Market Reports

• Australian Market Report: Investors on the Australian sharemarket lost more than $50 billion on Thursday as oil prices spiked yet again. The S&P/ASX 200 fell 142.80 points, or 1.65 per cent, to 8497.90. The Australian dollar was trading at US70.42¢..... [more]

• U.S. Market Report: Wall Street's main indexes fell on Thursday as rising crude oil prices revived inflation fears and the Federal Reserve's cautious stance on interest rate cuts ‌weighed on sentiment..... [more]

• European Market Report: European stocks tumbled on Thursday as Brent prices surged above $114 a barrel following attacks by Iran on energy facilities in the Middle East, including the crucial South Pars gas field..... [more]

• Asian Market Report: Asian stocks nosedived on Thursday as rising oil prices following attacks on key energy infrastructure in the Middle East rekindled concerns about inflation, interest rates and the regional growth outlook..... [more]

Australian Business News

• Anthony Albanese has appointed a fuel supply taskforce co-ordinator as the war in Iran deepens. The Prime Minister met with state and territory leaders in Hobart on Thursday for an urgent meeting of national cabinet..... [more]

• Australia’s jet fuel supply is safe for now, but a price crunch is in the pipeline.... [more]

• Treasurer Jim Chalmers insists he is willing to make boomer Australians unhappy in the upcoming Budget so the tax system is fairer to younger people unable to buy their first home. Another expected interest rate increase in May .... [more]

• Anthony Albanese has left the door open to tweaking the capital gains tax (CGT) after a parliamentary probe found it disadvantages younger Australians. The Prime Minister said on Thursday his government was “always” looking.... [more]

• Australia's unemployment rate rose to 4.3 per cent in February, up from 4.1 per cent, surprising economists. Economists had forecast about 20,000 new jobs would be created, leaving the unemployment rate steady at 4.1%.... [more]

• Quality stocks have been crushed but cashflows will have the final word. CIO Kent Hargis says it's possible to beat the market while lowering the risk if you're careful about stock selection..... [more]

• ASIC warns Gen Z over social media, AI advice.... [more]

• Are ASX shares about to crash? How to short sell a bear market.... [more]

• Afterpay: Gateway to debt or a godsend for cash-strapped? It’s an enticing concept: “Buy now, pay later.” But could instant gain mean scheduled pain? “Afterpay day” sales are currently being offered by hundreds of retailers..... [more]

• NSW to ban new coal mines in major shake-up for $23bn industry.... [more]

• Coal mine expansions are on the cards for at least another 25 years under a state's new mining road map at odds with its environment commission. The NSW government announced its coal industry outlook for 2026-2050 .... [more]

• Viking Mines has joined forces with a global US-based consulting firm to propel its permitting pathway into overdrive, as the company looks to develop its flagship Linka tungsten project in the US state of Nevada..... [more]

• EV Resources (ASX:EVR) is aiming to fast-track its antimony market aspirations in Mexico with a freshly signed, strategically restructured acquisition agreement for the Tecomatlán processing plant in Puebla..... [more]

• Dalaroo locks in 2.5km gold drill target in West Africa.... [more]

• Workings left by an embattled coal miner could cost West Australian taxpayers billions to rehabilitate, a task a prominent botanist warns could be "impossible". Griffin Coal may no longer be responsible for the clean-up.... [more]

• Health and wellness food company OMG Group has appointed Food & Dairy Co (FDC) as the first official non-exclusive distributor of its recently launched matcha brands, Ōmura Matcha and Matcha Mode..... [more]

• EVE Health lifts placement to $1.3m with cornerstone backing.... [more]

• Australians are flocking to a controversial site offering odds on events in Middle Eastern conflict zones, including whether shrapnel from a single missile hit land, prompting death threats to journalists reporting on the conflict.... [more]

• Syntara (ASX:SNT) has today added ~$2 million to its coffers – $1.7M to be exact – after receiving a milestone payment from Parkinson’s U.K..... [more]

• Why millions of JB Hi‑Fi customers are getting these texts and emails about a court case.... [more]

• Commonwealth Bank has built two AI agents that support its cyber security teams in threat hunting and collating context to inform potential actions and responses..... [more]

• Comment - Ameya Hattangadi: Energy and geopolitics a big risk in markets. Oil prices continue to escalate as tensions continue in the Middle East; central banks look to manage the inflation fallout.... [more]

• Comment - Samantha Menzies: Is now a good time to buy ASX dividend shares for passive income?.... [more]

World Business News

• White House says it's not planning oil or gas export restrictions.... [more]

