Next Week At A Glance – 22-24 Dec 2025

This story features WOODSIDE ENERGY GROUP LIMITED, and other companies.
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The company is included in ASX20, ASX50, ASX100, ASX200, ASX300 and ALL-ORDS

A brief look at important company events and economic data releases next week.

For a more comprehensive preview of next week’s events, please refer to “The Monday Report”, published each Monday morning. For all economic data release dates, ex-div dates and times and other relevant information, please refer to the FNArena Calendar.

The week that was in Australian Finance:

-The ASX200 enjoyed much better momentum on Friday, but the index nevertheless slipped into another small loss for the week. If hope springs eternal, then some pundits might still be hoping for at least a glimmer of a Santa Rally into next week and the closing week of the year.

-The Australian share market continues to suffer under the prospect of a live RBA meeting in February, with more banks and brokers joining the chorus for a 25bps rate hike to start the year. This will coincide with the half-yearly earnings reporting season, which could make for some interesting results, outlook statements and share price volatility (more I can hear you groaning!).

-Weak oil prices and the resignation of Meg Woods from Woodside Energy ((WDS)) to head up BP (the first female CEO of a global oil major) saw the energy sector get the wooden spoon for worst sector performance, down over -6%, with healthcare back out of favour, down more than -3%. Info Tech slipped some -2%.

-Conversely, financials experienced buying, most likely on the prospect of higher interest rates domestically in 2026, with the sector up 0.45%. Industrials and utilities also found favour.

-The US Santa Rally is also struggling to materialise with unwavering bifurcation around the AI thematic, the bears mauling Oracle over debt concerns and data centre overbuilding and the bulls, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, to name just a few, who continue to view the outlook as robust. First quarter 2026 earnings season will be an important test for AI stocks and the US markets.

-Next week, the RBA December meeting minutes are out on Tuesday along with 3Q US GDP, with US weekly jobs claims on Wednesday.

The team at FNArena would like to wish you a safe and happy weekend.

For those readers heading off on holidays, we want to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and thank you for all the support over the year.

FNArena will be operating next week until the ASX200 closes.

Corporate news in the week that was:

-On its ASX debut, BMC Minerals (silver & zinc) ((BMC)) rallied 25% higher from its IPO price with enthusiasm for the miner’s polymetallic KZK project in Canada.

-Ioneer ((INR)) is looking at Rio Tinto’s ((RIO)) US boron assets to expand its Nevada project.

-Igneo, Orix and Northleaf are vying for Macquarie Group’s ((MQG)) EUR900m Dutch data centre stake.

-Austal ((ASB)) shares slip after the Chairman approves Hanwa lifting its stake to 19.9%.

-Ravenswood Gold Mine is raising $300m via royalties before sale on record gold prices.

-4DMedical ((4DX)) received $30.2m underwriting via Bell Potter.

-Sharon AI is launching a $100m pre-IPO capital raising to help buy Nvidia GPUs.

-The Whiskey Project Group has appointed Morgans & Canaccord Genuity as joint leader of the 1H2026 IPO and $7m pre-IPO convertible notes.

-Medallion Metals ((MM8) launches $55m capital raising at 33c per share.

-The sale of Perpetual Wealth ((PPT)) to Bain Capital is uncertain due to branding and adviser issues.

-Miners sell infrastructure assets to raise cash, aiming for $180bn in asset sales.

-Glencore acquires 5% stake in Endura Mining for $15m.

-ASX ((ASX)) faces -$150m penalty and major reforms after regulators found governance issues and operational failures.

-Bing Lee’s profits has fallen to less than $1m from $25m four years ago as the retailer has fallen behind JB Hi-Fi ((JBH)) and Amazon.

-Woolworths Group ((WOW)) and Coles Group ((COL)) warn proposed measures to prevent price gouging could cost price sensitive customers more.

-CDC Data Centres is seeking between $4bn-$5bn in debt funding to support its 1.6GW development pipeline and retain its credit rating.

