50m agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 4:00amMarket snapshotASX 200: -0.2% to 8,521 pointsAustralian dollar: flat to 69.49 US centsWall Street: Dow Jones (+0.7%), S&P 500 (+0.5%), Nasdaq (+0.8%)Europe: FTSE (+1.4%)Asia: Nikkei (flat), KOSPI (-2.2%), Hang Seng (-1.3%)Spot gold: +0.2% to $US4,513/ounceSpot silver: +0.5% to $US71.68/ounceOil (Brent crude): +1.7% to $US103.96/barrelIron ore: +0.4% at $US106.35/tonneBitcoin: -0.2% at $US70,857

Price current around 3pm AEDT

Live updates on the major ASX indices:

5m agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 4:45am

Meta and Google lawsuit seen as fundamental shift on social media harm, researcher says

The verdict of the landmark Meta and Google lawsuit is a fundamental shift in how we assign responsibility for social media harm, says Stan Karanasios, a researcher of Information Systems at the University of Queensland.

“For too long, the burden has fallen on individuals, parents, and families to resist platforms that, as the evidence in this trial showed, were consciously designed to be addictive,” Dr Karanasios said.

“Features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and constant notifications were not incidental design choices; they were the architecture of addiction.”

What this case establishes is a new accountability lens directed squarely at the platforms themselves, he adds.

“Lawyers argued that these companies engineered addiction, framing the platforms as a kind of ‘digital casino’ too irresistible for young users to put down.

“The question is no longer whether young people are harmed, or whether their parents should have done more to protect them — it is who built the machine that harmed them, and who will be made to pay for it.”

You can find more information about the case here.

18m agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 4:32amAustralia’s economy to weaken on higher oil prices and rates: ANZ

The economic outlook has weakened, driven by higher inflation from domestic pressures, the Middle East conflict, and tighter monetary policy, according to ANZ’s senior economist, Adelaide Timbrell.

“We expect the RBA Board to fully reverse last year’s easing cycle by adding 75bp of rate increases (50bp completed and 25bp to come in May) after 75bp of cuts in 2025,” Ms Timbrell said.

“We expect inflation to peak at 4.9% y/y in Q2 2026.”

ANZ Research’s economic quarterly average forecasts for Australia (ANZ)

Ms Timbrell says that, from the second half of the year, she expects slower consumption, a higher Australian dollar, and falling oil prices to all contribute to slowing inflation.

“We expect the trimmed mean to reach the RBA’s target in Q2 2027.

“We forecast soft economic growth in 2026 of 1.3% y/y, and stronger but still modest growth in 2027 of 1.8% y/y.

“This reflects softer consumption and business investment, and similar public demand versus our previous forecasts.”

She adds that her forecasts are underpinned by the following assumptions about the Middle East conflict: Australia’s fuel supply is sufficient to avoid mandatory rationing or widespread supply disruptions, and oil prices broadly follow the path set out in our ANZ Research Quarterly.

31m agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 4:19amASX 200 down despite surge in energy

With about an hour to go before the market ramps up, here’s what the ASX 200 looks like.

The index is down 0.1% to 8,523 points, led by energy stocks.

When looking at sectors, Energy extended its gains, up 1.4%, followed by Utilities and Financials, up 1.1% and 0.4%, respectively.

The top movers:

DroneShield, +6.6%Orica, +4.6%Beach Energy, +3.6%Karoon Energy, +3.5%Infratil, +3.4%

The bottom movers:

Megaport, -7.9%Nickel Industries, -6.7%Resolute Mining, -6.6%Treasury Wine Estates, -4.8%Silex Systems, -4.5%

47m agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 4:03am

Lifetime Health Cover a big topic on the minds of private health insurance customers

If you’re not sure what Lifetime Health Cover loading is, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman says questions about this loading make up about one-third of the enquiries to his office.

It’s among the data he’s released in the annual State of the Health Funds report for 2024-25.

For the uninitiated, Lifetime Health Cover loading is part of the government’s carrot-and-stick approach to get people to start taking out private health insurance once they turn 30.

The loading is part of the stick side of the equation and increases the amount customers pay in premiums each year they don’t have private health after age 31 – and stays in place for 10 years.

Some patients who’ve contacted the ABC in the past year have raised the Lifetime Health Cover as a problem, particularly if they’ve returned from overseas.

While there are some exemptions for overseas travel, some in the sector are arguing it’s become too punitive and locks people out of private health too long.

What’s been your experience? Drop me a line branley.alison@abc.net.au.

1h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 3:48amFederal government urges lifting minimum wage above inflation

The federal government has asked the Fair Work Commission to give minimum and award-wage workers an above-inflation pay rise this year.

However, the government has not been specific about a number.

My colleague economics reporter Tom Crowley has more.

1h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 3:30am

Woodside obtains control of ammonia operations in US

Woodside Energy has confirmed it has assumed operational control of the Beaumont New Ammonia (BNA) facility in
southeast Texas, US.

