Today: 7 February 2026
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Shan Ahmed Khan

As a journalist focused on finance and the stock market, he delivers fast, reliable, and easy-to-understand coverage of market news.

Woolworths (ASX:WOW) rises as staples hold up — here’s what investors watch nextSydney,

Woolworths (ASX:WOW) rises as staples hold up — here’s what investors watch nextSydney,

January 9, 2026, 17:31 AEDT — Market closed Woolworths Group Ltd shares climbed about 1.8% to A$30.08 on Friday, after trading between A$29.69 and A$30.15. The stock remains below its 52-week high of A$33.76, even after the bounce. Investing.com The move came as Australia’s benchmark index ended barely changed, with investors pushing the consumer non-cyclicals sector — a defensive bucket that includes supermarkets — up 1.1% even as basic materials slipped. Miners were in focus after Rio Tinto confirmed early-stage talks with Glencore, a deal that would be one of the industry’s biggest if it materialises. Why it matters now:
9 January 2026
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Aristocrat Leisure stock rises after A$750 million buyback top-up — what investors watch next

Aristocrat Leisure stock rises after A$750 million buyback top-up — what investors watch next

Sydney, Jan 9, 2026, 17:31 AEDT — Market closed Aristocrat Leisure shares rose on Friday after the gaming supplier moved to extend its on-market buyback, where a company repurchases its own shares on the exchange. The stock closed up 1.0% at A$57.22. Investing.com The move matters because buybacks can lift earnings per share (profit per share) by shrinking the share count, even if sales growth cools. It also puts capital returns back in focus after a bumpy start to January for consumer names. Aristocrat said the board approved an extra A$750 million of repurchases over an additional 12-month period ending
9 January 2026
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Northern Star Resources stock edges up after ASX query response keeps costs in focus

Northern Star Resources stock edges up after ASX query response keeps costs in focus

Sydney, January 9, 2026, 17:07 AEDT — Market closed Northern Star Resources Ltd (NST.AX) shares rose 0.5% on Friday to end at A$24.72, after the gold miner said it still cannot quantify how much a softer December quarter will lift its annual costs. The stock traded between A$24.54 and A$25.35, with a 52-week range of A$15.30 to A$27.99. Investing.com The move came in a flat market, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 edging down three points to 8,716 on the close. Northern Star’s issue is more specific: investors are still trying to pin down what the production downgrade means for costs
9 January 2026
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Commonwealth Bank shares slip as RBA warns inflation still “too high”; Feb results in focus

Commonwealth Bank shares slip as RBA warns inflation still “too high”; Feb results in focus

Sydney, Jan 9, 2026, 16:51 AEDT — Market closed Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares closed down 0.08% at A$153.22 on Friday, after sliding as far as A$152.43 and topping out at A$154.97. The stock traded about 950,000 shares, while the S&P/ASX 200 ended nearly flat, down 0.03%. The move is small, but it lands in a market that is trying to reset its rate view. For CBA, the biggest driver is still the interest-rate path and what that does to housing credit, deposit pricing and bank margins. That focus sharpened on Thursday after Reserve Bank of Australia Deputy Governor Andrew
9 January 2026
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DroneShield (ASX:DRO) stock jumps after Trump defense-budget push — what investors watch next

DroneShield (ASX:DRO) stock jumps after Trump defense-budget push — what investors watch next

Sydney, Jan 9, 2026, 16:54 AEDT — Market closed DroneShield Limited shares ended up 4.4% at A$4.02 on Friday, after the counter-drone tech stock swung between A$3.90 and A$4.09 in the session. Turnover was about 21.3 million shares, more than double Thursday’s volume. Investing.com The lift came as defence plays caught a fresh bid after U.S. President Donald Trump called for a sharp jump in U.S. military spending, with investors treating the comments as a read-through for the broader sector. Trump also took aim at dividends and stock buybacks — when companies repurchase their own shares — unless weapons output
9 January 2026
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Fortescue share price slips as iron ore cools — here’s what investors watch next

Fortescue share price slips as iron ore cools — here’s what investors watch next

Sydney, Jan 9, 2026, 16:52 AEDT — Market closed. Fortescue Ltd shares eased on Friday, with iron ore-linked miners struggling to find a clear direction after a sharp drop in Rio Tinto added to sector unease. Fortescue (FMG.AX) closed down 0.2% at A$22.71, about 3% below its 52-week high of A$23.38. BHP climbed 0.8%, while Rio Tinto sank 6.3%. Google+2Google+2 That matters now because Fortescue is essentially a pure iron ore bet. When the commodity turns, expectations for earnings and dividends can move quickly, and the stock tends to trade as a proxy for how traders feel about Chinese steel
9 January 2026
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CSL stock ends slightly lower as investors look to Feb results after routine filing

CSL stock ends slightly lower as investors look to Feb results after routine filing

