Author name: Jonathan Tacadena

Australian shares fell to a seven-week low on Friday, with the S&P/ASX 200 down 0.9% or 75 points to 8085 by early afternoon, after declines earlier this week. Financials led the downturn as Macquarie Group dropped 4.3%, hitting a one-month low due to disappointing first-half FY25 profits and a dividend cut. The big four banks all declined over 1%, with National Australia Bank down 2.2%.

Australian shares slipped midday as utilities and consumer staples weighed on the S&P/ASX 200 Index, down 0.2% or 12.1 points to 8168.3. Utilities led losses, with AGL Energy falling 6% after Barrenjoey downgraded it to underweight, citing the expiry of cheap coal and gas supply contracts, which prompted reduced future earnings estimates.

The Australian sharemarket advanced, following Wall Street’s gains, as consumer discretionary and mining stocks led the rally. By early afternoon, the S&P/ASX 200 Index was up 0.5 percent, adding 41.6 points to reach 8263.1.

The Australian sharemarket advanced, following Wall Street’s gains, as consumer discretionary and mining stocks led the rally. By early afternoon, the S&P/ASX 200 Index was up 0.5 percent, adding 41.6 points to reach 8263.1.

Australian shares remained steady early Monday afternoon, with the S&P/ASX 200 down 1 point at 8211.2 in a restrained start to the week. Gains in technology balanced declines in energy and utilities sectors, as five of the ASX’s 11 sectors rose.

Australian shares rose by midday Friday, driven by a 14% surge in WiseTech following CEO Richard White’s sudden exit. The S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.4% or 35.2 points to 8241.5, bouncing back from Thursday’s 0.1% loss but set for a 0.5% weekly decline. Technology led nine advancing sectors, rising 4%.

Australian shares edged higher at midday, with the S&P/ASX 200 up 10 points to 8233 after a weak start. A recovery in the banking sector, particularly Commonwealth Bank’s 1.2% rise, offset broader market declines. Technology stocks dropped 2%, following the overnight fall of US mega-caps like Nvidia and Apple.

Australian shares extended losses into the early afternoon, as weak Chinese economic data weighed on market sentiment, hitting commodity stocks particularly hard. The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.9%, or 73.6 points, to 8282.3, retreating from the previous session’s record close of 8355.9. All sectors traded in the red, with Utilities leading the declines, driven by a 6% slump in APA Group after major shareholder Unisuper offloaded $500 million in shares.