Market Reports

• Australian Market Report: The Australian sharemarket rallied on Wednesday, boosting its value by $55 billion, as investors grew optimistic about Washington’s efforts to end the war in the Middle East, and inflation came in softer than forecast,.... [more]

• U.S. Market Report: Wall Street's main indexes rose on Wednesday as prospects of a de-escalation in the Middle East conflict ‌allayed some fears around prolonged energy supply disruptions and lifted investor sentiment..... [more]

• European Market Report: European stocks traded higher on Wednesday, extending gains from the previous session after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Iran were "in negotiations right now" and they "want to make a deal so badly"..... [more]

• Asian Market Report: Asian stocks rallied on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Iran were "in negotiations right now" and they "want to make a deal so badly"..... [more]

Australian Business News

• Treasurer Jim Chalmers has ruled out any move on Australia’s costly fuel excise, despite warnings the Iran war will make inflation worsen. The Consumer Price Index rose 3.7 per cent in February, down 0.1 per cent from the previous.... [more]

• Independent petrol station operators and miners are urging the federal government to crack down harder on major fuel wholesalers hoarding supply and withholding deliveries from smaller operators..... [more]

• Business insolvencies are at a record high and will only rise further as the conflict in the Middle East and rising risk of recession could smash Australia’s most essential industries..... [more]

• A union has sensationally written to Australian bosses calling for the resumption of working-from-home arrangements as surging oil costs impact workers. The Finance Sector Union’s (FSU) submission to its member employers.... [more]

• The war in Iran has inspired an unexpected ASX 200 market trend..... [more]

• Is InterPrac sale in clients’ best interests?.... [more]

• ASX real estate stocks have been slammed by rate hikes, is it time to buy the dip? Major broker slashes earnings forecasts for ASX real estate stocks as rising rates tighten their grip, but bargains still exist.... [more]

• Tax alpha is becoming more important than market returns. As valuations temper and market returns become subdued, focus on keeping more of what you earn..... [more]

• Marmota Limited has dropped the final pieces into place for a restart to its hunt for uranium at the company’s Junction Dam project in South Australia. The company has now finalised a drilling program design.... [more]

• Golden Dragon Mining has unveiled a whopping million-ounce-plus gold target on its Cue project in Western Australia, following an independent review of up to 14 priority targets..... [more]

• Rio Tinto, the federal and state governments, have struck a landmark partnership to secure the long-term future of one of Australia's largest aluminium smelters. Federal Industry Minister Tim Ayres and Queensland Natural Resources.... [more]

• Australian Critical Minerals approaches first drilling of Flint gold-silver targets.... [more]

• 88 Energy Ltd (AIM:88E, ASX:88E, OTCQB:EEENF, FRA:POQ) aims to raise up to the equivalent of £2.62 million (A$5.03 million) to help fund drill plans in Alaska..... [more]

• A regional council in Western Australia's Goldfields has agreed to sell a controversial mining camp for $22.05 million. The sale is part of the Shire of Coolgardie's plans to clear massive debts,.... [more]

• Reece (ASX:REH) has become one of the first Australian suppliers to warn customers it will have to raise prices to deal with the war in Iran, starting with a 36% hike on how much plastic piping will cost from next month..... [more]

• ‘Crazy not to’: soaring fuel prices send more Australians into U-turn towards electric cars. Sales of EVs and hybrids have increased in Australia ever since the US-Israel war on Iran sent oil prices soaring.... [more]

• 4DMedical Ltd (ASX:4DX) has delivered one of the clearest validation points yet for its flagship lung imaging technology, securing a deployment at the Mayo Clinic.... [more]

• DroneShield Shares Bounce Back Following Difficult Week.... [more]

• ‘Slap in the face:’ Telstra to increase mobile and broadband prices from May.... [more]

• Opinion - Colin Kruger: David Jones accused of squeezing suppliers as losses mount.... [more]

• Comment - James Cooper: Your portfolio was built for cheap oil. That world is gone. Are we living in the 1970s? I can’t tell you, I wasn’t there, but it’s an interesting analogy. The fear of inflation, the eroding value of cash, and now.... [more]

• Analysis - David Swan: Zuckerberg’s court loss is the ‘Big Tobacco’ moment for Big Tech. The same algorithms that make Meta brilliant at selling you running shoes are equally effective at connecting predators.... [more]

• Opinion - Greg Jericho: The gas industry says an export tax will hurt Australians. The numbers say otherwise. The gas industry is clearly worried that a vast majority of Australians believe there should be a 25 per cent tax on its exports..... [more]

World Business News

• War-driven stock losses could shave $1.5 trillion from US household wealth this quarter, research firm says.... [more]

