Australian shares rebounded at the open on Thursday, following a significant sell-off the previous day. At 11:35am, the S&P/ASX 200 is 0.43 per cent higher at 7,984.80, driven by gains in the technology and real estate sectors. However, Woodside Energy is weighing on the index, falling 5.5% after a downgrade from Citi. Investors are now focused on the upcoming US jobs report, which could influence the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. Other notable developments include a positive update for Optus and TPG Telecom, a production setback for Coronado Global Resources, and a significant share price decline for Challenger following a stake sale by Apollo Global Management.
The SPI futures are pointing to a rise of 25 points.
Best and worst performers
The best-performing sector is Information Technology, up 1.67 per cent. The worst-performing sector is Energy, down 3.49 per cent.
The best-performing large cap is NEXTDC (ASX:NXT), trading 8.03 per cent higher at $17.36. It is followed by shares in REA Group (ASX:REA) and Infratil (ASX:IFT).
The worst-performing large cap is Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN), trading 4.56 per cent lower at $32.65. It is followed by shares in Woodside Energy Group (ASX:WDS) and GQG Partners (ASX:GQG).
Commodities and the dollar
Gold is trading at US$2529.40 an ounce.
Iron ore is 1.1 per cent lower at US$92.25 a tonne.
Iron ore futures are pointing to a 2.2 per cent fall.
One Australian dollar is buying 67.28 US cents.