SYDNEY, January 5, 2026, 02:08 ET
- Silex Systems led ASX 200 gainers, up 9.43% to A$9.75, as uranium and critical-minerals names climbed.
- WiseTech Global fell 3.18% after the competition regulator set out concerns tied to an acquisition and a planned divestment.
- Traders now focus on Australia’s November CPI on Wednesday and the U.S. jobs report on Jan. 9.
Uranium and rare-earth stocks topped the Australian market on Monday, led by Silex Systems, which jumped 9.43% to A$9.75. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index, Australia’s main basket of large caps, finished near flat, up 0.01% at 8,728.6.
The rally landed as investors tracked the fallout from U.S. action in Venezuela that put oil supply and sanctions policy back in focus. Traders leaned into “critical minerals” — metals that power batteries, electronics and defence systems — and trimmed rate-sensitive tech and consumer names. Seymour Telegraph
The timing matters because macro data can reset rate expectations quickly. Australia releases November CPI on Wednesday, and the United States publishes December employment data on Friday, Jan. 9 — a potential swing factor after the Federal Reserve cut rates at its last three meetings of 2025, according to ABC reporting.
The ASX 200 added 0.8 points while the broader All Ordinaries slipped 0.02% to 9,034.7. The Australian dollar traded at 66.75 U.S. cents as raw-materials gains offset declines in technology, consumer discretionary and communications.
Silex set the pace among the top movers. NexGen Energy climbed 8.39% to A$15.50 and Paladin Energy gained 7.11% to A$10.85, while IperionX rose 6.91% to A$6.19 and Lynas Rare Earths added 6.14% to A$12.97.
The bid broadened across resources. Iluka Resources advanced 6.13%, Nickel Industries rose 5.56% and uranium developer Deep Yellow added 4.88%, while engineering group Worley gained 5.26%.
Large miners helped hold the index as iron ore prices bounced, and Rio Tinto jumped more than 1% to a new intraday peak of A$150.14. Gold pushed above $4,420 an ounce and supported gold names including Northern Star, Newmont and Genesis Minerals, each up more than 2%.
Oil prices swung, and the energy sector lagged despite strength in uranium-linked names. Brent slipped 0.4% to about $60.48 a barrel, and Goldman Sachs said Venezuela’s 2026 output outlook hinges on how U.S. sanctions policy evolves, with the bank keeping its 2026 Brent and WTI averages at $56 and $52, respectively.
Software and consumer stocks led the downside. Magellan Financial fell 5.85% to A$9.33, Temple & Webster dropped 5.75% to A$12.96 and buy-now-pay-later firm Zip slid 5.67% to A$3.16; Aristocrat Leisure lost 4.56%.
WiseTech Global declined 3.18% to A$66.37 after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the antitrust regulator, detailed its competition concerns linked to WiseTech’s acquisition activity. “We have voluntarily agreed to enter an enforceable undertaking with the ACCC to sell this business, to address the ACCC’s competition concerns,” CEO Zubin Appoo said; WiseTech said the divestment would not change FY26 guidance and flagged a one-time, non-cash goodwill derecognition of US$5 million to US$20 million — goodwill is an accounting value companies record in acquisitions. Markitdigital
But the resources-led bid hinges on headlines and commodity prices, and both can reverse quickly. Goldman Sachs warned that a longer-run rise in Venezuelan production could add downside risk to oil forecasts beyond 2026, even as it said any recovery would take time and investment — a setup that can reshuffle leadership across energy and miners.
Investors now turn to Australia’s November CPI on Wednesday, trade data on Thursday and the U.S. jobs report on Jan. 9 for the next directional cue. Traders also watch for the next update on WiseTech’s divestment process and whether uranium and rare-earth leaders can hold today’s gains into the next ASX session.
