The Australian sharemarket ended slightly lower on Friday as investors locked in profits at the close of a volatile earnings season, with the benchmark remaining on track for a fifth straight month of gains.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index slipped 6.90 points or 0.1% to 8,973.10. For the week, the index edged up 0.1%, while monthly performance showed a 2.7% advance.
Market performance was mixed, with six of the 11 sectors finishing weaker. Real estate, Healthcare, and Financials dragged the index, while Technology and Energy offered support.
The A-REITs sector retreated as Goodman Group eased 1.1%, Charter Hall eased 0.4%, Scentre Group dropped 0.7%, Stockland declined 1.3%, and GPT Group slipped 0.9%.
Healthcare stocks were also under pressure, with Ramsay Healthcare falling a further 0.6% following a disappointing update on Thursday.
Mesoblast slumped 9.9% after posting a wider full-year loss of US$102.14 million (A$156.2 million).
Financials were subdued as NAB lost 0.4%, Westpac declined 1%, and Commonwealth Bank lost 1.8%.
Technology stocks outperformed, buoyed by a sharp rally in data centre operator NextDC, which surged 17.4% after issuing upbeat guidance pointing to accelerating growth.
Gains spread across the sector, with Xero up 1%, WiseTech Global adding 2%, and TechnologyOne advancing 1.8%.
Earnings-driven moves dominated individual stocks, with Harvey Norman climbing 11.5% and touching an intraday record high after reporting a 39% rise in annual profit to A$753.1 million.
Infant formula maker Bubs Australia also advanced 9.1% after recording its first statutory profit, posting $5.5 million for the 2025 financial year, a sharp turnaround from last year’s $21 million loss.
Shipbuilder Austal soared 15.1% after reporting a net profit of $89.7 million, a 503% jump, supported by stronger shipbuilding performance and a record order pipeline.
On the bond markets, government bond yields rose, with the 10-year yield up 0.3% at 4.296% and the 2-year yield higher by 0.2% at 3.344%.
