FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

ASX Preview: Australian Shares to Rise as Oil Surges on Middle East Tensions; Rio Tinto Group Reports Higher Q1 Copper Equivalent, Iron Ore Production

By

Australian shares are poised to rise on Tuesday, tracking higher global oil prices after Brent crude surged more than 5% on renewed Middle East tensions and escalating uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz amid stalled US-Iran ceasefire talks.

Overnight, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq Composite, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.01%, respectively.

In the macroeconomy, the ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian consumer confidence fell 0.2 points to 64.3 in the week of April 13 to 19, ANZ reported Tuesday.

In corporate news, Rio Tinto Group (ASX:RIO) on Tuesday reported a 9% year-over-year increase in copper equivalent production in the first quarter, while global iron ore production jumped 12% to 82.8 million tonnes.

Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC) said its fiscal third-quarter gross sales revenue increased to AU$265 million from AU$123 million a year earlier, while sales receipts advanced to AU$234 million from AU$124.6 million.

Australia's benchmark index rose 0.1% or 6.4 points to close at 8,953.30 on Monday.

Related Articles

Asia

Hollwin Urban to Buy Smart City Firm for 50 Million Yuan

Hollwin Urban Operation Service (HKG:2529) agreed to acquire a smart city technology firm for 49.5 million yuan, according to an April 17 Hong Kong bourse filing.Shares of the urban service and operation provider were up nearly 2% in Monday morning trade.The company will purchase the entire equity interest in Hunan Liwei Zhongtian Technology Development from its controlling shareholder, Changsha Urban Development Group, and five individual shareholders.The target provides intelligent systems engineering, smart city construction, and software development services.The consideration will be paid in cash in stages, with 70% due at completion and the remainder subject to profit and receivables recovery targets over three years.Hollwin said the acquisition will strengthen its smart city capabilities and support its expansion into technology-driven urban services.

HKG:2529
Asia

Poly Developments and Holdings 2025 Profit Down 79%, Revenue Slips 1%

Poly Developments and Holdings (SHA:600048) posted 2025 attributable net profit of 1.03 billion yuan, down 79% from 5.00 billion yuan the previous year.Earnings per share fell to 0.54 yuan from 2.53 yuan, according to a filing with the Shanghai bourse.Operating revenue slipped 1.1% year over year to 308.1 billion yuan from 311.7 billion yuan.Shares of the property developer were up 2% in recent trade.

SHA:600048
Asia

Sunshine Metals Says Grade Control Drilling at Proposed Open Pit at Queensland Project Returns Shallow, High-Grade Results; Shares Jump 10%

Sunshine Metals (ASX:SHN) said the grade control drilling program within the proposed Liontown open pit, part of its Ravenswood consolidated project in Queensland, returned shallow, high-grade results, according to a Monday Australian bourse filing.The company encountered intercepts of 7 meters at 5.9 grams per tonne (g/t) grade of gold from surface and 3 meters at 25 g/t grade of gold from 14 meters.It also hit an intercept of 14 meters at 12.4 g/t grade of gold from 79 meters during resource drilling at the Liontown Au Panel, a gold-dominant deposit to form part of the proposed underground mine within the recent mining study.An updated Liontown resource is due in the June quarter, per the filing.Sunshine Metals shares jumped 10% in recent trading on Monday.

ASX:SHN