The Australian sharemarket is expected to open marginally higher on Thursday, with futures at 6.09am AEST pointing to a gain of 10 points, or 0.1%, following a positive session on Wall Street and renewed strength across commodity markets.
Local equities are set for a cautious advance as investors assess softer US inflation data, resilient corporate earnings and elevated oil prices linked to continuing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index (XSO) strengthened on Wednesday, adding 19.3 points, or 0.57%, to close at 3,379.00.
The small-cap benchmark has gained 27.3 points, or 0.81%, over the past five trading sessions, reflecting improved investor sentiment across the junior end of the Australian market.
Ora Banda Mining Ltd (ASX:OBM, OTC:ESGFF) has closed FY2026 with record quarterly gold production, strong cash flow and a larger resource base.
The company produced 39,552 ounces in the June quarter. Full-year output reached 140,949 ounces, meeting guidance despite wet weather late in the period.
Rio Tinto Ltd (LSE:RIO, ASX:RIO, OTC:RTNTF)'s Pilbara iron ore unit posted its strongest first-half production since 2018, beating consensus estimates alongside stronger shipment volumes, as the miner reiterated full-year guidance across all segments.
Second-quarter production beat expectations in both Pilbara output and shipment volumes, while the rest of Rio's major operating assets came in line with consensus.
Freehill Mining (ASX:FHS) has delivered record quarterly gross sales of $1.36 million from its Chilean aggregates business, marking a 47% increase on the previous quarter and a third consecutive period of growth.
The June quarter result was capped by record monthly gross sales of $496,107, supported by plant improvements, stronger demand from the local cement industry and an expanding customer base.
ADVANCED ENERGY MINERALS LTD (ASX:AEM) has entered a cooperation agreement with Swiss precision manufacturer Zürcher Frères SA (ZFS) after laboratory testing showed AEM’s nano-particle high-purity alumina materially improved the performance of zirconia-alumina ceramics.
Under the agreement, AEM will become the exclusive supplier of nano-particle HPA used by ZFS in the production of its zirconia-alumina ceramics, creating a pathway to commercialise the material across medical, industrial and advanced manufacturing markets.
NEU HORIZON URANIUM LIMITED (ASX:NHU) has started high-resolution drone magnetic and radiometric surveys at its Arvidsjaur Project in northern Sweden, marking the first major exploration activity since the company listed on the ASX earlier this month.
Contractor Radai Oy will survey four priority prospects — Ravenberget, Suddesjaur, Laisbäcken and Arresåive — to identify structures and near-surface anomalies associated with uranium mineralisation and refine drill collar locations.
Cyclopharm Ltd (ASX:CYC) has secured a landmark agreement to install its Technegas® lung imaging technology across 11 University Hospitals locations in Cleveland, strengthening the company’s commercial footprint in the United States.
Unlike a conventional staged rollout, all 11 systems are scheduled to be installed over the coming weeks, with University Hospitals completing the necessary site preparation before the agreement was signed.
NewPeak Metals Ltd (ASX:NPM, OTC:NPMFF, FRA:NPM) has secured A$3.5 million through a strongly supported share placement to advance drilling, resource estimation and broader exploration at its wholly owned Las Opeñas Gold Project in Argentina.
The placement attracted binding commitments for A$3.35 million from new and existing sophisticated and professional investors, while directors and management will contribute a further A$150,000, subject to shareholder approval.
D3 Energy Ltd (ASX:D3E, OTCQX:DNRGF) has established a maiden independently certified prospective resource at its wholly owned PEL121 permit in South Australia, strengthening its exposure to helium, natural hydrogen and methane.
The Hydrohelix and Cootanoorina prospects contain a combined net best-estimate, or 2U, prospective resource of 54 billion cubic feet (BCF) of recoverable helium, 88 BCF of hydrogen and 226 BCF of methane.
The Australian Government is establishing a dedicated Office of AI to coordinate regulation, investment and national security policy as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded across the economy.
The new office will sit within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and begin operating immediately, giving the rapidly evolving technology a central point of oversight at the highest level of government.