Shares in Australia Retreat But Head for 3rd Weekly Advance

2026-04-10 01:17 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

Australian stocks slipped 37 points, or 0.4%, to 8,936 in Friday’s morning session, halting a three-day gain as U.S.

equity futures weakened amid a fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S.

and Iran that kept investors cautious.

Sentiment was further restrained ahead of CPI and PPI releases in top trading partner China later today.

Concerns about cost pressures also emerged, as the monthly inflation gauge hit a record high of 1.3% in March, on renewed price pressures since H2 2025.

Meanwhile, Australia’s consumer and business confidence data, along with March labor figures, will be due next week.

Most sectors traded lower, dragged by transport, energy minerals, and healthcare.

Major decliners included Transurban Group (-4.0%), Wisetech Global (-3.4%), Evolution Mining (-3.0%), and Brambles Ltd. (-1.9%).

Despite the pullback, the ASX 200 remains on track for a third consecutive weekly gain, up about 4% so far, supported by bargain hunting after the index recently hit a four-month low.



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Shares in Australia Retreat But Head for 3rd Weekly Advance
Australian stocks slipped 37 points, or 0.4%, to 8,936 in Friday’s morning session, halting a three-day gain as U.S. equity futures weakened amid a fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran that kept investors cautious. Sentiment was further restrained ahead of CPI and PPI releases in top trading partner China later today. Concerns about cost pressures also emerged, as the monthly inflation gauge hit a record high of 1.3% in March, on renewed price pressures since H2 2025. Meanwhile, Australia’s consumer and business confidence data, along with March labor figures, will be due next week. Most sectors traded lower, dragged by transport, energy minerals, and healthcare. Major decliners included Transurban Group (-4.0%), Wisetech Global (-3.4%), Evolution Mining (-3.0%), and Brambles Ltd. (-1.9%). Despite the pullback, the ASX 200 remains on track for a third consecutive weekly gain, up about 4% so far, supported by bargain hunting after the index recently hit a four-month low.
2026-04-10
ASX 200 Recovers Early Dip, Gains 0.2% at Finish
The ASX 200 edged up 21 points, or 0.2%, to close at 8,973 on Thursday, reversing morning weakness and notching a third consecutive gain. Traders largely brushed aside a modest dip in U.S. futures while weighing whether the fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran would hold. Attention turned to upcoming U.S. personal spending and PCE deflator data. Investors also await CPI and PPI reports in top trading partner China, due Friday. Energy minerals, financials, and utilities were mainly higher, offsetting steep losses in tech services, healthcare, and consumer stocks. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank surged 8.7% after delivering solid Q3 results and unveiling two outsourcing partnerships aimed at reshaping costs and technology over seven years. The rally underscored confidence in its agenda to narrow profitability gaps with the major lenders. The “big four” banks rose between 1.1% and 2.2%, while Woodside Energy (4.0%), Ampol (3.5%), and Santos (2.5%) were other notable movers.
2026-04-09
Australian Equities Retreat as Ceasefire Rally Fades
Australian shares fell 32 points, or 0.4%, to 8,920 in early Thursday trade, reversing solid gains from the previous two sessions as traders engaged in profit-taking after the market climbed to a four-week high amid optimism over a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. Caution also grew ahead of CPI and PPI data in top trading partner China, set to be due Friday. Locally, worries emerged that living standards in Australia may slide in the near term amid cost pressures, while economists warned that Canberra could see the weakest GDP growth since the early 1990s if the war in the Middle East drags on. Commercial services, non-energy minerals, and consumer durables weighed on sentiment, but gains in energy minerals, communication, and utilities helped limit the declines. Ramelius Resources slipped 4.4% as it may downgrade guidance for FY 2026. Other notable laggards included Xero Ltd. (-5.2%), Evolution Mining (-3.3%), Pro Medicus (-2.4%) and BHP Group (-1.4%).
2026-04-09