Sydney, Jan 9, 2026, 17:05 AEDT — Market closed CSL Ltd shares edged down on Friday, closing 0.1% lower at A$174.29, after trading between A$173.48 and A$175.60. Volume was about 494,000 shares. Investing.com The small move matters because CSL is an ASX heavyweight and investors are trying to work out whether this month’s steadier tape is the start of a base, or just noise after a bruising year. It rose 2.6% on Thursday. Market Index The next hard checkpoint is Feb. 11, when CSL is due to publish half-year results and declare an interim dividend — a mid-year payout to
9 January 2026
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BHP stock edges up as Rio-Glencore merger talks jolt miners; what investors watch next

BHP stock edges up as Rio-Glencore merger talks jolt miners; what investors watch next

Sydney, January 9, 2026, 16:54 AEDT — Market closed BHP Group Ltd shares ended Friday higher after Rio Tinto and Glencore said they were in early talks that could reshape the top end of global mining and, on paper, knock BHP off the top spot by market value. The companies said the expectation was an all-share buyout — paid in stock, not cash — and UK takeover rules give Rio until Feb. 5 to make a formal offer or walk away. Reuters The read-through for BHP is copper. Big miners are chasing exposure to the metal used in wiring and
9 January 2026
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PLS Group shares slide after a 52-week high as traders eye the next update

PLS Group shares slide after a 52-week high as traders eye the next update

SYDNEY, Jan 9, 2026, 16:52 AEDT — Market closed PLS Group Limited shares fell 3.1% to A$4.65 on Friday, a day after hitting an intraday high of A$4.89, as the rally in lithium-linked names cooled into the weekend. About 21.3 million shares changed hands, according to market data. https://www.investing.com/equities/pilbara-minerals-ltd-historical-data The pullback came with the broader market barely budging. The S&P/ASX 200 ended down three points at 8,716 and materials were the weakest sector on the day, down 0.9%, an ABC business live blog reported. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-09/asx-markets-business-live-news-jan-2025-9/106212732 Why it matters now: PLS has become a clean read-through on lithium pricing, and the
9 January 2026
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Celestica stock slides nearly 6% as AI-linked hardware names retreat ahead of U.S. jobs report

Celestica stock slides nearly 6% as AI-linked hardware names retreat ahead of U.S. jobs report

NEW YORK, Jan 8, 2026, 15:42 EST — Regular session Celestica Inc shares fell 5.8% to $288.20 in afternoon trading on Thursday, after opening at $311.53 and sliding as low as $281.34. About 2.4 million shares had changed hands. The drop matters because Celestica has turned into a high-beta read-through on spending for cloud and data-center gear, and investors have started to flinch at rich valuations across the AI supply chain. “It’s become a ‘show me’ sector,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth. Reuters Across Wall Street, Treasury yields rose ahead of Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls
8 January 2026
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Cloudflare stock (NET) drops 7% as tech turns wary; insider sales filed, payrolls next

Cloudflare stock (NET) drops 7% as tech turns wary; insider sales filed, payrolls next

New York, January 8, 2026, 15:42 EST — Regular session Cloudflare Inc shares fell about 7% on Thursday, pulling the cybersecurity and content delivery firm lower after a strong close the day before. The stock was down 7.1% at $188.32, after opening at $201.71 and touching $185.82. The selling came as investors stepped back from big tech and other AI-linked trades, putting pressure on the broader technology sector. “It’s become a ‘show me’ sector. Show me how you monetize this,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth, pointing to worries about returns on capex, or capital spending.
8 January 2026
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Fabrinet stock slides after T. Rowe Price filing as tech shares dip

Fabrinet stock slides after T. Rowe Price filing as tech shares dip

New York, Jan 8, 2026, 15:42 EST — Regular session Fabrinet shares fell 6.5% to $439.75 in afternoon trade on Thursday, down $30.75 from the prior close, after touching a session low of $431.20. The drop tracked declines across electronics contract manufacturers and AI-linked hardware, with Celestica down 6.3%, Sanmina off 3.7% and Nvidia lower by about 2%. Separately, T. Rowe Price Associates disclosed in a Schedule 13G filing that it held 4.04 million Fabrinet shares, or 11.3% of the company, as of Dec. 31. Schedule 13G is a short-form report used by investors who cross the 5% ownership threshold
8 January 2026
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Stock Market Today

Meta stock faces an AI split: ad gains vs a $135 billion bill

Meta stock faces an AI split: ad gains vs a $135 billion bill

7 February 2026
Meta shares dropped 1.3% to $661.46 on Friday after the company projected 2026 capital spending of up to $135 billion, raising investor concerns over cash flow. Meta reported Q4 revenue of $59.89 billion, up 24% year-over-year, with ad impressions rising 18%. Analysts remain divided on whether AI-driven ad gains can offset the steep spending ramp.
IAG share price jumps toward a 52-week peak — what to watch before London reopens

IAG share price jumps toward a 52-week peak — what to watch before London reopens

7 February 2026
IAG shares rose 4.33% to 438.50 pence Friday, near their 52-week high, ahead of full-year results due later this month. The company reported 162,073,135 treasury shares and total voting rights of 4,565,128,012. Brent crude fell 2.2% Thursday to $67.93 a barrel. South Europe Ground Services logged 712,340 operations in 2025 and seeks approval to operate in Portugal.
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