Sydney, Jan 8, 2026, 21:54 AEDT — Market closed.
- The S&P/ASX 200 finished up 0.29% at 8,720.8 after trading between 8,693.7 and 8,739.2. Investing.com Australia
- BlueScope rejected a A$13.2 billion takeover approach from SGH and U.S.-based Steel Dynamics. Reuters
Australian shares ended higher on Thursday, lifted by a second straight rise in tech and health stocks while miners eased. The S&P/ASX 200 closed up 0.29% at 8,720.8, with information technology up 1.73% and healthcare up 1.64%, even as materials fell 1.23%. Market Index
The rotation matters right now because investors are trying to read the rate path off a handful of fresh inflation signals, and the RBA has pushed back on any victory laps. Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser said inflation above 3% was still too high after data showed annual CPI inflation slowed to 3.4% in November, while the central bank’s core measure — the trimmed mean, which strips out price spikes — eased to 3.2%. Reuters
Energy names were a quieter drag as oil swung around the $60-a-barrel mark and the Australian dollar slipped to about 67 U.S. cents. “If oil stays below $60, energy companies could be significantly affected,” Zavier Wong, a market analyst at eToro, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, flagging the risk that more supply — including from Venezuela — keeps a lid on prices. ABC
On the single-stock board, Mesoblast jumped 8.8% and buy-now-pay-later firm Zip Co gained 7.5%, while shipbuilder Austal climbed 6.4%. Ansell dropped 6.2%, Capricorn Metals fell 5.5% and Lynas Rare Earths slid 5.1%. Investing
BlueScope Steel also stayed in focus after it rejected a non-binding $30-a-share proposal from a consortium of SGH and Steel Dynamics. Chair Jane McAloon called it “an attempt to take BlueScope from its shareholders on the cheap,” adding that the structure would leave shareholders wearing the dividend deductions while the deal drags on. BlueScope said a return to historical average steel spreads (the gap between steel prices and input costs) and foreign-exchange rates could lift annual EBIT by A$400 million to A$900 million versus FY2025. BlueScope
Glove maker Ansell said CEO Neil Salmon will retire after 13 years with the company, and Nathalie Ahlström, most recently CEO and president of Finland’s Fiskars Group, will take over on Feb. 16 after a transition starting Jan. 26. Chair Nigel Garrard said Ahlström brings leadership experience and a track record in “complex global markets”. ASX Announcements
Capricorn Metals said December-quarter output at its Karlawinda Gold Project was 30,476 ounces, keeping it on track for the upper end of its FY26 guidance. It forecast all-in sustaining costs — a per-ounce measure that includes sustaining capital spend — of $1,530 to $1,630, with full operational and cost details due in its quarterly report later this month. ASX Announcements
But the tape is still jumpy. A hot U.S. jobs print or another leg down in commodities could shove bond yields higher again and pressure the very sectors that steadied the market late this week, while takeover talk around BlueScope risks cooling if bidders decide the maths no longer works.
