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ASX falls 0.4%; consumer staples, energy lead declines
The Australian sharemarket traded lower on Monday, with declines in energy and consumer staples outweighing gains in technology stocks as investors positioned ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy decision. The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 32.7 points or 0.4% to 8,697.1, with eight of the 11 sectors finishing in negative territory. Trading volumes were lighter due to public holidays in Queensland and the Northern Territory. The Consumer Staples sector lead losses on the day, with Endeavour Group, dropping 3.8% after issuing a weaker-than-expected trading update. The company also pointed to rising input costs linked to the Middle East conflict. The a2 Milk Company shed 9.9% after announcing a voluntary recall of three batches of its United States-labelled a2 Platinum infant formula, following the detection of cereulide, a toxin associated with foodborne illness, in products sold in the United States. Supermarket giants also moved lower, with Coles falling 3.9% and Woolworths down 0.8%, while Graincorp dipped 2.9% and Inghams lost 4.4%. Energy stocks weakened amid mixed signals from the Middle East. President Donald Trump said the United States would begin guiding neutral vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf throu
ASX
ASX set to fall ahead of Tuesday's RBA decision
The Australian sharemarket is expected to open lower on Monday as investors position ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s policy meeting, where markets are anticipating a possible third consecutive interest rate increase. Futures for the S&P/ASX 200 indicate a decline of 23 points, or 0.26%, at the open, following a period of sustained weakness in which the index has closed lower in eight of the past nine sessions. Investor caution persists despite continued strength on Wall Street, where both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached fresh record highs on Friday, rising 0.3% and 0.9%, respectively, supported by gains in major technology stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, edged 0.3% lower. The anticipated decline follows a brief rebound on Friday, when the S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 64.0 points, or 0.7%, to close at 8,729.8, with nine of the 11 sectors finishing in positive territory. Attention is now firmly on the RBA’s upcoming board meeting on Tuesday. Market pricing suggests a high probability of further policy tightening, with the ASX's RBA Rate Tracker indicating a 74% chance of a 25 basis point increase that would lift the cash rate to 4.35%. Analysts at ANZ said in a note to clients on Frid
ASX
ASX snaps losing streak as miners rally
The Australian sharemarket ended an eight-session losing streak on Friday, amid improving risk sentiment as investors monitored overnight gains in the United States amid solid quarterly earnings results. The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 64.0 points, or 0.7%, to close at 8,729.8, with nine of the 11 sectors finishing higher. Despite the rebound, the benchmark index recorded a weekly decline of 0.7%. Gains were led by the Materials sector, with heavyweight miners BHP, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue Metals Group advancing 2.3%, 2.7%, and 1.8%, respectively. Gold miners also posted strong gains, with Northern Star Resources up 0.8%, Evolution Mining adding 2.1%, and Newmont Corporation moving 2.2% higher, after bullion prices lifted 1.7% from monthly lows overnight. The Industrials sector contributed to the broader advance, with Transurban up 0.4%, Brambles adding 1.3%, Computershare up 1.8%, and SGH Limited finishing 3.3% higher. Qantas Airways rose 0.8% after announcing it would extend flight cuts into the 2026–27 period, while continuing to redeploy aircraft towards European routes as higher fuel costs linked to the Middle East conflict reshape its network strategy. Consumer staples stocks also advanced, with GrainCorp up
ASX
ASX set to snap losing streak as Wall St lifts
Australian shares are set to snap an eight-session losing streak on Friday, with futures pointing to a strong rebound following a surge on Wall Street driven by robust earnings and resilient United States economic data. ASX 200 futures were up 127 points, or 1.5%, to 8,795, indicating a positive open, after the S&P/ASX 200 Index closed down 21.2 points, or 0.2%, at 8,665.8 in the previous session, despite eight of the 11 sectors finishing in positive territory. Investor sentiment improved after U.S. equities rallied to fresh record highs. The Dow added 1.6%, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1% and 0.9%, respectively. Wall Street’s gains were supported by a strong performance from industrial giant Caterpillar. Shares in the company surged 9.9% after it reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings and raised its long-term sales outlook, reinforcing confidence in global growth. Further underpinning the rally was data showing the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at an annualised rate of 2.0% in the first quarter, with a notable contribution from ongoing investment in artificial intelligence. Performance among mega-cap technology stocks was mixed. Alphabet jumped 10% after delivering strong
ASX
ASX logs 8th loss as oil surge hits sentiment
