Australian Shares Flat; Rio Tinto Posts Higher Q1 Copper Equivalent, Iron Ore Production
Australian shares ended flat on Tuesday, while most Asian markets saw gains after reports of further negotiations between the US and Iran.The S&P/ASX 200 Index was little changed to close at 8,949.40.Iran is considering attending peace negotiations with the US in Pakistan, while Islamabad attempts to end a US blockade on Iranian ports, which is seen as a key obstacle to Tehran's participation, before a two-week ceasefire expires.On Monday, the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3%, the S&P lost 0.2%, while the Dow Jones remained little changed.On the domestic front, the ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian consumer confidence fell 0.2 points to 64.3 in the week of April 13 to 19, ANZ reported.In company news, Rio Tinto Group (ASX:RIO) on Tuesday reported a 9% year-over-year increase in copper equivalent production in the first quarter, while global iron ore production jumped 12% to 82.8 million tonnes.Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC) said its fiscal third-quarter gross sales revenue increased to AU$265 million from AU$123 million a year earlier, while sales receipts advanced to AU$234 million from AU$124.6 million.Lastly, Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) launched a week-long sale on fares across 90 routes on the airline's domestic and regional network, including both the economy and business categories, with travel available through March 2027.