Australian shares were flat, with a negative bias, on Wednesday as shares tracked weakness on Wall Street.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index was little changed to close at 9,053.80.
Brent crude futures climbed nearly 1% to around $91 per barrel over uncertainty over the resolution of the Middle East conflict. US President Donald Trump said no talks were taking place with Iran.
Overnight on Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell 0.7%, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.3%.
On the domestic front, advertised salaries in Australia recorded a 0.4% month-on-month increase in July, returning to the pace recorded between January and April after sluggish growth in recent months, according to the SEEK Advertised Salary Index.
Regional housing values in Australia eased by 0.1% in the three months to July, compared with a 2.5% decline across the combined capital cities, Cotality said. Forty-seven of Australia's 50 largest regional significant urban areas (SUA) had slower growth quarter over quarter, while 22 of them recorded a decline in home values.
Australia's seasonally adjusted wage price index rose 0.8% in the June quarter from the March quarter, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed.
In company news, Santos (ASX:STO) logged $0.109 earnings per share for the first half of the year, compared with $0.135 a year ago. For the six months ended June 30, revenue from ordinary activities was $2.62 billion versus $2.58 billion previously. Its shares earlier reached their highest point since January 2020.
Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) logged AU$0.7277 in earnings per share for fiscal 2026, compared with AU$0.4641 a year ago. For the 12 months ended June 30, revenue was AU$5.56 billion versus AU$4.35 billion previously.
Lastly, WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC) said an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) search warrant executed on the company requires it to furnish documents and electronic data related to the supply of logistics services and software. Its shares fell 9%.