Australian Stock Market rises, sees modest gains across indices, Mayne Pharma drops 30%; check ASX 200 top gainers and losers

The Australian share market rose on Friday but remained on course for a weekly loss, as ANZ announced a $1.1 billion profit hit stemming from redundancy costs and fines. According to the Australian Stock Exchange website, the S&P/ASX 200 is up today, gaining 10.60 points or 0.12% to 8,896.10. The top performing stocks in this index are VENTIA SERVICES GROUP LIMITED and WESTGOLD RESOURCES LIMITED., up 4.85% and 4.85% respectively.

The index has lost 1.36% for the last five days, but sits 2.40% below its 52-week high. As of around 4:04 p.m. AEDT, the Australian stock market showed modest gains across most major indices, with several benchmarks edging higher by the close.

The All Ordinaries Index opened at 9,178.90 and closed slightly higher at 9,189.60, marking a 0.1% increase. Similarly, the S&P/ASX 200, the market’s key benchmark, rose from 8,885.50 to 8,896.10, also up 0.1%. Broader indices reflected the same steady tone — the S&P/ASX 300 climbed 0.1% to finish at 8851.60, while the S&P/ASX 100 inched up 0.1% to 7402.10. The S&P/ASX 50 gained 0.1%, closing at 8536.90, and the S&P/ASX All Australian 200 ended 0.1% higher at 8901.50.


Among sector-specific and size-based indices, smaller companies outperformed. The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries rose 0.5%, moving from 3,757.90 to 3777.80. The S&P/ASX Midcap 50, however, dipped 0.1% to 11,883.10, while the S&P/ASX 20 was little changed, ending at 4,896.40.

In sectoral performance, the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT (Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts) gained 0.4%, rising from 1,870.00 to 1,877.90. In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index slipped 1.2%, falling from 4,280.50 to 4,227.60, making it one of the day’s weakest performers. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX All Technology Index edged down 0.2% to close at 3,979.20.

ASX 200 top gainers and losers

Among the constituents of the S&P/ASX 200, trading on Friday saw a mix of strong gains and notable declines across key stocks. Leading the top gainers list was Ventia Services Group Limited (VNT), which climbed 4.945% to close at $5.73, up $0.27. Close behind was Westgold Resources Limited (WGX), advancing 4.851% to $5.30, a gain of $0.25. Vault Minerals Limited (VAU) also performed strongly, rising 4.347% to $0.72, up $0.03. Tuas Limited (TUA) gained 4.302%, ending the session at $7.03, an increase of $0.29, while Iluka Resources Limited (ILU) rounded out the top five gainers with a 4.285% rise to $6.94, adding $0.29.

On the other hand, the decliners were led by Steadfast Group Limited (SDF), which fell sharply by 8.791% to $5.66, a drop of $0.55. Droneshield Limited (DRO) followed with a 5.160% loss, closing at $3.86, down $0.21. Lovisa Holdings Limited (LOV) slipped 4.626% to $36.29, losing $1.76, while Alcoa Corporation (AAI) declined 4.523% to $56.90, down $2.70. IGO Limited (IGO) completed the list of top fallers with a 3.617% decrease, finishing at $5.33, down $0.20.

Australia's Mayne Pharma falls

The shares of Australia's Mayne Pharma have dropped 30% at $4.31 per share. According to ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), the company has told the market it has received a letter from its potential acquirer, Cosette, indicating that the Australian treasurer is considering blocking the $672 million proposed buyout of the company. The stock slumped nearly 40% to $3.81, its weakest intraday performance, and touched its lowest point since August 2024.