Northern Star (ASX:NST) share price drops 3% as dividend date looms

Sydney, March 3, 2026, 17:55 AEDT — Market closed

Northern Star slipped 3.21%, ending at A$30.71 while the ASX retreated.
Shares will go ex-dividend Wednesday, with a 25-cent interim payout on the table.
Gold-price volatility is on traders’ radar, along with shifts in risk appetite and the upcoming company update set for April 22.

Northern Star Resources Ltd ASX:NST slipped 3.21% Tuesday, closing at A$30.71 after shares traded in a band from A$30.38 up to A$31.18. Volume landed at roughly 4.93 million shares.

Local shares took a hit in a volatile session, with the S&P/ASX 200 tumbling 1.34% to finish at 9,077.3. Investors reacted to escalating tensions in the Middle East and a rethink on rate outlooks following central bank comments. “The ASX200’s taken an absolute thumping,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore told AAP. Seymour Telegraph

Gold continued its advance, with spot prices up 0.7% at $5,362.90 an ounce as the rush for safe-haven assets persisted during the conflict. Crude oil prices moved higher too, driven by jitters over supply disruptions.

Miners lagged bullion on the day. Early trading saw gold stocks off across the board, dropping anywhere from 1% to 4%. Shares in Evolution Mining slid 4.13%, Ramelius Resources lost 4.49%, and Newmont was down 3.49%, according to Market Index data.

Northern Star faces a dividend cliff on Wednesday, with shares going ex-dividend for a 25 Australian cent interim payout, Market Index reports. Investors buying from that date lose eligibility for the March 26 payment—shares typically drop to mirror this.

The interim dividend, according to a February 12 ASX filing, is fully franked and comes with a record date of March 5. With full franking, shareholders receive Australian tax credits—the company has already paid tax on these earnings.

Stuart Tonkin, managing director, told the board it could go ahead with the interim dividend, even though operating performance was soft, according to the half-year results summary in the filing.

The following session could be turbulent. When a dividend adjustment bumps up against a more sweeping risk-off selloff, that pairing can really push the move in either direction, despite the adjustment itself being relatively minor.

Wednesday brings the ex-dividend trade for investors, while Northern Star’s March-quarter update lands April 22 on the company’s investor calendar.

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Michał Rogucki is a senior markets reporter at TS2.tech, specializing in stocks, technology and macroeconomic developments. A graduate of Humboldt University of Berlin, he previously worked in investment research and market analysis before transitioning to financial journalism. He covers the trends and events that matter most to investors worldwide.

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