BNA has the capacity to produce and export up to 1.1 million tonnes per annum of ammonia and has the potential to approximately double US ammonia exports, the energy giant says in an ASX statement.

Woodside CEO Liz Westcott said the move was “an important milestone in Woodside’s strategy
to invest in new energy products and lower-carbon services”.

“In the facility’s operational phase and in the face of current market disruptions, we remain focused on safely
delivering ammonia supply to our customers,” Ms Westcott said.

“In the longer term, we retain our goal of supporting the
development of a competitive lower-carbon ammonia sector.”

Woodside’s share price was trading at $34.3 per share, up 0.7%, giving it a cap of $63.91 billion as of 2:10pm AEDT.

1h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 3:16amOil and gas services firm Qteq and CEO fined record $6m for cartel conduct

The Federal Court has fined oil and gas supplier Qteq $5 million, and its chief executive, Simon Ashton, $1 million, for attempted cartel conduct.

The fine against Mr Ashton is the highest penalty against an individual for breaching competition law.

The court found on five occasions between 2017 and 2019, the Queensland-based company, which was the market leader in providing gauge work services to coal seam gas producers at the time, attempted to induce its competitors to enter into cartel conduct.

“These attempted cartel contracts, arrangements or understandings, included provisions not to supply services to large oil and gas companies, to rig multi-million-dollar tenders, and to market share,” said ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb.

“Each of Qteq’s attempts to secure these illegal arrangements was unsuccessful only because the other parties rejected Qteq’s offers.”

Justice Robert Bromwich found in favour of the ACCC in five of the six allegations, and in favour of the one allegation against Mr Ashton.

The court also ordered that Mr Ashton cannot pursue any claim of indemnity, meaning he is unable to rely on an insurance claim to pay his $1 million penalty.

Both Mr Ashton and the company will need to pay costs for the ACCC for the trial.

“Cartels represent a significant threat to competition in the Australian economy, especially in such an important and sizeable industry, and enforcing cartel laws remains an enduring priority for the ACCC”, Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

The case is one of many ongoing antitrust cases the commission has been pursuing in recent years.

“As this case demonstrates, if you try to make cartel agreements with competitors, you will be met with strong enforcement action by the ACCC – even if your attempts do not succeed”, she said.

1h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 3:05amCyclone Narelle closes vital LNG and iron ore ports in WA

Key iron ore and liquified natural gas ports in Western Australia have closed due to the threat of Cyclone Narelle.

The resource-rich Pilbara region has closed ports at Ashburton, Cape Preston West, Dampier and Varanus Island.

Tropical Cyclone Narelle is predicted to intensify to a category four or five cyclone by Thursday afternoon, after menacing Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory last week.

Major mineral and energy producers such as Rio Tinto, Chevron, Mineral Resources and Santos operate out of these key ports.

The closure comes during uncertainty in the energy market amidst the war in the Middle East.

Investors will be hoping this is just a temporary blip, and not a perfect storm.

Reporting with Reuters

1h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 2:52am

KPMG says Sydney and Melbourne dominate jobs growth but smaller capitals rising fast

Australia’s major capital cities continue to represent the lion’s share of national employment growth, with Sydney and Melbourne enjoying the largest gains in job growth over the past year, according to KPMG’s analysis.

The analysis has shown Sydney and Melbourne gained 58,000 and 67,000 new jobs respectively, while smaller cities like Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth also continue to show strong growth, based on the ABS’s latest detailed Labour Force data.

Brisbane led the smaller capital cities, adding 46,500 jobs, a 3.1% increase, while Adelaide recorded the fastest growth rate of all capital cities at 4.4%, with 33,500 new jobs, and Perth experienced a 2% growth with 27,100.

KPMG urban economist Terry Rawnsley said today’s data indicates a shift in Australia’s employment landscape.

“While there’s no doubt Melbourne and Sydney remain the engine rooms of job creation, the smaller capitals like Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide are really racing ahead, with Adelaide experiencing particularly notable growth,” Mr Rawnsley said.

“These cities have traditionally relied on one or two main industries, but now we’re seeing a real diversification, with more young professionals securing strong opportunities in more sectors, a trend that started during COVID and has only intensified.”

But while the capital cities are flourishing, regional areas of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria have reported little to no growth, with some even experiencing small declines.

“The labour market remains strong in the regions, and the fall in employment appears to be driven by older people exiting the labour force,” Mr Rawnsley added.

“We know that COVID led many people to delay their retirement, and a few years later, they’re now able to enjoy it.”

2h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 2:40amTGA proposes reforms to sunscreen regulation

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has proposed sweeping reforms to Australian sunscreen regulations.

The proposals include changes to SPF testing requirements, oversight of the labs that do SPF testing, and the way SPF is labelled — reforms that would overhaul the sunscreen industry.

Read more on the coverage by our national health equity reporter Rachel Carbonell and Paige Cockburn.

