The S&P/ASX 200 finished Monday little changed around 8,953, stabilizing after two sessions of losses. Strength in consumer durables, retail trade, and logistics stocks offset weakness in energy minerals and healthcare names.
Investors continued to track fast-moving geopolitical developments in the Middle East, after the U.S. seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that had reportedly attempted to breach a naval blockade. In China, Australia’s largest trading partner, the central bank left its benchmark loan prime rates unchanged for an 11th consecutive month in April, matching market expectations.
On the corporate front, Viva Energy said it plans to ramp up diesel, jet fuel, and gasoline output to more than 90% of capacity within weeks, following a fire that damaged part of its Geelong refinery in southeastern Australia last week.
Among individual movers, Genesis Minerals rose 2.3%, Regis Resources gained 1.9%, and Bluescope Steel added 1.3%. On the downside, South32 dropped 3.5%, Woodside Energy fell 2.8%, and Pro Medicus declined 2.4%.
