Market Reports

• Australian Market Report: War concerns gripped the Australian sharemarket on Wednesday, wiping out more than $50 billion in value. The S&P/ASX 200 slid 176.10 points, or 1.9 per cent, to 8901.20. The Australian dollar was trading at US70.01¢ .... [more]

• U.S. Market Report: Wall Street indexes rose on Wednesday as investors weighed a report that Iranian operatives ​secretively reached out to the U.S. to pursue talks to end the conflict, while President Donald Trump's assurance to ‌stabilize oil markets .... [more]

• European Market Report: European shares steadied on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard maritime trade in the Gulf.... [more]

• Asian Market Report: Asian stocks slumped on Wednesday as soaring oil and gas prices due to the escalating Middle East conflict spooked markets and fueled demand for safe-haven assets..... [more]

Australian Business News

• Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declared the latest GDP release “very encouraging” after it revealed the economy grew by 2.6 per cent in the 2025 calendar year, while leading economists have warned that the data is a case of.... [more]

• Australia's economy growing at fastest rate in almost three years.... [more]

• Professional Australian women are losing confidence in the effect of publicly available gender pay gap data, according to new research. In the wake of Australia-wide gender pay gap data, a separate survey has found only 35 per cent.... [more]

• Superannuation funds should be empowered to assist members in applying for the Age Pension, according to big building and construction industry fund, Cbus..... [more]

• Exchange-traded funds giant Vanguard has launched two new ETFs and a fund to give Australian investors access to the American market. Like many ETFs, the new vehicles are designed as an easy way to access offshore markets.... [more]

• Australia has the potential to unlock a $24 billion annual boost by modernising digital finance but is on track to seize only a fraction of that due to a lack of targeted policy action, according to new research.... [more]

• ASX 200 miners smashed as commodities rout hits Materials. Miners extended a sharp two-day slide after an overnight slump in commodities as Iran’s Strait of Hormuz blockade stoked inflation fears..... [more]

• Great Southern Mining is probing deep at its East Laverton project in Western Australia, kicking off government co-funded diamond drilling to target a platinum group elements (PGE’s) discovery..... [more]

• Kingfisher Mining Ltd (ASX:KFM) and Broken Hill Mines Ltd (ASX:BHM) have entered a legally binding mining and processing cooperation agreement aimed at accelerating the development of Kingfisher’s high-grade projects.... [more]

• Rimfire Pacific Mining (ASX:RIM) will resample historic drill core to confirm the gold and antimony potential of the Windy Ridge prospect in New South Wales,.... [more]

• Castle Minerals has upped its patch of prime ground in WA’s gold-rich Meekatharra region, bolstering its landholdings with an additional 68 square kilometres, bringing the total to a sizeable 184sq km parcel..... [more]

• Stanmore Resources Shares Lead ASX 200 as Coal Prices Surge.... [more]

• The West Australian government wants to make new wind and solar farms pay into community funds, but host towns say more work needs to be done to make sure the payments actually happen..... [more]

• ClearVue locks in $3M facility to turbocharge solar glass push.... [more]

• A number of meat processors across Australia have halted exports to the Middle East as a war in that region continues. Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said $15 billion worth of trade to the Middle East.... [more]

• Micro-X lifts revenue 155% to $10.1 million in H1FY26 as strategies drive growth.... [more]

• The Kyle and Jackie O show drama has put a rocket up ARN Media’s share price, with millions being added to the company’s value. Following news after sharemarket close on Tuesday.... [more]

• Opinion - Chris Conway: 21 ASX stocks that should be on your radar. The Yarra Capital Management equities team take a deep dive into big themes, key sectors, and compelling stock opportunities..... [more]

• Comment - Amy C. Arnott: How to keep your cool in a volatile market. When headlines get alarming, should you change your portfolio?.... [more]

• Opinion - Stephen Bartholomeusz: Markets are down on Iran war, but the slump could be a lot worse. Investors’ relatively calm response to the attack on Iran will be short-lived if the hostilities drag on..... [more]

• Comment - Greg Jericho: Australia’s GDP growth is partly due to government spending. So why isn’t the Coalition complaining? After such a long period of miserable figures, seeing the economy grow closer to 3% is a relief.... [more]

• Opinion - Simon Kuestenmacher: How the Iran war will impact Australia’s national business model..... [more]

World Business News

• Oil prices steadied and US stocks edged up on Wednesday after Donald Trump pledged to keep oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. Still, it might not be enough to avoid major disruptions to energy markets, market experts say..... [more]

