Australian shares edge higher on gold gains, energy firms cap upside

According to Business Recorder, Australian shares edged higher on Thursday after three sessions of losses, with the S&P/ASX 200 up 0.07 per cent at 8,984.50 as of 0054 GMT. Energy stocks slipped 1.3 per cent, ending a four-session rally, as crude oil prices weakened and capped gains in gold stocks.

Gold stocks rose 2.2 per cent on firmer bullion prices, which benefited from a softer greenback and Treasury yields retreating from recent peaks, although the sub-index was still set for a weekly drop. BHP Group fell 1.7 per cent while trading without its dividend entitlement, and Woodside Energy lost 2.8 per cent on its own ex-dividend day. Corporate Travel Management plunged more than 82 per cent to a near 14-year low after its shares resumed trading, ending a suspension of over a year tied to a missed financial results deadline.

New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 slipped 0.2 per cent to 13,906.18 points after the central bank lifted its key rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday. Governor Anna Breman described a slow pullback in monetary support as suitable to bring inflation back within the target band, though core inflation could edge up in the near term because of costlier fuel. The report names no companies listed on the PSX, so it serves as global market context for readers.