Australian shares fell on Tuesday as optimism around a potential deal to end the conflict in the Middle East wavered after fresh US strikes.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index declined 0.39%, or 34.20 points, to close at 8,657.80.
Brent crude oil futures rose around 2% to trade around $98 per barrel after the US military carried out strikes in Iran against targets including missile launch sites and boats, which the US characterized as defensive in nature.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiating a deal with Iran could "take a few days."
On the domestic front, one in six Australian businesses was experiencing supply chain disruptions in May, with about 72% reporting a negative impact from current fuel prices or availability, according to a business conditions and sentiments report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
ABS said 60% of businesses made changes to operations due to fuel prices or availability, with 48% absorbing cost increases and 11% increasing prices. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing recorded the highest proportion of businesses experiencing supply chain disruptions at 42%, followed by retail trade at 31%.
Australian consumer confidence fell 0.3 points in the week of May 18 to 24 to 66.1 points, as confidence remains around historical lows since the series started in 1973, ANZ said. The four-week moving average eased 0.4 points to 66 points.
In company news, Santos (ASX:STO) is set to prioritize upstream investment in the Moomba Central fields area in South Australia and deprioritize the broader Cooper Basin, targeting cumulative capital expenditure reduction of around AU$300 million from 2027 to 2030, and AU$150 million savings annually thereafter.
Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) reported a work-in-progress value of AU$14.5 billion as of March 31, saying it expects the figure to reach around AU$18 billion by June. Data centers represent 73% of the March 31 work in progress. The work in progress is 37% pre-committed.
Lastly, Infratil (ASX:IFT, NZE:IFT) swung to a profit of NZ$0.558 per share in fiscal 2026 from a loss of NZ$0.315 a year earlier. Revenue for the 12 months ended March 31 was NZ$3.04 billion, compared with NZ$2.86 billion a year earlier.