SGX:AWX 12 December 2025

June 28, 2026, 9:58 PM EDT. Australian shares nudged higher by 0.2% to 8,778 points in early Monday trade, buoyed by gains in U.S. futures following a U.S.-Iran agreement to pause hostilities ahead of peace talks. China, Australia's top trading partner, reported an 18.8% year-over-year surge in industrial profits for January-May, driven by an AI investment boom and policy backing. Despite this, investors remain cautious ahead of China's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data and the Reserve Bank of Australia's June meeting minutes, amid concerns about potential hawkish monetary policy due to strong employment numbers. Gains were led by commercial services, consumer services, and healthcare sectors, with Xero Ltd up 4.6% and REA Group rising 2.3%. Two of the four major banks also recorded modest increases.