-Saluda Medical ((SLD)), Epiminder ((EPI)) and Carma ((CMA)) are all trading more than -20% below their IPO listing prices.

-Fortescue ((FMG)) is acquiring Peruvian copper explorer for -$151.7m via Toronto-listed Alta Copper of which it already owns more than one third.

-Origin energy ((ORG)) and AGL Energy ((ALG)) are targeting private funding for renewable energy projects.

-Droneshield ((DRO)) shares rallied strongly after the counter-drone tech company announced a $49.6m contract with an unnamed European customer.

-Ivanhoe Atlantic delays its IPO plans until mid-2026 due to political scrutiny and questions around governance.

-HMC Capital ((HMC)) in advanced talks to sell/lease Healthscope hospitals with Epsworth reported as targeting several sites.

-Ausgrid plans to sell its smart metering business Plus Es with scope to raise $2-$3bn.

-Rio Tinto ((RIO)) has commenced the feasibility study for Pilbara iron ore project.

-Regal Funds Management ((RGL)) backs airframes supplier for combat drones, KTECK Systems $2.5m pre-IPO raise for 2026 ASX listing.

-Metrics ((PNI)) is growing co-lending with big banks in 2026 as commercial property lending rebounds.

-Hydroponic grower and fresh food producer, Comfresh is looking for a strategic partner as it targets a $250m valuation.

-Firmus is targeting a US$7.5bn IPO valuation by June 2026 and is backed by Regal Funds Management ((RPL)).

-ACMA rose its estimate for telco spectrum licenses to $7.3bn.

-ACCC sues HelloFresh for allegedly misleading more than 100k customers over subscriptions.

-GrainCorp ((GNC)) issued profit warning and plans to sell its Canadian supply chain GrainsConnect at a -$5–10m loss, causing its shares to fall sharply

-Yet another profit warning from Treasury Wine ((TWE)) highlighted ongoing weakness in the US and China markets.

-Boss Energy ((BOE)) paused trading ahead of an update on its troubled Honeymoon project.

-Continental AG puts Australian Mycar chain up for sale

-Humm Group ((HUM)) waited four weeks before reporting a take-over approach from Credit Corp ((CCP)) amidst shareholder push to oust board members

-Westgold Resources ((WGX)) sells Mt Henry project to Alicanto for $64.6m, retaining 19.9% stake

-Santos ((STO)) is divesting two non-core assets as part of its portfolio optimisation

-Boss Energy ((BOE)) shares fell sharply after a downgrade in the outlook for Honeymoon after a five month review of mineralisation.

-Wesfarmers ((WES)) has placed 54 Priceline stores into receivership amid Infinity Pharmacy Group’s financial problems.

-GemLife Communities ((GLF)) has acquired Townsville site for -$21m to build 500-plus homes.

-Austal ((ASB)) has won a $1bn deal to build 18 landing craft for the Australian Army.

-Netwealth Group ((NWL)) will compensate First Guardian investors with -$100m after admitting compliance failures.

-Santos ((STO)) awarded $240m after winning contract dispute with Fluor Australia.

-Paladin Energy ((PDN)) shares slid after its debt facility is cut to US$110m from US$150m.

-Allegro selects Igneo as preferred buyer for $500m Strait Link, including two vessels.

-Meg O’Neill leaves Woodside Energy ((WDS)) to become the first female CEO in big oil at BP.

-PT Petrokimia Gresik is looking at Dyno Nobel’s ((DNL)) Phosphate Hill mine and fertiliser plant a year after discussions ended.

-Bapcor ((BAP)) shares rallied after CEO Angus McKay resigned after barely 16-months in the job and three profit downgrades.

Next week’s Corporate Calendar

For a calendar of upcoming events, see FNArena’s Corporate Calendar:

https://fnarena.com/index.php/financial-news/calendar/

For a calendar of earnings result releases and a summary of earnings results to date, refer to FNArena’s Corporate Results Monitor (https://www.fnarena.com/index.php/reporting_season/)

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