Market Reports

• Australian Market Report: The S&P/ASX 200 closed 113.10 points, or 1.3 per cent, higher at 8793.60, even as six of its 11 industry sectors finished in the red..... [more]

• U.S. Market Report: The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit record highs on Wednesday, buoyed by signs of a resolution in the ​Middle East conflict, while strong earnings from Advanced Micro Devices sparked a rally in chipmakers..... [more]

• European Market Report: The major European stock markets finished higher again on Wednesday, thanks to growing optimism about a potential peace deal between the United States and Iran..... [more]

• Asian Market Report: Major stock markets in Asia surged on Wednesday, tracking the strong gains on Wall Street, attributed to AI-momentum and U.S.-Iran peace deal hopes. Equity markets in Japan were closed for a holiday..... [more]

Australian Business News

• ASX 200 surges 113 points on blue chip bonanza as BHP, RIO, FMG, ANZ, CBA, NAB and WBC climb.... [more]

• Inflation too ‘uncomfortably sticky’ for RBA to justify rate hold. The fact that the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA’s) monetary policy decision for May to increase the official cash rate by a further 25 basis points to 4.35%.... [more]

• Reserve Bank interest rate rise sends Australian dollar to four-year high.... [more]

• CGT overhaul punishes the patient investors Australia needs. Australia does not need is a tax system that penalises patient saving, prudent risk-taking, and entrepreneurship..... [more]

• More than 65,000 Australians have contacted the National Debt Helpline in financial distress since the start of the year, with most callers saying they are struggling to pay their home loans..... [more]

• Australia’s income support system is under mounting strain, with more than eight million people now drawing some form of assistance, as rising ill health, particularly mental health conditions, pushes record numbers.... [more]

• More than $10 billion will be spent bolstering Australia's fuel security as the federal government attempts to shield the nation from the long-term consequences of the war in Iran..... [more]

• The ultimate superannuation EOFY checklist 2026. A practical EOFY checklist to avoid costly SMSF mistakes..... [more]

• Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are facing mounting cash flow pressure ahead of the federal government’s “payday super” reforms, with new research showing many are unprepared for the shift in how superannuation is paid..... [more]

• Magellan Financial shares (ASX:MFG) tumbled for a second consecutive session, falling 7.798% to A$8.88 as markets continue to digest the fund manager’s dramatic restructuring of its once-flagship global equities business.... [more]

• BHP cannot appeal against a UK ruling that it is liable for the 2015 collapse of a dam in southeastern Brazil, London's Court of Appeal has ruled in a case potentially worth billions of pounds..... [more]

• H3 Energy has lit the fuse on a defining growth phase, fast-tracking two of Australia’s largest onshore energy plays as it pivots from technical groundwork to full-tilt commercial execution..... [more]

• Askari Metals Ltd (ASX:AS2, FRA:7ZG) has confirmed continuous polymetallic mineralisation from Phase 1 trenching at the PS Pegmatite Target within its 100%-owned Uis Project in Namibia..... [more]

• Hormuz blockade puts ASX helium stocks in the spotlight.... [more]

• Advance Metals has kicked off its first-ever drilling tilt at the company’s Gavilanes silver project in Durango, Mexico, firing up the diamond rig for a 4500-metre program in the world-class silver province..... [more]

• Southern Hemisphere Mining has launched into expanded diamond drilling at the company’s Llahuin copper project in Chile, kicking off the latest tilt in a bid to grow its already substantial 218-million-tonne copper-gold-molybdenum.... [more]

• Philip Morris uses secret Senate hearing to warn that illegal tobacco in Australia could wipe out legal trade by 2030. Company pushes for lower excise and claims threats warrant secrecy, while critics say it has ‘no interest in public health.... [more]

• Built Group and Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX:WES) have agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture, Built Living, aimed at accelerating apartment construction and addressing Australia’s housing shortage.... [more]

• Decidr chases AI’s ‘control layer’ opportunity with $15m cap raise.... [more]

• Duratec (ASX: DUR) has received notification from the Clough BMD Joint Venture of an award to undertake construction and commissioning works at the Northern Territory government’s Darwin Ship Lift Facility..... [more]

• Six weeks ago, Mike Cannon-Brookes was the billionaire whose company had become the cautionary tale of Australian tech. Atlassian’s shares had plunged 70 per cent in 12 months to $US57 as investors.... [more]

• Comment - Greg Jericho: In this budget, all eyes are on CGT. But Labor’s rumoured family trust tweaks might also help fight tax inequality. If Albanese’s newest budget can tame discretionary trust tax dodging, it will be a good step.... [more]

• Analysis - The Bull: Best Defence Shares – How Do DRO, EOS, and ASB Stack Up?.... [more]

• Analysis - David Llewellyn-Smith: An Australian finance expert has hit out at the RBA, warning that living standards are now almost certain to plummet – fast..... [more]

• Analysis - Sebastian Bowen: The Aussie dollar just hit a 4-year high. Which ASX shares will benefit? A higher dollar impacts ASX shares in a big way..... [more]

World Business News

• Oil prices are sinking Wednesday, and stock markets are bursting higher worldwide with hopes that the United States and Iran are nearing a deal to allow ships to deliver crude from the Persian Gulf once again to their customers..... [more]

• Airlines spent 56.4% more on jet fuel in month after Iran war started, U.S. government says.... [more]