• U.S. import prices increased by the most in four years in February as energy costs surged in anticipation of conflict in the Middle East, adding to signs that inflation is poised to accelerate in the months ahead..... [more]

• UBS Names Top Oil Sector Picks.... [more]

• The damage to oil-and-gas infrastructure in the Middle East caused by the war with Iran will take years and billions of dollars to repair, which would hamper efforts to fully restore production even if the conflict were to end soon..... [more]

• GameStop’s move to add bitcoin as a treasury asset turns 1. It hasn’t paid off yet. Videogame retailer sees lowest yearly sales in 20 years, and books a more than $130 million loss on its bitcoin holdings.... [more]

• OpenAI Is Shutting Down Sora, Its A.I. Video Generator. The start-up said it would discontinue Sora just three months after signing a multiyear deal to bring Disney characters to the service..... [more]

• Intel’s stock is climbing. Here’s why the company’s new chip launch is so significant. The company’s launch of enterprise-focused processors shows that it’s ready to ship high volumes of products.... [more]

• Indian IT services firm ​Infosys (INFY.NS), said on ‌Wednesday it had entered into ​separate agreements ​to acquire U.S.-based ⁠technology companies ​Optimum Healthcare IT ​and Stratus in all-cash deals..... [more]

• A California jury on Wednesday found that Meta and Google were to blame for the depression and anxiety of a woman who compulsively used social media as a small child, awarding her $3 million in a rare verdict holding Silicon Valley.... [more]

• A jury on Tuesday found Meta violated New Mexico law in a case accusing it of failing to warn users about the dangers of its platforms and protect children from predators. The jury found Meta liable on all counts.... [more]

• Meta Platforms (META.O), is laying off a few hundred people across multiple teams on Wednesday, ​a source familiar with the matter told ‌Reuters. Reuters reported earlier this month that Meta was planning sweeping layoffs.... [more]

• AsiaPac AdTechinno Group Limited files for 3.125M share IPO at $7-$9/sh.... [more]

• SpaceX IPO leaves some private share buyers unsure what they own.... [more]

• The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with internet service provider Cox Communications in its copyright fight with record labels over illegal music downloads by Cox customers. The justices ruled unanimously that Cox bears.... [more]

• JetBlue taps advisers for potential sale, Semafor reports.... [more]

• Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez pitches newly opened oil sector to investors at Miami summit.... [more]

• Europe could face a shortage of energy and fuel as soon as next month without a reopening of the strait of Hormuz, Shell’s chief executive has said. The boss of Europe’s biggest oil company said it was working with governments.... [more]

• Bank of ​England policymaker Megan Greene said on Wednesday she had not been close to voting to raise borrowing ‌costs at last week's interest rate-setting meeting, which was dominated by the economic hit from the conflict.... [more]

• UK inflation rate stays at 3% before Iran war hits oil prices.... [more]

• Former Google executive Matt Brittin was named as the BBC’s new director-general on Wednesday, taking the helm at the U.K.’s national broadcaster as it faces an uncertain future and a $10 billion lawsuit from U.S. President.... [more]

• Reeves courts Spanish investors amid bid to boost ties with EU.... [more]

• Apple is rolling out age checks for iPhone and iPad users in the UK that will ask them to verify if they are adults to access "certain services" such as 18-plus apps..... [more]

• UK supermarket Morrisons sales growth improves, alert on Iran war fallout.... [more]

• Asia Braces for Worst-Case Energy Scenarios as Iran War Drags On.... [more]

• PDD Holdings, the Chinese e-commerce group behind Pinduoduo and global budget marketplace Temu, on Wednesday reported an 11 per cent drop in quarterly profit amid higher sales as the company continued a pivot.... [more]

• HK’s Top Developer Gets $2.6 Billion Loan at Multi-Year Low Rate.... [more]

• Labubu doll maker Pop Mart’s shares sank nearly 23% on Wednesday despite robust revenue, with analysts pointing to investor concerns over the Chinese toy company’s ability to grow beyond its heavy reliance on Labubu.... [more]

• The worst oil crisis in history comes at a good time for China’s troubled EV giants.... [more]

• Nintendo shares slid on Tuesday on worries about Switch 2 sales, nearly erasing recent gains. The company's stock fell 5% in Tokyo trading, while ts US-listed ADRs were down more than 6% in afternoon trading..... [more]

• India retains headline inflation target at 4% following review.... [more]

• India and Chile on Wednesday reviewed the progress of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA), with both sides discussing ways to accelerate talks and deepen bilateral economic engagement, reported PTI..... [more]