COMPANIES

Gold fell towards $4,000 an ounce as higher oil prices intensified inflation concerns and boosted expectations of further US interest rate rises, pressuring bullion and mining stocks.

Premier Investments shares rose nearly 4% as investors moved towards Australian retail stocks, despite ongoing concerns over Smiggle, weak consumer spending and the company's subdued share performance.

Whitehaven Coal shares rose 3.2% after record first-quarter production exceeded expectations, supported by Queensland operations and stronger prices despite port disruptions that delayed sales.

Amcor shares rose 3% on the ASX as investors shifted towards defensive stocks after a sharp Wall Street technology sell-off, ahead of the company's November results.

Alkane Resources shares fell nearly 10% as weaker gold prices outweighed steady September-quarter production, lower costs, strong cash generation and reaffirmed fiscal 2027 guidance.

Sunrise Energy Metals shares fell 15.11% to A$12.47, extending a 40% decline since the company announced plans to redomicile in the US and list on Nasdaq.

Zip shares suffered their steepest one-day fall after the company disclosed a coordinated US fraud attack, rising bad debts and higher costs despite continued growth in transactions and income.

Southern Cross Gold shares dropped 9.07% as gold fell to a two-month low, weighing on Australian mining stocks despite continued high-grade drilling results at Sunday Creek.

TTM Technologies shares fell 28% after its record third-quarter results and strong AI-driven growth were overshadowed by fourth-quarter revenue guidance slightly below analyst expectations.

Forgent Power Solutions shares fell 23% to a record low after CFO Ryan Fiedler announced his departure, despite strong revenue, bookings and backlog growth.

Carpenter Technology shares fell 21% after quarterly revenue missed forecasts, overshadowing higher profits, record margins and management's optimistic outlook for aerospace demand and orders.

Solaris Energy shares fell 14.42% amid a broader retreat from AI-related stocks, as investors questioned high valuations, rising spending and uncertain returns from data centre expansion.

Badger Meter shares rose nearly 10% after the water technology company exceeded earnings expectations, expanded margins and raised its dividend, despite slightly weaker-than-expected revenue.

Spotify shares rose 9.2% after the streaming company reported stronger-than-expected premium subscriber growth, record third-quarter gross margins and a confident outlook for revenue and profitability.

Celcuity shares rose nearly 8% after Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage with an overweight rating, citing Revtorpyk's growth potential ahead of new breast cancer trial data.

Biohaven shares rose nearly 30% after the FDA accepted a resubmitted application for Vyglxia, an experimental treatment for spinocerebellar ataxia previously rejected over efficacy concerns.

A potential merger between Tesla and SpaceX could accelerate Elon Musk's access to Tesla shares worth more than $110 billion, though no deal or formal proposal has been agreed.

NextDC shares rebounded 7.5% after plunging 42% the previous day, as analysts said the selloff was excessive despite major forecast cuts linked to a Melbourne power delay.

Mercury NZ shares gained 4.1% on the ASX in thin trading after strong quarterly results showed wind and geothermal projects offset dry conditions and weaker hydro generation.

Telix Pharmaceuticals shares fell sharply after third-quarter revenue growth showed no acceleration, despite strong demand for imaging products and progress in its cancer pipeline.

Wingstop shares fell 7% before third-quarter results, extending a sharp annual decline as analysts lowered price targets and concerns grew about weaker fast-food demand.

XPeng shares fell more than 5% after weaker CATL results heightened concerns about China's crowded EV market, while investors assessed the company's losses and long-term technology ambitions.

Super Micro shares jumped after the AI server maker raised its fiscal first-quarter revenue forecast by about $4 billion, citing strong demand for artificial intelligence systems.

Credo Technology shares rose more than 8% as AI infrastructure stocks recovered, supported by renewed spending optimism, strong financial results and a bullish analyst price target.

SpaceX shares rose nearly 10% after quarterly revenue and earnings exceeded expectations, driven by rapid AI cloud growth, while committees began studying a possible Tesla merger.

Vertiv shares rose more than 7% after strong SpaceX and Super Micro results renewed investor interest in AI infrastructure stocks ahead of the company's earnings report.

Vicor shares rose more than 9% after quarterly revenue and profit exceeded expectations, with stronger margins and backlog supporting optimism about demand for AI infrastructure power components.

Elon Musk said combining Tesla and SpaceX could be beneficial as independent committees examine a potential merger, but he stressed that shareholder approval is required and no deal is assured.

McDonald's has relaunched its Boo Buckets at participating US restaurants, with five Disney Villains designs available with Happy Meals while supplies last.