Market Reports

• Australian Market Report: Australia’s share market has edged slightly higher, the S&P/ASX200 rose 21.4 points on Thursday, up 0.2 per cent, to 8973.2, as the broader All Ordinaries edged 3.2 points higher, up 0.03 per cent, to 9168.9..... [more]

• U.S. Market Report: After coming under pressure early in the session, stocks have regained ground over the course of the trading day on Thursday. The major averages have climbed well off their lows of the session.... [more]

• European Market Report: A day after scoring strong gains following a two-week ceasefire agreed to by the U.S. and Iran, European stocks turned weak on Thursday as Tehran halted the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.... [more]

• Asian Market Report: Asian stocks ended mostly lower on Thursday in the face of growing signs of fragility in the two-week ceasefire pact between the United States and Iran..... [more]

Australian Business News

• Australian petrol prices could climb back up to $2.46 per litre by late May, as global energy uncertainties and a volatile Middle East conflict continue to pressure inflation, economists warn. Westpac economist Justin Smirk said.... [more]

• ‘Starting to bite’: Key union representing 25k NSW council workers calls for four-day work week in response to fuel crisis.... [more]

• Truck drivers and business operators say they have reached "crisis point" and are calling for major retailers and other clients to bear more of the cost of ongoing fuel price pressures..... [more]

• 100 years of market data: Why most stocks fail and concentration is accelerating. Bessembinder’s 100 year study reveals a ruthless winner take all market. If most stocks return -7%, is your diversification just a drag?.... [more]

• Morgan Stanley cuts ASX tech price targets by 20%, warns valuations are still living in the past.... [more]

• ETF Spotlight: Seeking growth beyond the US market. Revisiting where the next leg of global growth may come from..... [more]

• A surge in the number of members switching investment options has prompted major industry fund HESTA to warn against making snap decisions during times of market volatility. In doing so, the fund has referenced the fate of.... [more]

• A superannuation investment option spruiked as offering "choice and flexibility" has been shut down, leaving members less than two months to sell all their assets. TelstraSuper, a fund with around 87,000 members.... [more]

• ‘Hardly good news for humanity’: What the Iran war will mean for iron ore. The Iran conflict could have a devastating impact on iron ore and steel, and those looking to China to pick up the slack will be very disappointed..... [more]

• Strickland Metals has jagged a series of notable base metal hits from drilling at its Obradov Potok deposit, part of the company’s hefty 8.6 million-ounce gold-equivalent Rogozna project in Serbia.... [more]

• American West Metals’ creative dumpster-diving in Utah has come up with a remarkable handful of eye-catching critical metals assays that could add a handy new value stream to its West Desert project..... [more]

• Sandfire Resources Shares Dip as Copper Production Guidance Shifts Lower.... [more]

• Condor Energy (ASX: CND) has jumped more than +13% on news it has executed a binding term sheet with Peru’s Jaguar Exploration to allow it to take total control of the giant Technical Evaluation Agreement 86 (TEA 86) permit..... [more]

• After many years of hard-nosed exploration and patience on the ASX, the moment of truth may finally be approaching for Terrain Minerals. With drilling stacking up at its Smokebush gold project in Western Australia.... [more]

• Dalaroo launches 9km-long West African gold soil sampling blitz.... [more]

• Alcoa rejects concerns over increased mercury levels at its Wagerup refinery.... [more]

• WA wool producers, who are still regaining their confidence after an uplift in the market, have been left shaken and disappointed by Elders’ decision to pull out of the State’s wool sales. Citing a nearly 40 per cent drop in WA’s wool clip.... [more]

• A major workers’ rights clampdown has seen more than a dozen vineyards in some of Australia’s key wine regions swooped on by authorities. Authorities looking to crack down on “unlawful practices” within the wine industry.... [more]

• ‘We’ve only just started’, Mesoblast tells investors at inaugural show-and-tell.... [more]

• Vection Technologies Ltd (ASX:VR1) has completed its acquisition of Australian digital transformation company DXLabs, adding immediate revenue and earnings while expanding its footprint across the Asia-Pacific region..... [more]

• The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) spent nearly $1.5 million on an executive leadership coach in the lead-up to drastic cuts to jobs and courses to manage what its vice-chancellor considered to be a financial crisis..... [more]

