Australian shares rose on Wednesday amid freshly renewed hostilities between the US and Iran.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 0.57%, or 49.10 points, at 8,653.30.
Brent crude oil futures rose to trade at around $91 per barrel after the US held Iran responsible for the downing of a US military helicopter.
On the domestic front, seasonally adjusted data revealed that the total number of dwellings approved in Australia fell 3.4% to 16,710 in April from 17,307 in the previous month, according to final figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian consumer confidence rose 2 points to 70.8 in the week of June 1 to June 7, ANZ reported. The four-week moving average rose 1.7 points to 68 points. Consumer sentiment improved broadly last week, with gains in financial conditions and medium-term confidence hitting their strongest levels since late February.
In company news, Steadfast Group (ASX:SDF) said it received a conditional, non-binding, and indicative offer from Amwins Group and Dragoneer Investment Group to acquire the company by way of a scheme of arrangement at AU$6 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of about AU$7.7 billion.
Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) Chairman Michael Chaney said that processing plant construction at Fimiston in Western Australia is nearing completion, on time and with a modest cost overrun. Chaney acknowledged that the firm's share price performance in the year had not met expectations and recognised shareholders' concerns.
Lastly, Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) said it is partnering with artificial intelligence organizations to drive long-term sales and earnings growth. The company said it will use AI for agentic and conversational commerce and AI assistants for team members and supply chain optimization, among other applications.