while Santos surged 5.3% after reporting a 5% increase in fourth-quarter production to 22.3 million barrels of oil equivalent. The major banks rebounded, with Commonwealth Bank adding 2.3%, National Australia Bank up 3%, Westpac adding 2.1% and ANZ closing 0.6% higher. Materials stocks underperformed, however, weighing on broader gains. Fortescue slid 5.1% after reporting a marginally weaker-than-expected December quarter, inc
ASX
Trading floor: Droneshield, IperionX rise; GIB tanks
Azzet reports on three stocks with price moving updates today. Droneshield rallies on broker upgrade ~ Shares in Droneshield (ASX: DRO) were up 6.7% by 2:10 pm AEDT (3:10 am GMT) after broker Bell Potter analysts predicted 2026 to be “the year of the drone” and raised its price target on the stock by 13% to $5. But given that Droneshield is the ASX’s 11th most short-sold stock, savvy investors have become accustomed to volatile swings in the share price – and sometimes for no apparent reason. Yesterday, Droneshield was the worst performer on the ASX 200, declining 8.86% to $4.32. The $5 price target also appears a little underwhelming, given that the stock was trading well over $6 a share last October. Admittedly, the stock is trading around 50% higher year to date; however, there’s clearly still an overhang on the company that relates to former antics of management. What the likes of Bell Potter are really saying is that some of this overhang is now unwarranted, given that the fundamentals in the stock remain unchanged. Were the fundamentals in the stock to change, it would be a different story, and the broker’s limited upgrade suggests that investors still need to be wary. However, a modest 13% upgrade on D
ASX
ASX to rebound amid dissipating tariff threat
The Australian sharemarket is set to open higher on Thursday, snapping a three-day losing streak, after United States President Donald Trump dropped his tariff threats against Europe, triggering a sharp reversal in global markets and a relief rally on Wall Street. Futures pointed higher after recovering from earlier double-digit losses, as risk appetite improved following Trump’s comments easing tensions over Greenland. Bargain hunters returned to markets after Trump said ahead of his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he would not use force to take control of Greenland. United States benchmarks extended gains later in the session after the president said a “framework” had been agreed upon for the Danish territory. The Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite each advanced 1.2% apiece. In Australia, attention also turned to fiscal policy after the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned the nation’s debt burden is set to rise rapidly without significant budget repair. In its 2026 Australian Economic Survey, the OECD said “spending pressures have been strong” across both federal and state budgets, warning that deficits are projected to persist for years. It said that, with
ASX
ASX 200 falls for third session; tech slides, miners gain
The Australian sharemarket fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, tracking sharp losses on Wall Street overnight as President Donald Trump’s renewed push to take control of Greenland continued to ripple through global financial markets. The S&P/ASX 200 Index finished 33.0 points or 0.4% lower at 8,782.9, with eight of the 11 sectors trading in the red. Technology stocks led declines, sliding more than 2% overall, as WiseTech Global fell 2.4%, Technology One lost 3%, Xero shed 5.2%, and NextDC traded 1.8% lower. Consumer discretionary stocks were also under pressure, with JB Hi-Fi down 3.5%, Wesfarmers falling 2.7%, Premier Investments retreating 3.3%, and Tabcorp declining 2.1% Financial heavyweights also extended recent losses, with Commonwealth Bank losing 2.2%, National Australia Bank down 1.6%, ANZ Group falling 2.1%, and Westpac trading 1.2% lower. Materials stocks bucked the broader weakness, however, with BHP climbing 1.5%, while Rio Tinto rose 2.6% after reporting record iron ore production from its Pilbara operations, with output up 4% in the December quarter. Fortescue also traded 1.7% higher. Gold stocks were among the strongest performers after bullion prices surged to fresh record highs n

ASX
Trading floor: West Gold, Lynas rally; ASM rockets
