Equity

The central bank expressed caution about inflation, acknowledging that the impacts of previous rate hikes are still being felt. Investors overlooked weak July business confidence and worries about softer US markets before Wednesday’s inflation data. Energy and mining stocks contributed positively, with BHP Group up 0.7% and Rio Tinto rising 0.5%. Woodside Energy increased by 3.8%, and Santos went up by 5.4%. Austral soared 17.5% after Hanwha proposed up to USD 1.2 billion for its US shipbuilding business. Gains in healthcare, technology, and consumer durables helped balance losses in logistics and retail.