Sydney, Feb 17, 2026, 17:30 AEDT — After-hours
- Northern Star Resources ended the day off 0.8%, finishing at A$28.23.
- Gold slipped with the dollar showing strength; focus turns to Wednesday’s U.S. Fed minutes.
- Jefferies bumped its price target up to A$35, sticking with a Buy rating.
Northern Star Resources slipped 0.8% to finish at A$28.23 on Tuesday, shaving A$0.23 off its valuation as action in the Australian gold space remained brisk through the session’s end.
Bullion edged down in offshore trading, with investors hanging back for a signal on U.S. rates. “There’s not much reason to think gold will go far from here,” said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive. Traders are focused on the Federal Reserve’s minutes coming up Wednesday. Reuters
Northern Star is paying close attention to the gold price these days, after last month’s reset to its fiscal 2026 targets. The miner trimmed its group production forecast to 1.6-1.7 million ounces, and bumped up its all-in sustaining cost (AISC) estimate—the industry’s go-to “cost per ounce” figure—to A$2,600-A$2,800 an ounce. The move comes as the company grapples with weaker sales and steeper royalties tied to lofty gold prices. NSR Limited
Fresh broker talk gave the stock a bit of a lift. Jefferies bumped its price target on Northern Star up to A$35 from A$30, sticking with a Buy, according to TipRanks via TheFly. The broker cited revised commodity price assumptions.
Gold miners stayed under pressure through much of the day. The S&P/ASX All Ords Gold Index slipped roughly 1.2% by midday. Evolution Mining and Ramelius Resources both traded lower, shedding between 1% and 2%, according to Market Index data.
Northern Star drew plenty of attention after its half-year numbers landed last week: statutory net profit after tax hit A$714 million, with underlying EBITDA at A$1.876 billion. The miner also declared a fully franked interim dividend of 25 Australian cents per share. “A strong balance sheet provides the foundation for continued growth, returns and reinvestment,” CEO Stuart Tonkin said. ASX Announcements
Gold moves fast. A sharper drop in bullion prices — or a stronger Australian dollar — can squeeze miners’ margins in a hurry, and Northern Star now needs to prove its new guidance will actually deliver more stable output and costs in the second half.
Next up for traders: eyes on the Fed minutes landing Wednesday. After that, it’s Northern Star’s dividend schedule to track — ex-dividend date is March 4, books shut on March 5, with payment set for March 26. The company’s next quarterly report is scheduled for April 28.