Azzet reports on three resource stocks with price moving updates today. West Gold rallies on December quarter update ~ Shares in West Gold Resources (ASX: WGX) were trading 8.9% higher by 2:15 pm AEDT (3:15 am GMT) after the large cap gold miner told the market it had produced a record 111,418 ounces of gold in the three months to December, up 33% on the previous quarter at an AISC of $3500. The market also reacted favourably to revelations that third-party ore purchases added 22,317 ounces, which saw the company double its underlying cash build to $365 million, compared to the previous quarter. Gold sales of 115,200oz at an average price of $6,356/oz, generating $732 million in revenue. Commenting on today’s update, CEO Wayne Bramwell told the market that costs this quarter reflected deliberate choices to maximise value. Gold price-linked royalties have had a greater impact across the industry and added $12 million to West Gold's year-to-date costs. “Continued operational improvement from our assets continued and we had the opportunity to super charge our cashbuild by purchasing a higher volume of third-party ore,” said Bramwell. “This third party ore delivered 22,317 ounces and monetising it further strength
ASX
ASX to drop as Trump tariff threat unnerves markets
Australian shares were set to fall for the third successive day on Wednesday in a global sell-off prompted by concerns about a new trade war. The worries were sparked by new tariff threats from United States President Donald Trump against Europe. The ASX 200 index was expected to be 0.6% below the previous close when trading resumed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) at 10:00 am AEDT (11:00 pm GMT Tuesday). ASX futures trading had priced the March share price contract of the benchmark 50 points below the previous settlement at 8,738 points at the time of writing. The three main Wall Street indexes suffered their biggest falls in three months on Tuesday (Wednesday) after Trump warned eight European nations they faced escalating tariffs unless they supported the United States taking over Greenland. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.8% to 48,488.6, the S&P 500 dived 2.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite plunged 2.4%. “So basically a revival of the sell America theme last night,” Chief CommSec Economist Ryan Felsman told Azzet. But Harris Financial Group managing partner Jamie Cox said he was not seeing indications that investors were fleeing the market yet. "I'm not at the point yet where I'm willi
ASX
ASX 200 extends decline as Materials, Financials weigh
Australian shares closed lower for a second consecutive session on Tuesday as United States President Donald Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland continued to weigh on global risk sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 58.6 points or 0.7% to 8,815.9, with seven of the index’s 11 sectors finishing in the red. The Financial sector led the declines, with Commonwealth Bank down 1.8%, National Australia Bank falling 0.9%, ANZ Group down 1.2% and Westpac declining 1%. Materials were also weaker overall, pressured by BHP, which fell 2% after the miner revealed higher first-phase costs for its Jansen potash project. Shares in Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals also fell 2% and 0.6%, respectively. Utilities outperformed the market, with Origin Energy jumping 2.6% after announcing it would keep Australia’s largest coal-fired power station, Eraring, operating until 2029. Investor interest in defence-related stocks remained strong amid heightened geopolitical tensions, with DroneShield climbing 3.3%. Elsewhere, ARB Corporation plunged 12% after reporting unaudited sales revenue of $358 million for the half-year to 31 December, down 1% on the previous corresponding period. Hub24 gained 3.1% after the investment platform ope
ASX
Trading floor: Hub24 lifts; BHP, ARB Corp fall
Azzet reports on three stocks with price moving updates today. BHP slips after guiding to higher copper production ~ Shareholders in BHP (ASX: BHP) witnessed a notable pullback of 1.9% by 1:45 pm AEDT (2:45 am GMT) after the big miner guided to higher FY26 copper production of 1.9-2.0 million tonnes, up from 1.8-2.0 million tonnes. This is being driven by increased production guidance from the Escondida project in Chile and the Antamina project in Peru. While BHP clearly plans to capitalise on record copper prices – with average realised copper prices in the first-half of FY26 up 32% year on year to US$5.28 per pound - the market is also witnessing a retreat from all-time record highs reached earlier in the month. After surging past $13,000 per metric ton on the London Metal Exchange (LME) on January 5-6, 2026, prices have retreated as speculative capital takes profits. What appears to be creating an overhang for some metals - including copper – is regulatory pressure following a recent crackdown by Chinese regulators on high-frequency trading (HFT) in metals markets, plus lingering tariff uncertainty. However, despite these macro headwinds, management expects copper prices to remain buoyed by healthy demand and s