• With hundreds of vessels still stuck in the Persian Gulf and costs piling up, shipping companies are being whipsawed by uncertainty over how and when the Strait of Hormuz might reopen more than two months into the Iran war..... [more]

• AI creates a mess for private equity. Private equity is a long-term asset class, typically holding portfolio companies for a minimum of three or four years..... [more]

• Google, Microsoft and xAI will share unreleased versions of their AI models with the government to curb cybersecurity threats, the National Institute of Standards and Technology announced on Tuesday..... [more]

• Anthropic strikes SpaceX deal to fuel Claude Code growth — and for data centers in space. Anthropic looks to expand its compute capacity with a SpaceX partnership that will lift rate limits on Claude Code.... [more]

• SpaceX IPO gives Musk sweeping power and curbs shareholder rights.... [more]

• A former technology chief ​for OpenAI testified in a video on Wednesday that CEO Sam Altman sowed distrust ‌among top executives and persistent chaos as the company forged ahead with developing and broadly deploying.... [more]

• Optical fiber networks are the next big thing in the AI boom, and Nvidia’s newly inked deal with Corning helps cement that. Shares of Corning GLW +13.73% were up over 23% on Wednesday morning after Nvidia.... [more]

• Disney earnings beat estimates as new CEO outlines growth strategy.... [more]

• James Murdoch may be the next owner of New York magazine and Vox Media’s podcast network. Murdoch’s investment company, Lupa Systems, is in talks to acquire the assets for $300 million or more,.... [more]

• Investors brace for Unity earnings amid strategic shift.... [more]

• Marriott raises annual room revenue growth forecast amid strong travel demand.... [more]

• Owners of some iPhones are in line to get cash payments of up to $95 from Apple after the company on Tuesday reached a $250 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit for false advertising of its artificial intelligence capabilities..... [more]

• Child safety lab launching ‘independent crash testing’ for AI tools. Since independent vehicle crash testing began in the mid-1990s, automakers have been incentivized to make safety changes that have saved thousands of lives.... [more]

• New Mexico seeks child safety restrictions on Meta apps and algorithms in trial's 2nd phase.... [more]

• FanDuel CEO Amy Howe is out after five years at the sportsbook.... [more]

• A war of words has erupted between Zohran Mamdani and billionaire Ken Griffin over the New York mayor's vow to "tax the rich". The founder and chief executive of hedge fund Citadel,.... [more]

• Nebius Group stock may move 7.9% on earnings release.... [more]

• Canadian economic activity expanded in April at ​the fastest pace in ‌seven months as measures of employment and prices accelerated, Ivey ​Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data ​showed on Wednesday..... [more]

• Why UK local elections matter for bond markets.... [more]

• The boss of JD Wetherspoon has said the pub chain could miss profit expectations because of rising costs, in the latest sign the UK hospitality industry is buckling under the pressure of higher energy, food, labour and tax bills..... [more]

• Government needs to act on Middle East impact on retail, industry warns. The BRC warned that higher costs from the Middle East conflict would inevitably filter through to the till over the coming months..... [more]

• Airlines and other companies are increasingly using fuel surcharges to cover soaring costs, a survey has found, in a further sign of Iran war-linked inflation hitting the economy..... [more]

• Up to 150 of the 480 High Street stores formerly part of the WHSmith business will be closed in a restructuring plan launched by the owner of the chain. The WHSmith High Street bookshops were purchased by Modella Capital last year.... [more]

• Trainline says Middle East tensions hitting European rail bookings. Profits jump to £122m at ticketing retailer but it expects flat or declining revenues over the coming year.... [more]

• Portugal's largest listed lender Millennium bcp (BCP.LS), on Wednesday reported a larger-than-expected rise in first-quarter net ​consolidated profit of nearly 26%, driven by a stronger net ‌interest margin and lower provisions.... [more]

• China’s chipmakers rush to embrace DeepSeek’s V4. Which names stand out? A growing list of Chinese firms – from Huawei to Cambricon – moves fast to integrate DeepSeek’s latest AI model across diverse architectures.... [more]

• CK Hutchison’s VodafoneThree exit sparks dividend speculation – but analysts are split. Disposal of stake in UK’s biggest mobile carrier adds HK$2 billion profit, but conglomerate unlikely to declare special dividend: Citigroup.... [more]

• Yen Spikes to 10-Week High and Sparks Intervention Chatter.... [more]

• The Philippines’ shock inflation spike in April is a serious warning sign— an economic canary in the coal mine that shouldn’t be ignored. The 7.2% year-on-year jump is roughly double the first-quarter 3.4% growth rate..... [more]

• Thailand approves $29 billion of investment projects, led by $25 billion from TikTok.... [more]

• Samsung Hits $1 Trillion Valuation, Joining TSMC in Elite Club.... [more]

• India's Godrej Consumer Products (GOCP.NS), posted a 9.7% rise in fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday, driven ​by strong volume growth in its India business ‌and continued momentum in international markets..... [more]

• India and Vietnam upgraded their relations to an enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership - with focus on boosting cooperation in trade, defence, connectivity and technology.... [more]

• Opinion - Gustavo Razzetti: Zuckerberg’s ‘Multi Mark’ AI clone is a huge red flag for Meta shareholders. Replacing authentic leadership with a digital doppelgänger isn’t innovation — it’s a high-tech retreat from accountability.... [more]