Australia Stocks Opens Week on Softer Footing

2026-07-13 00:58 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

Australian shares eased in early Monday trade, with the ASX 200 hovering near 8,797 after last week’s strength.

Sentiment was dampened by weaker U.S.

futures and renewed geopolitical tension, as reports of U.S.–Iran airstrikes and Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz weighed on risk appetite.

Investors also turned cautious ahead of key economic data in top trading partner China later this week, including June trade balance, Q2 GDP, and June activity figures, notably industrial output and retail sales.

Locally, July confidence surveys for households and businesses will also be released, along with inflation expectations.

Sector moves were uneven: tech services, industrials, and healthcare slipped, with Northern Star (-2.5%), Coles (-2.0%), Evolution (-1.4%), and Origin (-2.7%) among notable laggards.

Meanwhile, miners provided some support, with BHP up 0.5% and Rio Tinto adding 0.2%.

Financials were modestly firmer, as three of the big four banks rose between 0.1% and 0.4%.



News Stream
Australia Stocks Opens Week on Softer Footing
Australian shares eased in early Monday trade, with the ASX 200 hovering near 8,797 after last week’s strength. Sentiment was dampened by weaker U.S. futures and renewed geopolitical tension, as reports of U.S.–Iran airstrikes and Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz weighed on risk appetite. Investors also turned cautious ahead of key economic data in top trading partner China later this week, including June trade balance, Q2 GDP, and June activity figures, notably industrial output and retail sales. Locally, July confidence surveys for households and businesses will also be released, along with inflation expectations. Sector moves were uneven: tech services, industrials, and healthcare slipped, with Northern Star (-2.5%), Coles (-2.0%), Evolution (-1.4%), and Origin (-2.7%) among notable laggards. Meanwhile, miners provided some support, with BHP up 0.5% and Rio Tinto adding 0.2%. Financials were modestly firmer, as three of the big four banks rose between 0.1% and 0.4%.
2026-07-13
ASX 200 Recovers on Mining Gains Despite Weekly Decline
The ASX 200 rose 44 points, or 0.5%, to close at 8,806 on Friday, snapping a four-session losing streak after a subdued start amid gains in miners, financials, and industrial stocks. Mining shares rallied as iron ore and copper prices strengthened, with heavyweight BHP Group, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue advancing between 2.0% and 3.8%. The big four banks added between 0.3% and 0.7%. However, the benchmark index lost 0.4% for the week, reversing the prior week's gains as investors turned cautious after the IMF cut its 2026 growth forecast for Australia to 1.9% from 2.0%, and warned that inflation is likely to remain elevated at around 4% this year. Looking ahead, investors will monitor key economic releases from China next week, including June trade figures, activity data, and second-quarter GDP, for clues on demand in Australia's largest export market. Locally, attention will also turn to July business and consumer confidence surveys, as well as consumer inflation expectations.
2026-07-10
Australian Shares Poised for Weekly Losses
Australian equities edged down 0.1% to 8,751 on Friday morning, retreating for the fifth straight session as U.S. stock futures were slightly lower following gains on Wall Street overnight after President Trump said Iran wanted to make a deal after the U.S. launched fresh strikes against the country. Meanwhile, caution lingered after the International Monetary Fund cut its 2026 growth forecast for Australia to 1.9% from the previous projection of 2%, warning that annual inflation will remain stubbornly high this year at around 4%. Healthcare, retail trade, and transport dragged the ASX 200, though strength in non-energy minerals, communications, and industrial services capped declines. For the week, markets are on track to post a weekly decline, down around 1.0% so far after gaining in the prior period. Among notable laggards were Pro Medicus (-4.4%), Reece Ltd. (-2.1%), Lynas Rare Earths (-1.9%), and Ramsay Health Care (-1.4%).
2026-07-10