Sydney, Feb 9, 2026, 17:11 (AEDT) — Market shut for the day.
Fortescue Ltd finished Monday at A$21.78, up 2.6%. The stock bounced back along with fellow miners, clawing back ground lost in last week’s sharp selloff that had shaken Australian equities. 1
This shift hits just as February’s reporting season stirs up nerves locally, with traders also watching for any weather trouble out of Western Australia’s Pilbara iron ore route. Either factor can jolt miners quickly, even if company updates are thin.
The S&P/ASX 200 rebounded 1.9% after slumping 2% in the previous session, which marked its biggest single-day loss since early April. Miners and gold stocks drove much of the recovery. “Today is largely a partial reversal of the doom and gloom last week,” said Philip Pepe, senior equities analyst at Shaw and Partners, who also warned volatility could stick around through reporting season. 2
Copper’s bounce lent a hand. The resources sub-index climbed as much as 2.9%, Reuters reported, after copper prices pushed back over $13,000 a metric ton. Heavyweights BHP, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue all traded up. 3
Pilbara Ports’ latest updates kept coming outside the stock market. Port Hedland, which handles more iron ore exports than any other port globally, restarted at noon on Sunday after getting the all-clear on Friday, the operator reported. Other ports in the area, though, stayed closed. 4
Tropical Cyclone Mitchell has intensified into a Category 3, packing gusts of up to 195 kph (121 mph), according to Australia’s weather bureau. Pilbara Ports reported that Port Hedland and neighboring ports shut on Saturday, with the system brewing offshore. Landfall is expected somewhere between Exmouth and Onslow, likely late Sunday or early Monday, the bureau said. 5
Despite gaining on Monday, Fortescue shares have climbed just 2.8% across the last five sessions and remain about 1% lower since the year began, according to MarketScreener data. 6
Late February brings the next key checkpoint for the company. Fortescue is set to release its FY26 half-year results on Feb. 25, according to its investor calendar. Investors want to hear details about shipments, costs, and whether cyclone disruptions put a dent in volumes. 7
Weather flipping from “watch” to “hit” is the risk here. Fresh port shutdowns or any damage could stall exports, at least for a bit. A drop in commodity prices would put Monday’s rebound in the major iron ore stocks to the test.
