Australian Stocks Edge Higher

2026-09-23 01:14 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

Australian shares rose 17 points or 0.2% to 8,775 on Wednesday morning, extending prior gains after Wall Street hovered near record highs overnight as oil prices eased on momentum toward ending the war with Iran.

Focus turned to Thursday’s summit between Trump and Xi Jinping, with hopes for signs of progress on trade disputes.

However, caution followed flash PMI data showing private-sector activity in Australia grew at the slowest pace in three months, with services cooling and factory output plunging.

RBA Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter further weighed on sentiment with a warning that rates may need to rise again if inflation pressures persist, ahead of next week’s policy meeting.

Non-energy minerals, industrials, and consumer durables led gains, while communication and commercial services fell.

BHP Group jumped 2.1% while Rio Tinto (1.0%) also advanced.

Other major gainers were Northern Star Resources (4.0%), Evolution Mining (2.9%), PLS Group (2.8%), and Sandfire Resources (2.7%).



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Australian Stocks Edge Higher
Australian shares rose 17 points or 0.2% to 8,775 on Wednesday morning, extending prior gains after Wall Street hovered near record highs overnight as oil prices eased on momentum toward ending the war with Iran. Focus turned to Thursday’s summit between Trump and Xi Jinping, with hopes for signs of progress on trade disputes. However, caution followed flash PMI data showing private-sector activity in Australia grew at the slowest pace in three months, with services cooling and factory output plunging. RBA Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter further weighed on sentiment with a warning that rates may need to rise again if inflation pressures persist, ahead of next week’s policy meeting. Non-energy minerals, industrials, and consumer durables led gains, while communication and commercial services fell. BHP Group jumped 2.1% while Rio Tinto (1.0%) also advanced. Other major gainers were Northern Star Resources (4.0%), Evolution Mining (2.9%), PLS Group (2.8%), and Sandfire Resources (2.7%).
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