• Bitcoin climbs over $73,000 and touches one-month high on resilience to Middle East conflict.... [more]

• President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind crypto firms in their high-stakes battle with U.S. banks over whether they can offer interest-like returns on stablecoins..... [more]

• Crypto is winning its challenge to traditional banks. Two developments this week capture how the world of decentralized finance and cryptocurrency is winning in its efforts to challenge traditional banks..... [more]

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that President Donald Trump’s plan to increase a broad 10% tariff rate to 15% will likely be done this week. “That’s likely sometime this week,” Bessent said Wednesday on CNBC.... [more]

• Goldman Sachs has added two new stock picks to its conviction list as the war in Iran rattles markets this week. The bank added stocks in the energy and defense sectors..... [more]

• Some Anthropic investors are racing to contain fallout from the AI research lab's dispute ​with the Pentagon, seven people familiar with the matter said, for fear that an ongoing spat could devastate the company's business..... [more]

• Some OpenAI staff are fuming about its Pentagon deal. Messages written in chalk covered the sidewalk outside OpenAI’s San Francisco offices Monday morning: “Where are your redlines?” “You must speak up.”.... [more]

• Moderna’s stock rallies as settlement of a patent dispute clears vaccine pipeline. Resolution will provide ‘certainty’ for Moderna’s portfolio, company says.... [more]

• MrBeast Is Getting Into Financial Services. Parents Should Pay Attention. Beast Industries has acquired a banklike app for young people and could eventually offer a variety of financial services, including crypto..... [more]

• Leo KoGuan, one of Tesla's largest individual shareholders, says he's piling into the AI trade. KoGuan, a tech entrepreneur and the founder of IT infrastructure firm SHI International, lists himself.... [more]

• Apple CEO Tim Cook promised a “big week” of product announcements has seen the introduction of a new budget-friendly iPhone trim, an entry-level Macbook tier, updated iPad Air models, refreshed monitors and higher-end chipsets..... [more]

• Apple announces its cheapest-ever new MacBook.... [more]

• Wizz Air Holdings PLC (LSE:WIZZ) said Wednesday it expects fiscal 2026 net profits to fall below previous guidance due to disruption in the Middle East. The budget airline estimates that the current crisis in the Middle East.... [more]

• Target plans to spend billions of dollars this year to end a persistent sales slump and to regain its image as a fun place to shop for stylish clothing, housewares, beauty products and packaged food at affordable prices..... [more]

• Bank of Canada warns of risks linked to non-bank players in debt markets.... [more]

• Fortnite to return to Google Play worldwide.... [more]

• The European Commission has proposed a “Buy EU” plan to boost domestic low-carbon industries and help the continent compete against China. The commission published a draft regulation – called the Industrial Accelerator Act.... [more]

• Putin suggests Russia may exit European energy market.... [more]

• The Iran war’s disruption of Middle East oil and gas supplies and soaring prices are strengthening Russia’s ability to profit from its energy exports, a pillar of the Kremlin’s budget and a key to paying for its own war in Ukraine..... [more]

• War in Middle East ‘could wipe out growth in UK living standards’. Rising oil and gas prices may affect increase of £300 a year for typical working-age households, says leading thinktank.... [more]

• Retail giant Marks & Spencer has announced a pay increase for its 55,000 store employees. From 1 April, the high street chain will boost wages for retail staff by at least 6.4 per cent, setting new rates at £13.41 an hour nationwide.... [more]

• Brewdog founder admits 'many mistakes' as hundreds lose jobs in sale.... [more]

• If the Strait of Hormuz remains threatened and constrained by the war on Iran, Asia will face its most serious test of energy security since the 1973 oil embargo. For decades, policymakers understood the vulnerability,.... [more]

• Alibaba Group Holding has recruited a research scientist from Google DeepMind to bolster development efforts for its Qwen artificial intelligence models, in an internal restructuring that has seen the departure of previous technical lead.... [more]

• Asian tech stocks reel as US-Iran war threatens infrastructure and supply chains.... [more]

• Indonesia suffers a series of market sentiment setbacks in 2026 .... [more]

• The US-Israeli war on Iran is putting renewed focus on the country’s $7.8 billion cryptocurrency market, which citizens and authorities there have increasingly turned to for storing and sending money during periods of turmoil..... [more]

• Analysis - Chris Isidore & Matt Egan: America is the oil king of the world. So why is the Iran war sending gas prices higher?.... [more]

• Opinion - Shuli Ren: Why the Iran War Has Morphed Into Panic Selling in Asia.... [more]