Australian shares fell on Friday, tracking losses on Wall Street as bond yields rose again.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 0.27%, or 24.90 points, to close at 9,058.90.
Overnight on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.3%, the Nasdaq Composite declined 1%, while the S&P 500 was down 0.9%.
Brent crude futures continued to rise to around $93 per barrel as the deadlock in the Middle East continued. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US will impose "the toughest sanctions in history" on Iran.
On the domestic front, Australia's private sector composite output index posted 52.5 in August, down from 53.2 in July, marking a third consecutive month of growth though at a slightly softer pace, with services activity driving the expansion while manufacturing output tipped into mild contraction, according to a report by S&P Global.
In company news, Guzman y Gomez (ASX:GYG) logged AU$0.521 in underlying earnings per share from continuing operations for fiscal 2026, compared with AU$0.389 a year ago. For the 12 months ended June 30, revenue was AU$520.4 million versus AU$427.1 million previously. Its shares closed up 12%.
Charter Hall Group (ASX:CHC) logged AU$1.032 in post-tax operating earnings per stapled security for fiscal 2026, compared with AU$0.814 a year ago. For the 12 months ended June 30, total income was AU$811.3 million versus AU$672.9 million previously.
Lastly, EQT Holdings (ASX:EQT) received an unsolicited, indicative, and non-binding proposal from private equity firm BGH Capital to acquire all outstanding shares for AU$24.75 in cash per share, less any dividends declared or paid. Its shares rose 9% on market close.