2h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 2:23amHealth insurers getting complaints about cancellation processes

The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman has said it receives a large number of customer complaints from patients trying to cancel their policies.

In the office’s annual State of the Health Funds report, it found the top reasons for complaints were about benefits paid, customer service and membership.

Among those with membership complaints, most issues were about problems or delays in insurers processing cancellation requests, ceasing payments or processing refunds.

With premiums due to increase by an average of 4.4% across the funds from April 1, it’s likely to remain a live issue for those trying to switch or cancel their policy.

Overall, the Ombudsman received 3,411 complaints in 2024-25.

Most of the complaints about general treatment included unexpected exclusions or restrictions.

Customer service complaints focused on inadequate or delayed responses and poor internal escalation processes.

2h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 2:13am

Market snapshotASX 200: -0.1% to 8,527 pointsAustralian dollar: -0.1% to 69.40 US centsWall Street: Dow Jones (+0.7%), S&P 500 (+0.5%), Nasdaq (+0.8%)Europe: FTSE (+1.4%), STOXX (+1.4%), DAX (+1.4%)Asia: Nikkei (+0.4%), KOSPI (-2.2%), Hang Seng (-0.9%)Spot gold: +0.6% to $US4,530/ounceSpot silver: +0.9% to $US71.98/ounceOil (Brent crude): +0.8% to $US103/barrelIron ore: +0.4% at $US106.40/tonneBitcoin: +0.2% at $US71,092

Price current around 1:13pm AEDT

Live updates on the major ASX indices:

2h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 2:10am

Fall in gold prices has further to run: analyst

Weaker structural demand for gold has left prices vulnerable to a pickup in real yields and a reduced risk appetite amid the conflict in Iran, says Hamad Hussain, a climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics.

“But even if the conflict were to de-escalate soon, the same forces that had driven the gold rally could go into reverse and trigger further falls in prices this year,” he said.

Gold is trading at $US4,528 per ounce as of 1:03pm AEDT.

2h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 2:01amA quick update on Australian share market

Now I can see the ASX is pretty flat, down 3.3 points to 8,531.

Among the individual stocks, DroneShield is leading the market, up 10.1%, followed by Orica, up 4.7%.

(LSEG)

The bottom-performing stocks in this index are Genesis Minerals and Megaport Ltd, down 5.3% and 4.9% respectively.

(LSEG)3h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 1:50amAuction volume set to soar in the lead-up to Easter

There are 4,163 homes scheduled for auction across the combined capital cities this week, up 49.8% on last week, according to Cotality’s research analyst Caitlin Fono.

Ms Fono says this week is gearing up to be the busiest auction week since December 2021, adding that next week will see auction activity fall due to the Easter long weekend.

The map shows the number of auctions in capital cities this week. (Cotality)

Melbourne has the highest volume of scheduled auctions this week, with 1,827 homes set to go under the hammer, up 33.4% on last week (1,370) and 33.9% higher than the same week last year (1,364), according to Cotality’s data.

If all auctions proceed, it will be the busiest auction week since the week ending October 26, 2025 (1,836).

This week is also set to be Sydney’s busiest since December 2021, with 1,691 auctions currently scheduled across the city, up 73.1% on last week when 977 homes were taken under the hammer.

Among the smaller capitals, Brisbane has 275 auctions scheduled, up from 200 last week.

Adelaide is set to host 189 auctions, up from 129 the previous week, while 157 auctions are scheduled in Canberra, up from 87 the previous week.

There are 23 auctions scheduled in Perth, compared to 15 last week, while just one auction is on the radar in Tasmania for the third week in a row.

3h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 1:36amHousehold wealth up in December, driven by rising house prices

Total household wealth rose by 2.5 per cent ($453.7 billion) in the December quarter, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The value of residential land and dwellings rose 3.2 per cent ($368.6 billion).

This contributed 2 percentage points to the growth in Household wealth, while Superannuation assets contributed 0.3 percentage points.

The graph of household wealth in December (Australian Bureau of Statistics )

Dr Mish Tan, ABS head of finance statistics, said rising house prices continue to be the main driver of growth in household wealth in the December quarter.

“The mean price of residential dwellings was up 2.7 per cent in the December quarter 2025, with strong growth seen in Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia.”

Household borrowing grew 2 per cent, or $64.2 billion, reducing the overall growth in household wealth by 0.3 percentage points, the ABS added.

3h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 1:24amGood day

Hi everyone, welcome to the ABC’s finance blog.

Yiying Li from ABC business team here and I’ll be guiding you through the latest market action for the next few hours.

The Australian share market is trading slightly up, gaining just 6 points to 8,540, supported by energy stocks.

Overnight, Wall Street’s main indexes closed higher as oil prices fell, while Iran reviewed a US proposal to end the war in the Middle East, signalling hopes for de-escalation.

The S&P 500 gained 0.5%, to end at 6,591 points, while the Dow Jones rose 0.7% to 46,430.

Let’s dive in.