Market Open: ‘Volatile’ reporting season rolls on with 80-plus ASX companies to share in WK8 | Feb 16

ASX today − Australian shares are heading for a Monday bump, with a +0.4% advance in futures setting up Week 8. Now sitting at 8,950 points, we could (easily) bowl down several index records − and it all hinges on reporting.

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Through these next five days, we’re expecting 80-plus Oz companies to share their quarterlies, leaving many tipping a “volatile” week. Judging by the swings (and roundabouts) we had off things like Commonwealth Bank (ASX:CBA) retaking the ASX top spot, and the CSL Ltd (ASX:CSL) nosedive, it’s all in play.

(For more on the whole CBA leap and other reporting stories, JD and I broke down the energetic start to February quarterlies on the HotCopper Wire.)

The U.S. was mainly soft-headed into its weekend, but with reporting hitting a fever pitch, we seem to be ignoring Wall Street, at least on Monday. (And those markets are closed a day later for a State-side holiday.)

Instead, bourse heavy-hitters like BHP (ASX:BHP) on Tuesday and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) on Thursday will give Aussie traders the most guidance.

ASX stocks to watch

Let’s stick with company news now, where a whole pile of companies are teed up to share reports, including A2 Milk (ASX:A2M), Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN), Dicker Data (ASX:DDR), JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH), and New Hope (ASX:NHC).

BlueScope Steel (ASX:BSL) was off to the races first, more than doubling its dividend payout and promising more divvy hikes through CY26 on booming profits.

And, Ansell (ASX:ANN) has held its FY26 guidance steady as it offsets U.S. tariffs. The protection gear producer saw operating cash jump to US$91.9M, and said price rises helped offset Trump’s annualised tariffs costs.

Elsewhere, Contact Energy (ASX:CEN) has moved to buy the last 25% of King Country.

Buck and ore

Now – in forex, the Oz dollar is buying US 70.7c.

Looking at commodities, all in the greenback,

Iron Ore has dumped -2.7%, to sell at $96.85 a tonne in Singapore today,

Brent Crude is +0.3%, at $67.75/Bbl,

Gold is selling at $5,076/ounce,

US natgas futures are up +0.8%, at $3.24 per gigajoule.

That’s HotCopper’s Market Open, I’m Isaac McIntyre – happy trading.

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