Company Interview / the COB: Fed fog

The S&P/ASX 200 finished this Thursday 0.46% lower to 8,885.50 points, as the Fed cut rates in the US, while a hold is expected from the RBA next week. Today, REITs and the consumer discretionary sector were down 2.4% and 3.8% respectively. In the consumer space, Coles slid 3% as it reported a 3.9% increase in sales revenue growth, a higher rate compared to Woolies. Meanwhile, James Hardie declined 3.1% with its AGM being the theatre of an unprecedented purge of the company’s board. The banking sector remained fairly flat, with CBA reclaiming 0.4% from Wednesday’s losses. And the mining sector had a positive session overall. Mineral Resources said it’s on track to meet its FY26 volume and cost guidance across all divisions, with investors reacting positively to the news and sending the stock 13.7% higher. Looking ahead, September quarter reports from ResMed, Capstone Copper and Endeavour  are due tomorrow.