Closing Bell

Mineral Resources (MinRes) has agreed to sell its oil and gas assets in the Perth Basin to Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting in a $1.1 billion deal.

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.

The Australian sharemarket tumbled on Tuesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index falling 1.4%, or 226.4 points, to 8228 by midday, following a sell-off across all sectors.

The Australian sharemarket tumbled on Tuesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index falling 1.4%, or 226.4 points, to 8228 by midday, following a sell-off across all sectors.

Australia’s sharemarket rose 0.7% on Monday, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index gaining 55.2 points to 8338.7, driven by strength in the materials and healthcare sectors. Mining stocks led the charge, with iron ore prices rebounding and gold prices surpassing $US2700 per ounce.

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.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index was up 73 points, or 0.7%, at 8363.5 by midday, having earlier climbed as much as 1.2% to a new intraday high. The Australian economy added 64,100 jobs in September, more than double the forecast, with the unemployment rate steady at 4.1%.