The Australian sharemarket closed lower on Wednesday as declines in technology and retail stocks offset strong gains in construction and biotech names, despite a mixed lead from Wall Street.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 13.1 points or 0.2% to 8,943.7 points, as seven of the 11 industry sectors closed lower.
The Consumer Discretionary sector led declines, with Wesfarmers down 2.2%, JB Hi-Fi slipping 1.3%, and Myer falling 2.1%.
Tech giants also declined after Oracle reported lower-than-expected cloud margins in the U.S. overnight, while Tesla dropped 4.5% following the launch of new, lower-priced versions of its top-selling models below US$40,000.
Life360 tumbled 3%, Xero lost 1.7%, and WiseTech declined 0.4%.
Among individual companies, James Hardie shares jumped 9.9% after the building materials group reported stronger-than-expected preliminary second-quarter sales, exceeding average analyst forecasts.
The company’s U.S.-listed shares also climbed 8.1%.
Magellan Financial rose 0.9% after reporting that assets under management increased by $600 million in the September quarter.
DroneShield gained 7.8% after unveiling software upgrades designed to enhance the speed and accuracy of its anti-drone systems.
Mesoblast extended its rally, rising 9.4% after reporting that U.S. revenues for Ryoncil - its therapy for complications in children undergoing bone marrow transplants - jumped 66% in the September quarter.
Transurban ticked up 0.1% after the company reaffirmed its distribution guidance following a 2.7% rise in average daily traffic for the September quarter of 2025.
NRW Holdings advanced 3% after upgrading its full-year guidance and announcing the completion of its A$200 million acquisition of Sydney-based electrical and technology contractor Fredon Industries.
On the bond markets, yields firmed slightly, with the 10-year rising 0.1% to 4.367% and the 2-year up 0.2% to 4.518%.