The Australian sharemarket declined for an eighth consecutive session on Thursday, marking its longest losing streak since 2018, as surging oil prices and rising tensions in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment. The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 21.2 points, or 0.2%, to close at 8,665.8, despite eight of the 11 industry groups finishing higher. Risk appetite remained subdued as investors responded to reports that the United States will maintain its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route that carries around one-fifth of the world’s energy supply, in an effort to pressure Iran into negotiations. Consumer Staples led declines on the day, as Woolworths tumbled 7.8% after warning that higher fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict would weigh on earnings. Coles shed 3.6%, Treasury Wine Estates lost 0.5%, Metcash fell 2.2%, and Inghams Group posted declines of 3.8%. The Materials sector retreated, with major miners BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group finishing 2.2%, 2%, and 2.8% lower, respectively. Gold miners also came under pressure after bullion prices slipped to monthly lows overnight. Northern Star Resources lost 2.7%, Evolution Mining fell 5.3%, and Newmont Corporation declined 2.1

ASX
Trading floor: Woolworths tanks; MinRes, Regis lift
Azzet reports on three stocks with price moving updates today. Woolworths dives on lower guidance ~ Shares in Woolworths (ASX: WOW) were trading 7% lower by 1:10 pm AEST (3:10 am GMT) after the supermarket giant lowered its full-year profit guidance. While the retail giant reported a better-than-expected 4.5% rise in third-quarter sales to $18.1 billion, investors were clearly spooked by management's cautious outlook. What appears to have unnerved investors today were warnings by CEO Amanda Bardwell that surging petrol prices are increasing supply chain costs and eroding consumer confidence. It’s understood that rising fuel costs linked to Middle East tensions will result in full-year Australian food EBIT rising in the mid to high single-digit range and no longer at the top end. Commenting on today’s update, Bardwell told the market that it’s too early to predict the direct and indirect impacts on FY27 from the conflict in the Middle East and how this will impact customer shopping behaviours. However, ongoing conflict in the Middle East is expected to have an increasing "inflationary impact" on the business later in the year. Meanwhile, the company is freezing prices on 300 items to remain competitive, which is
ASX
ASX set to fall as oil surge weighs
The Australian sharemarket is poised to open lower on Thursday, following a mixed lead from Wall Street overnight and a sharp surge in global oil prices, which climbed around 8% to above US$110 per barrel. Futures indicate a weaker start for local equities, down 69 points, or 0.8%, pointing to an opening level of 8,627. The cautious tone follows heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have driven energy prices sharply higher and added to inflation concerns globally. Luka Belobrajdic, economist at Westpac Group, noted: "Developments in the Middle East saw reports that President Trump has rejected Tehran’s latest proposal, reaffirming that the U.S. will not lift its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz until a deal addressing Iran’s nuclear programme is secured. "In the U.S., the FOMC left policy unchanged at its April meeting in an 8–4 vote. In his press conference, Chair Powell noted that this would be his final meeting as Chair, adding that he intends to remain on the Board as Governor until investigations into the Federal Reserve are concluded with ‘finality and transparency’." On the domestic front, the Australian market ended Wednesday’s session lower, marking its seventh consecutive decline
ASX
ASX falls for seventh day as inflation bites
The Australian sharemarket extended its losing streak to a seventh consecutive session on Wednesday, marking its longest run of declines since June 2022, as elevated inflation data dampened investor sentiment ahead of next week’s Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) policy decision. The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 23.7 points, or 0.3%, to close at 8,687.0, despite a majority of sectors finishing in positive territory. Market sentiment weakened after fresh data showed annual inflation rising 4.6% in the year to March, slightly below expectations of 4.8% but still near multi-year highs. The data strengthened expectations that the RBA could maintain a hawkish stance, with investors increasingly pricing in the risk of further rate hikes in the near term. Healthcare stocks led the declines among sectors, with CSL dropping 2.4%, ResMed falling 1.1%, Ramsay Health Care down 1.1%, and Cochlear sliding 3.2%. Financial stocks were mostly weaker, as Commonwealth Bank lost 1.4%, National Australia Bank declined 1.2%, and Westpac fell 1%. ANZ was the outlier, edging 0.4% higher after announcing it would acquire its payments joint venture partner, France-based Worldline, for A$89 million. In contrast, utilities provided support to th
ASX
Trading floor: Codan, oOh!media gain; Cuscal flat
Azzet reports on three stocks with price moving updates today. Codan soars on earnings upgrade ~ Shares in Codan (ASX: CDA) were trading 18.1% higher by 12:30 pm AEST (2:30 am GMT) after the metal detector and communications products manufacturer upgraded its earnings outlook for the 2026 fiscal year and reassured the market that its profit is tracking well ahead of expectations. Based on improved trading conditions across communications and Minelab and operating leverage underpinning a step-change in margins, management now expects EBIT of around $235 million and net profit of around $170 million - both up 60% on FY25. Commenting on today’s update, management told the market that the Communications business is expected to achieve revenue growth at the top end of the 15% to 20% range for the full year FY26, with defence-driven demand for software-defined radios underpinning growth in direct-to-consumer and command-and-control segments. The Communications segment margin is now expected to hit 30% in FY26, ahead of its original FY27 target, compared with 26% in FY25. Meanwhile, due to favourable gold price and recent successful product releases Minelab revenue in 2H FY26 to date is tracking ahead of the strong first-hal