Sydney, Jan 13, 2026, 16:52 AEDT — Market closed
- After slipping on Monday, Fortescue shares rebounded 0.9% to close at A$22.60
- Iron ore futures strengthened in Asia, driven by restocking cues and reduced shipments
- All eyes are on Fortescue’s production report set for Jan. 22, seen as the next key test
Fortescue Ltd shares closed 0.9% higher at A$22.60 on Tuesday, recovering some ground after slipping the day before and maintaining its spot amid a volatile January. 1
Iron ore futures nudged up in Asian trading, buoyed by pre-holiday restocking and a rise in steel production. The most-active May contract on Dalian ended 0.92% higher at 822.5 yuan a tonne. In Singapore, the February benchmark contract gained 0.68%, settling at $109.2 a tonne. Meanwhile, weekly shipments from Australia and Brazil slipped compared to the previous week, according to consultancy Mysteel. 2
This is crucial as Fortescue’s next update on volume and costs approaches. The miner will publish its December-quarter production figures on Jan. 22, followed by its FY26 half-year results on Feb. 25.
The broader market lent support as well. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.71% to 8,822, driven by strength in materials and financials, lifting the index to a nine-week peak, according to an AAP report.
Fortescue revealed late Monday in an ASX filing that 86,097 “SIP vested rights” and 121,426 performance rights converted into ordinary shares—these are share-based awards common in employee incentive programs. The filing showed a total of 3,078,964,918 ordinary shares outstanding. 3
Another notice revealed that 1,309 unquoted performance rights expired on Dec. 23, after their attached conditions weren’t met or couldn’t be fulfilled.
Capital-structure updates typically fly under the radar for traders, yet they carry weight in the details. These tweaks can shift share counts and give investors insight into the equity allocated for staff incentives.
Fortescue usually moves like a high-beta iron ore play: it climbs when ore prices rise and can drop more sharply than the market when prices fall. Rio Tinto and BHP are the clear peers in this space.
The risk here is that ore bids might lack depth. Supply is set to climb, with Reuters cautioning that iron ore could come under pressure in 2026 as Guinea’s Simandou mine boosts production. That would leave Chinese steel demand as the primary driver of price swings.
