The Australian sharemarket ended Tuesday little changed, as gains in utilities, real estate, and select technology names were offset by continued weakness in health care and major banks following Westpac's underwhelming interim earnings.
The S&P/ASX 200 ticked 6.40 points or 0.1% lower to close at 8,151.40. Seven of the eleven major sectors posted gains, led by the real estate and materials sectors.
Companies including Mirvac, Charter Hall, and Stockland advanced 0.9%, 2.8%, and 0.7%, respectively.
Major mining companies finished mixed with BHP and Rio Tinto down 0.3% and 0.4% respectively, while Fortescue Metals gained 0.1%.
Gold miners outperformed as spot gold prices gained for the second consecutive session. Northern Star Resources added 3.7%, Evolution Mining gained 5.1%, and Newmont Corporation lifted 2.3%.
The financial sector remained under pressure after Westpac’s interim report fell short of expectations, dragging its shares 2% lower and sparking weakness among peers.
National Australia Bank dropped 1.5%, and Commonwealth Bank edged down 0.1%.
Among individual standouts, NextDC surged 8.3% after announcing that its pro forma forward order book had more than doubled on the back of significant contract wins.
WiseTech Global fell 2.2% after warning that macroeconomic conditions and potential tariff-related demand risks may be headwinds this year.
Sigma Healthcare fell 6.7% after revealing A$42.4 million in transaction costs over the nine months to March.
Platinum Asset Management dropped 6.7% after announcing that an institutional investor had pulled a $958 million mandate.
Tabcorp led gains on the benchmark index, jumping 9.7% following comments that consumer demand remained steady.
On the bond markets, yields rose modestly, with the 10-year up 0.9% to 4.34% and the 2-year up 0.1% to 3.399%.
