ASX Preview: Australian Shares Set to Rise as Oil Eases on Middle East Volatility; Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Posts Higher Total Capital for March Quarter

Australian shares are poised to rise on Friday as oil prices settled lower after a volatile session driven by shifting geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, easing some near-term inflation and supply pressure concerns despite ongoing uncertainty around the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

Overnight, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq Composite, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%, 0.1%, and 0.6%, respectively.

In the macroeconomy, investors are eyeing Australia's consumer price index report next week.

In corporate news, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (ASX:BEN) reported on Friday that its total capital for the quarter ended March 31 rose to nearly AU$6 billion, compared with AU$5.91 billion a year ago.

Monadelphous Group (ASX:MND) secured new construction and maintenance contracts in the resources and renewable energy sectors, totaling AU$120 million.

Australia's benchmark index rose 1.5% or 125.1 points to close at 8,621.70 on Thursday.

Bosch's Consolidated Profit Climbs in Fiscal Q4

Bosch's (NSE:BOSCHLTD, BOM:500530) consolidated net profit rose to 5.70 billion Indian rupees in the fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31, from 5.54 billion rupees a year ago.Earnings per share grew to 193.25 rupees from 187.66 rupees a year earlier, the engineering and technology company said in a filing to the Indian stock exchanges on Wednesday.Revenue from operations in fiscal Q4 also increased to 55.7 billion rupees from 49.1 billion rupees a year ago.The company's board recommended a final dividend of 270 rupees per equity share of 10 rupees each for the financial year 2025-26.

BOM:500530NSE:BOSCHLTD

HashKey Unit-Managed Fund Leads SignalPlus' Series B+ Investment

HashKey (HKG:3887) said a fund managed by its asset management arm led the Series B+ investment of crypto derivatives platform SignalPlus, according to a Wednesday Hong Kong bourse filing.Shares of the licensed digital asset platform provider were down nearly 2% in late morning trade on Thursday.HashKey Fintech Multi-Strategy Fund IV LP invested $40 million into SignalPlus, $20 million of which came from the group, the filing said.The investment is part of the long-term partnership between both parties, HashKey said.

HKG:3887

Youzan Technology Eyes 20-to-1 Share Consolidation, Board Lot Change; Shares Plunge 18%

Youzan Technology (HKG:6051) proposed a 20-to-1 share consolidation and a change in board lot size, according to a Wednesday Hong Kong bourse filing.Shares of the firm were down 18% in Thursday's late morning trade.Under the plan, the company will change the board lot size from 4,000 existing shares to 5,000 consolidated shares.Assuming no further share issuance or repurchases, the number of issued shares will be reduced to about 1.65 billion from about 33 billion following the consolidation.The company said the move is intended to comply with Hong Kong listing requirements and bring the trading value per board lot to a reasonable level to attract a broader investor base, including institutional investors.The share consolidation is subject to shareholder approval at an annual general meeting scheduled for June 30 and is expected to take effect on July 3.

HKG:6051

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Bosch's Consolidated Profit Climbs in Fiscal Q4

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Youzan Technology Eyes 20-to-1 Share Consolidation, Board Lot Change; Shares Plunge 18%