The Australian sharemarket ended modestly higher on Wednesday as investors navigated a mixed round of earnings results that drove sharp moves across key sectors.
The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 21.8 points or 0.3% to 8,918.0, with seven of the 11 sectors advancing.
A-REITs and Consumer Discretionary sectors led the way, while Materials weighed heavily.
Mirvac added 2.2%, Goodman Group gained 0.8%, and Charter Hall lifted 2.3%, while Stockland shares rallied 7% after the property developer beat full-year expectations and issued fiscal 2026 guidance broadly in line with forecasts.
Financials also supported the market. National Australia Bank rallied 3.7%, while Westpac added 2.5%, ANZ rose 2%, and Commonwealth Bank posted a 0.8% increase.
The day’s heaviest drag came from Materials, led by James Hardie, which slumped 27.8% after issuing fiscal guidance up to 20% below analyst estimates, as well as a 60% fall in quarterly net income to US$62 million.
Meanwhile, Healthcare heavyweight CSL pared early losses of 7% to close 2.1% lower as investors bought the dip.
In company earnings, Magellan Financial rose 1.6% as investors looked past a 31% fall in full-year net profit to $165 million, focusing instead on a 5% lift in operating profit to $159 million and a new policy to distribute at least 80% of after-tax operating profit in dividends.
Transurban rose 2.1% despite reporting a 52.4% fall in annual net profit to A$178 million, hurt by higher operating and financing costs, though toll revenue rose 3%.
APA Group gained 3.4% after reporting underlying earnings of $2.02 billion, up 6.4% on FY24 and toward the top end of guidance.
On the bond markets, yields eased. The 10-year government bond yield fell 0.4% to 4.304%, while the 2-year yield declined 0.9% to 3.34%.
