SYDNEY, Feb 19, 2026, 17:30 AEDT — The market is done for the day.
- Macquarie Group closed out at A$223.00, up 1.6% on the day.
- Australian shares hit a new record earlier, but retreated as traders weighed the latest jobs data and eyed signals on rates.
- Traders are watching for inflation figures due Feb. 25. Macquarie drops its full-year results on May 8.
Macquarie Group Ltd finished Thursday at A$223.00, gaining 1.6%. During the session, shares traded from A$219.60 to as high as A$223.51.
The S&P/ASX 200 notched a fresh record, touching 9,118.30 before easing to close at 9,086.2, up 0.9%. Banks and miners were out front, stoking risk appetite right through the close.
Investors are watching the clock on this one. The jobless rate in Australia held steady at 4.1% in January, ABS data showed, after a 17,800 rise in employment. That keeps the labor market tighter than the Reserve Bank might like as it’s in the midst of hiking rates.
The Reserve Bank of Australia pushed its cash rate up to 3.85% earlier this month. Minutes out this week show policymakers aren’t committing to any particular path for rates from here. Traders are factoring in a fresh hike if inflation refuses to ease.
Wages are still posing a challenge for the RBA. The Wage Price Index rose 0.8% in the December quarter, pushing annual growth to 3.4%, Reuters reported Wednesday. The numbers keep speculation going over how long policy settings will stay tight.
Macquarie’s asset management unit is set to pick up IHS Holding’s wireless tower portfolio in South America, a deal valuing the assets at $685 million. The acquisition spans more than 8,500 sites in Brazil and 270 in Colombia. “The sale will mark IHS Towers’ exit from the Latam region,” IHS chairman and CEO Sam Darwish said. Reuters
Macquarie shares headed higher, tracking gains across the financial sector after a wave of bank earnings. National Australia Bank shot to a record peak as first-quarter cash earnings leapt 16%. Citi analysts called the results “a very strong headline beat,” but flagged capital as “the clear negative” for the stock. Reuters
U.S. tech shares lent a hand, giving Asian markets a modest lift. Oil held its ground, still elevated as U.S.-Iran tensions lingered. Traders swung between optimism on growth and anxiety about inflation, the mood shifting quickly.
Focus turns to inflation next. The ABS is set to release January 2026 CPI numbers on Feb. 25 at 11:30 a.m. AEDT—a drop that could jolt rate expectations again and shake up the base for Australian financials.
Macquarie’s full-year numbers drop May 8, with the ex-dividend date slated for May 18, according to the company’s investor calendar.
Still, turbulence remains. A sudden spike in rates has a way of cooling risk appetite, dragging on deal activity, and squeezing the valuations that Macquarie’s asset management and markets businesses rely on. The IHS towers deal? Closing is slated for late 2026, but it comes with a string of conditions—any of which could trip things up if financing costs keep moving.
Macquarie and other financial names are front and center Friday. Traders are watching to see if the group’s latest rally holds up, now that the jobs report has landed. Bank earnings are still influencing the sector, and the Feb. 25 CPI release, along with Macquarie’s results due May 8, remain on the radar.