• Global benchmark oil prices were pulling back from their highest level in nearly four years on Thursday afternoon after President Trump said he wouldn’t send troops to the Middle East, helping to ease energy-market concerns.... [more]

• Powell says the global oil crisis may have only temporary economic effects.... [more]

• The United States has extended a license that protects Venezuela-owned refiner Citgo Petroleum ​from creditors through May 5, according to a posting on ‌Thursday on the Treasury Department's website..... [more]

• Iran War Narrows Fed’s Path to Rate Cuts as Trump Demands Immediate Relief. Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, wants to keep the central bank’s policy options open as officials stare down another economic.... [more]

• Wall Street bank capital would fall 4.8% under softened capital rules bank regulators unveiled on Thursday, freeing up billions of dollars ‌for lending, dividends and share buybacks in a stunning victory for the industry.... [more]

• Morgan Stanley pushes back rate cuts to September and December.... [more]

• BofA says buy these 4 stocks unfairly beaten down by panicked private-credit headlines. Private credit has captured investors' attention for the wrong reasons lately..... [more]

• A U.S. trade tribunal preliminarily ruled that Apple's (AAPL.O), current Apple Watches do not infringe patents owned by Masimo (MASI.O), rejecting the medical-monitoring company's bid for ​a renewed import ban.... [more]

• JPMorgan cuts S&P 500 target as analysts say the domino effects from oil-price shock aren’t baked in. European oil majors offer more leverage to higher oil prices than their U.S. peers.... [more]

• FDA approves higher dose version of weight loss drug Wegovy as Novo Nordisk tries to win back market share.... [more]

• Airbus is ramping up pressure on U.S. engine maker Pratt & Whitney (RTX.N), by pursuing potential damages in an escalating dispute over ​late engine shipments as it struggles to lift aircraft production.... [more]

• UBS cuts Tesla Q1 delivery estimate and says concerns are growing that robotaxis might not wow investors.... [more]

• Uber Technologies plans to invest up to $1.25 billion in electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive as part of a deal to deploy up to 50,000 robotaxis in several countries through 2031, the companies announced Thursday..... [more]

• Eight state attorneys general have filed an antitrust lawsuit to block Nexstar’s pending acquisition of Tegna, which would unite two of the largest TV station ownership groups in the United States..... [more]

• Major League Baseball is entering an official partnership with Polymarket and has an agreement with the federal commission overseeing prediction markets to collaborate on integrity concerns..... [more]

• The European Central Bank may need to begin discussing interest rate hikes in April and possibly tighten policy ​at their following meeting in June, unless the Middle ‌Eastern conflict is quickly resolved, three sources told Reuters..... [more]

• Lagarde Says ECB Well Placed to Handle War Risks as Rates Held.... [more]

• Bank of England unanimously votes to press pause on interest rates as Iran worries grow. City still thinks borrowing costs will fall – but not until later this year.... [more]

• UK pay growth sinks to five-year low as younger workers hit by hiring slowdown.... [more]

• Steel strategy announced to preserve production in the UK.... [more]

• Poland's largest food retailer, Biedronka, owned by Jeronimo Martins (JMT.LS), is interested in acquiring many of Carrefour's (CARR.PA), Polish assets should the ​French retail group put them up for sale, Biedronka's CEO ‌said.... [more]

• Europe’s biggest airlines say fuel price spike caused by Iran war will drive up fares.... [more]

• The Iran War’s Economic Threat to Europe and Asia. Inflation and its consequences for growth are a growing concern for countries where memories of the 2022 energy crisis are fresh..... [more]

• Countries in Asia are scrambling to conserve energy and protect consumers as the war on Iran and attacks on gas fields and oil refineries disrupt critical supplies, rattling markets and driving up prices..... [more]

• China presses EV makers to end price war and focus on innovation as demand cools. Oversight of China’s industry intensifies, with carmakers urged to move beyond discounts and focus on chips and self-driving systems.... [more]

• China Starts Year With Fastest Increase in Spending Since 2022.... [more]

• Switzerland's Partners Group aims to raise at least $1 billion for its ‌inaugural India-focused buyout fund, two people close to the matter said, as it joins the list of global private equity firms expanding their exposure to the country..... [more]

• Opinion - Charlie Garcia: The ‘smart money’ fled software stocks after that viral AI doomsday report. Here’s where it’s going. The Citrini selloff wasn’t panic — it was an X-ray of the tech sector.... [more]

• Comment - Faisal Islam: Iran war is having a dramatic effect on the UK economy.... [more]