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ASX Midday Sector Update: Energy Stocks Gain, Real Estate Slides

-- Energy stocks were the only sector in the green around midday trading Thursday, rising 2% as oil prices ticked higher amid continuing tensions between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

Santos (ASX:STO) was advancing over 2% after saying first-quarter production increased to 22.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) from 21.9 mmboe a year earlier.

Meanwhile, real estate stocks bore the brunt of broader market declines and were down 1.6%.

Mirvac Group (ASX:MGR) reported 592 residential sales for the fiscal third quarter, up 12% year on year. The company's shares slid nearly 2%.

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Asia

Judo Capital Holdings Expects Fiscal Year 2026 Profit at Lower End of Guidance

Judo Capital Holdings (ASX:JDO) said third-quarter lending growth, net interest margins, and operating expenses remain on track, reaffirming fiscal year 2026 profit before tax guidance of AU$180 million to AU$190 million, albeit toward the lower end, inclusive of a top-up to its collective provision in response to current economic conditions, according to a Thursday Australian bourse filing.The bank's third-quarter net interest margin (NIM) rose to about 3.15% from 3.03% in the first half of the fiscal year, in line with existing second-half NIM guidance, with gross loans and advances (GLA) growing to AU$13.8 billion on March 31 from AU$13.4 billion on December 2025, the filing added.Attrition improved to 15% annualized in the third quarter, down from 33% in the second quarter, driven by lower levels of external refinances and discretionary paydowns, while total deposits increased to AU$11.5 billion at March 31, the filing added.Common equity tier one (CET1) capital remained at 12.6% at March 31, unchanged from December 2025, with 90-day-past-due and impaired loans at 2.65% of GLA, a slight improvement from 2.66% in December 2025, the filing added.Full fiscal year guidance includes NIM at the upper end of 3% to 3.1%, a cost-to-income ratio below 50%, and GLA of AU$14.4 billion to AU$14.7 billion, with new term deposit pricing expected to normalize to within 80 to 90 basis points over one-month bank bill swap rate (BBSW) by the end of the fiscal year, it added.

$ASX:JDO
Asia

Market Chatter: SMFG Targets to Manage 10 Trillion Yen in University Assets

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (TYO:8316) or SMFG plans to launch a full-scale asset management service for Japanese universities as investment becomes more crucial for higher education, Nikkei Asia reported on Friday.Private universities and junior colleges hold an estimated 10 trillion yen or $62.7 billion in assets - mainly in cash equivalents and bonds, the news daily said, citing the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan (PMAC).While Japan's national universities have become more proactive with their assets, directing more money toward growth-oriented investments, their exposure to stocks and investment trusts remains limited, the report said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

$TYO:8316
Asia

FireFly Metals Secures Approvals to Divest Canada Project to Bellavista Resources

FireFly Metals (ASX:FFM) and Bellavista Resources (ASX:BVR) obtained all necessary shareholder approvals and satisfied or waived remaining conditions for the sale of FireFly's Ontario gold portfolio, including its 70% stake in the Pickle Crow Project and full ownership of the Sioux Lookout Project, according to a Friday filing with the Australian bourse.Completion of the transaction is expected on April 29, per the filing.Firefly will receive 60 million Bellavista shares upfront, along with 50 million performance rights, with an in-specie distribution to shareholders scheduled for May 11, equating to around one Bellavista share for every 12.8 Firefly shares held, the filing said.The transaction includes a waiver of the Australian Taxation Office class ruling condition, with tax treatment still pending final confirmation, the filing added.FireFly Metals and Bellavista Resources' shares each shed about 1% in recent Friday trade.

$ASX:BVR$ASX:FFM