Australian shares end flat as energy rally offsets BHP, bank losses%

Oct 23, 2025, 12:45 GMT+7
Key points:

• Energy stocks surge 3.2% as oil prices rise
• BHP slides 1.2% on coal business warning
• Woodside energy rise 4.3% on fresh investments
• Tech, banks weigh on broader gains

By Atharva Singh and Rajasik Mukherjee
Reuters - Australian shares reversed early losses to finish a few pips higher on Thursday as a rally in energy stocks and fresh investment in Woodside Energy's Louisiana LNG project helped manage losses in BHP and major banks.
The S&P/ASX 200 indexended largely flat at 9,032.80 points. The index fell 0.7% in the previous session owing to a rush out of gold miners.
The energy sectorclimbed 3.2% on Thursday, its highest in nearly a month, buoyed by a sharp 3% jump in oil prices after the U.S. imposed sanctions on several Russian oil suppliers and Indian buyers started reviewing their Russian oil purchases.
Sector heavyweight Woodside Energyjumped 4.3% after securing fresh investment at its Louisiana LNG project. Its smaller peer Santosalso advanced 2.2% to mark its best one-day gain in more than four months.
On the other hand, financialsfell about 0.8% as investors booked profits after three straight sessions of gains. All of the "Big Four" banks ended in the red, with the Commonwealth Bank of Australialosing 1.4%.
"After the benchmark index touched record highs earlier this week, investors are rotating out of recent outperformers and turning defensive amid persistent geopolitical noise and an uncertain policy outlook," said Hebe Chen, market analyst at Vantage Markets.
Gold prices extended losses after Wednesday's sharp sell-off, though gold minersstaged a partial recovery by finishing 1.5% higher. Northern Star Resourcesjumped 2.3% after the miner reported steady September-quarter production.
The broader mining sub-indexedged up 0.4%, but gains were capped by a 1.2% drop in BHPafter its CEO warned the company may have to make "difficult decisions" about its Australian metallurgical coal operations without regulatory support.
Chen said the comments could "fuel worries about potential restructuring or asset rationalisation" at the mining giant.
Fortescuerose as much as 2.7% after reporting record first-quarter iron ore shipments and maintaining FY26 guidance.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 indexrose 0.5% to finish at 13,377.10 points.

Sumber : Reuters