Sydney, Jan 30, 2026, 17:04 AEDT — After-hours
- Fortescue fell 2.73% to A$21.00 on Friday, marking another volatile day in a jittery January.
- Traders kept a close eye on iron ore cues and updates on China’s demand.
- Fortescue’s half-year results are set for Feb. 25.
Fortescue Ltd shares dropped 2.73%, ending Friday at A$21.00—their lowest close in a week—as the iron ore miner followed a late-month retreat among bulk-commodity stocks. 1
This shift is significant since Fortescue’s profits hinge on iron ore prices and volumes. The market has flipped from celebrating “record shipments” to questioning China’s next move. China remains the biggest driver of seaborne iron ore demand, but its steel production has been slowing, despite imports holding firm last year. 2
Fortescue’s fate hinges on the benchmark prices it tracks. In its December-quarter report, the company revealed it secured 88% of the average Platts 62% CFR index price for hematite — the key seaborne iron ore benchmark delivered to northern China.
Benchmark 62% iron ore prices have stayed close to the mid-$100s per tonne this week, putting the onus on equities to drive market swings when sentiment changes. 3
Fortescue’s drop on Friday follows investor unease over rising costs flagged earlier this month. The miner posted December-quarter hematite unit cash costs (C1 — a standard cash cost metric) at $19.10 per wet metric tonne, a 5% increase from the previous quarter, though it left its fiscal 2026 shipment and cost forecasts untouched.
“Shipments hit record highs across our operations in the first half,” Metals and Operations CEO Dino Otranto said in the update.
Morningstar analyst Jon Mills noted this week that rising diesel prices and currency fluctuations drove costs higher. He added that “a stronger AUD/USD exchange rate could further affect unit cash costs in USD terms.” 4
But the risk remains. Should China’s steel production continue to slip while fresh supply comes online—like the Simandou project in Guinea that investors are watching—iron ore prices could tumble fast. Fortescue is typically hit harder than its more diversified rivals. 2
Traders are gearing up to monitor the next move in iron ore futures, alongside any new developments in China’s steel and construction sectors that could steer bulk commodity trends heading into February. 2
Fortescue’s upcoming FY26 half-year results, due Feb. 25, will be a key moment. Investors will zero in on cost control, realised prices, and any changes to capital spending. 5
