BUSINESS

Monadelphous shares reached a record high after the engineering contractor issued first-half guidance above market forecasts, citing strong activity and A$830 million in new contracts.

PLS Group shares gained 6.5% as lithium stocks rallied on the ASX, although the producer remains exposed to volatile spodumene prices and battery-market demand.

Sunrise Energy Metals shares climbed nearly 8% as investors assessed progress on the Syerston scandium project, proposed US financing and the company's planned Nasdaq listing.

Life360 shares gained 10% on the ASX after falling 15.3% following quarterly results, as investors weighed strong growth against slower expected subscriber additions and weaker advertising margins.

NRW Holdings shares rose 6.5% as Australian mining services stocks extended their rally, following strong guidance from Monadelphous and renewed investor interest in contractors.

Macquarie Bank has admitted misleadingly unclear savings-rate descriptions and jointly proposed a $14 million penalty with ASIC, subject to court approval, after compensating nearly 40,000 customers.

The ASX 200 rose 0.12% as technology and small-cap stocks offset mining losses triggered by hotter US inflation, while CBA reported stronger profit and warned on household pressures.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has apologised for an extramarital affair as the company investigates reports of possible foreign intelligence links, sending shares sharply lower.

Lori Huang's career, family, philanthropy and long partnership with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are under renewed scrutiny following reports of an affair and a board investigation.

Csquare reported 25.6% third-quarter revenue growth, record bookings for a 14th consecutive quarter and higher full-year guidance, sending its shares sharply higher in morning trading.

AAON shares jumped more than 23% after record third-quarter sales and earnings beat forecasts, driven by data centre cooling demand, while the company raised its full-year outlook.

MARA shares rose more than 13% after the company announced a $500 million buyback, repaid bitcoin-backed debt and reported profit boosted by gains on its holdings.

Sanmina shares rose more than 10% after the electronics manufacturer exceeded fourth-quarter estimates and issued a stronger fiscal 2027 forecast, powered by demand for AI server systems.

First Tracks shares rose nearly 8%, extending a 160% annual gain after early trial results suggested ANB033 could protect people with celiac disease from gluten-related damage.

Anthropic has set a $70-$78 share range for its IPO, which could raise up to $64.4 billion and value the AI company at about $1 trillion.

Ring has unveiled a flying indoor security camera and wheeled patrol robot, but the drone's US launch depends on Federal Communications Commission approval.

Nvidia's board has opened an independent investigation into whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort, while Huang remains in charge and pledges to cooperate.

South Korea's KOSPI jumped 4.59% as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rebounded sharply, helped by strong US technology gains after last week's steep market sell-off.

Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 2.79% above 60,000, led by SoftBank and chip stocks, as global technology shares recovered and investors awaited earnings and inflation data.

Elon Musk and Bill Ackman have backed Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after his admission of an affair, as the company investigates possible foreign intelligence involvement and shares fall.

Kalshi traders have placed odds on Jensen Huang leaving Nvidia before 2027, as the company investigates an alleged foreign intelligence operation linked to his disclosed affair.

Monadelphous shares climbed nearly 14% after the company reaffirmed first-half revenue guidance, forecast higher profit and announced $830 million in new contracts since July.

SRG Global shares rose 5.9% as Australian mining services stocks rallied, despite no new market-sensitive announcement, following record results and upgraded FY27 guidance.

Nickel Industries shares rose 5.33% to 64.25 Australian cents amid a broad ASX rally, despite ongoing investor concerns over cash flow, nickel prices and ENC commissioning.

IMDEX shares rose 5.8% to A$3.47 as the broader Australian market rallied, extending the mining technology company's rebound after last week's sharp decline.

NRW Holdings shares rose more than 5% despite no market-sensitive announcement, tracking gains across mining services and engineering contractors after Monadelphous reaffirmed strong demand and guidance.

The ASX 200 climbed 1.31% to 9,148.1, buoyed by Wall Street gains and lower bond yields, while property stocks and small caps outperformed.

Qantas will cut about 850 Australian corporate jobs and outsource much of the work to Accenture, mainly in India, as part of a seven-year technology and AI partnership.

Apple shares gained more than 2% as analysts turned more optimistic about its AI strategy and China approved Apple Intelligence for use on additional devices.