• A former Venture Egg financial adviser has been permanently banned by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for having engaged in dishonest, misleading and unprofessional conduct.... [more]

• ‘Increasingly challenging’: Charity founded by former Australian of the Year Grace Tame winds up operation.... [more]

• Opinion - Stephen Bartholomeusz: The world’s finances weren’t ready for an energy shock of this magnitude.... [more]

• Analysis - Bronwyn Allen: Why did the Iran war smash the gold price? Investors were surprised when the gold price dropped 21% over the first three weeks of March..... [more]

• Comment/Analysis - Michelle Gander: How Australia’s mining sector locks women out of high‑paying roles. Mining is a critical industry for the Australian economy and has the potential to offer secure, well-paid and meaningful careers..... [more]

World Business News

• Head of IMF says Iran war will permanently scar global economy even if peace is reached. Kristalina Georgieva says even ‘most hopeful scenario’ will lead to growth downgrade and cause permanent hit to living standards.... [more]

• Moody's top economist says the US job market is signaling that a recession is already underway.... [more]

• US economy grew a sluggish 0.5% in fourth quarter, government says, downgrading previous estimate.... [more]

• Calls are increasing inside Congress for investigations into the prediction market platform Polymarket after the latest instance where groups of anonymous traders made strategic, well-timed bets on a major geopolitical event hours before.... [more]

• Tesla is reportedly considering adding a new, cheaper electric SUV to its lineup, years after it abandoned a similar effort..... [more]

• Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O), has syndicated its bridge loan facility and secured permanent financing from a group of ​banks for its planned $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros ‌Discovery (WBD.O).... [more]

• Wall Street analysts are gushing over Meta's Muse Spark AI model.... [more]

• Amazon’s Jassy says AI revenue run rate is over $15 Bln, hints at future chip sale.... [more]

• It's been a while since Andrew Left was shorting Nvidia, but he still thinks the company might be in trouble. The short-seller flagged Andy Jassy's 2025 letter to shareholders, in which the Amazon CEO highlighted the company's ambitious.... [more]

• PeakMetrics raises $6M as AI fuels new reputational risks.... [more]

• Why OpenAI bought 'SportsCenter for Silicon Valley'.... [more]

• The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the NFL over potential anticompetitive tactics, a government official told CNBC. The investigation stems from questions about “affordability for consumers.... [more]

• Sandisk’s stock is up 2,000% in a year — and this analyst says it’s still being underestimated. A Bernstein analyst sees major upside potential as he assesses the prospects of a sustained boom in memory prices.... [more]

• CoreWeave outlook revised to positive by S&P, B+ rating affirmed.... [more]

• Consulting firm McKinsey & Co has agreed to contribute $125 million to Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement, resolving ​potential legal claims over advice it provided to Purdue on how to “turbocharge” sales of its ‌addictive painkiller.... [more]

• Kia plans to release a pickup truck for American consumers in the coming years, as the South Korean automaker plots continued growth domestically and globally..... [more]

• Nike is in exclusive talks to sponsor footballs for European men's matches, edging out rival Adidas, ‌a move that could provide a visibility boost to the struggling American sportswear giant but is unlikely to resolve its fundamental problems..... [more]

• The retail group behind Uniqlo has forecast another record year amid a boost from strong international growth. It came as Japan-based Fast Retailing reported it was facing some higher transport costs amid the conflict in the Middle East..... [more]

• OpenAI shelves Stargate UK in blow to Britain’s AI ambitions. Artificial intelligence company cites high energy costs and regulation for putting landmark project on hold.... [more]

• Jo Malone, the perfume designer, said she hopes "sense will prevail" in a case against her and retailer Zara by Estée Lauder, the beauty giant, over the use of her name..... [more]

• UniCredit says control of Commerzbank would trigger bid for Poland's mBank.... [more]

• China’s leading battery makers have unveiled plans to add more than 600 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of new production capacity for the energy storage system (ESS) market in just the first two months of 2026, underscoring surging global.... [more]

• Alibaba cloud growth forecast to accelerate with AI push, higher service charges: analysts.... [more]

• India's Capri Global Capital (CAPG.NS), will raise 5 billion rupees ($54.05 million) through its maiden public bond issue, and will rely ​more on debt markets than bank loans for funding this fiscal ‌year, a top executive said on Thursday..... [more]