Keep an eye out for another Peak deal live this week!
Market Highlights
ASX 200 futures are pointing down 63 points or 0.7% to 8915.
All US prices near 5.20pm New York time.
- AUD -0.2% to US71.62¢
- Bitcoin -0.4% to $US75,650
- On Wall St: Dow -0.6% S&P -0.6% Nasdaq -0.6%
- VIX +0.63 to 19.50
- Gold -2.1% to $US4720.04 an ounce
- Brent oil +3.8% to $US99.14 a barrel
- Iron ore -0.2% to $US106.65 a tonne
- 10-year yield: US 4.29% Australia 4.90%
Across Markets
Australian shares are set to open lower after oil prices swung amid mixed signals from the US and Iran regarding peace talks and the status of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump, late in New York’s trading day, said he was going to extend the ceasefire and continue to blockade Iran’s ports for now.
Before that announcement, oil had surged above $US100 a barrel late in New York, but it then fell back after Trump’s social media post.
Axios soon after reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is expected to give his response to the latest proposals to end hostilities on Wednesday, according to an Israeli source.
ASX 200 futures were down 63 points or 0.7 per cent to 8915 near 7am AEST after having earlier dropped more than 90 points. The S&P 500 slid 0.6 per cent at the close, with real estate pacing 10 of the 11 industry sectors lower. Energy was the sole sector to advance.
Yardeni Research said it sees an opportunity for investors in energy. “We reckon that the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil will fluctuate between $US75 and $US95 once the war ends. We don’t think it will fall back to the pre-war range of $US55-$US75 anytime soon.”
Yardeni added: “The supply shock is likely to have a long tail.”
Goldman Sachs said it expects the US equity market to continue making new highs in the coming months, driven by continued earnings growth. “We expect a 7 per cent rise in the S&P 500 to our year-end target of 7600. This target embeds 12 per cent EPS growth this year, 10 per cent next year, and a P/E multiple close to the current 21x.”
Source: AFR
Adisyn sharpens graphene edge as helium shortage hits chip manufacturing
- Helium shortage hits manufacturing of chips
- Cooling costs start to bite
- Adisyn backs graphene, softening helium risk
Most people think of helium as the stuff that makes balloons float at birthday parties.
The semiconductor industry sees it very differently.
Right now, helium is becoming one of the most important, and most constrained, resources in the global economy.
And in early 2026, that pressure has come sharply into focus.
A geopolitical shock in the Middle East has taken a significant chunk of global helium supply offline.
Qatar, which typically produces around one-third of the world’s helium as a byproduct of liquefied natural gas, has been forced to halt operations following damage to infrastructure and disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz.
This isn’t just another commodity squeeze. Helium isn’t easily substituted, and demand doesn’t suddenly switch off.
From MRI machines to space exploration and, crucially, semiconductor manufacturing, helium plays a critical role that’s both invisible and irreplaceable.
The invisible bottleneck in chips
In semiconductor manufacturing, helium works quietly behind the scenes.
It’s used to cool silicon wafers during production, to maintain ultra-clean environments and to support advanced lithography processes where circuits are etched at nanometre scale.
As chips become more powerful and complex, especially with the rise of AI, the reliance on helium is only increasing.
There is no practical substitute at scale. So when supply tightens, the impact is immediate.
Prices have already surged this year and manufacturers are being forced to prioritise production or absorb higher costs.
That ripple doesn’t stop at the fab.
It flows through to smartphones, data centres, electric vehicles – basically anything that depends on advanced chips.
Click here to read more
Source: Stockhead
Company: Fin Resources Ltd (ASX:FIN)
Sector: Gold/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.0065
Performance Since Entry: +54%
Company: Eden Innovations Ltd (ASX:EDE)
Sector: Construction/Clean Energy
Deal Type: Shortfall
Latest Entry Price: $0.035 with 1:2 option, strike $0.07
Price Performance Since Entry: +414%
Company: Tasman Resources Ltd (ASX:TAS)
Sector: Gold/Silver/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.0125 with 1:2 option, strike $0.02
Price Performance Since Entry: +308%
Company: Locksley Resources Ltd (ASX:LKY)
Sector: REE & Antimony/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.04
Price Performance Since Entry: +350%
Company: CuFe Ltd (ASX:CUF)
Sector: Copper/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.016 with 1:2 option, strike $0.025
Price Performance Since Entry: +144%
Company: Tambourah Metals Ltd (ASX:TMB)
Sector: Gold/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.04
Price Performance Since Entry: +20%
Company: Biotron Ltd (ASX:BIT)
Sector: Biotech
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.003 with 1:2 option, strike $0.02
Price Performance Since Entry: -17%
Company: Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM)
Sector: REE
Deal Type: Placement
Latest Entry Price: $0.015
Price Performance Since Entry: +20%
Company: Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:NEU)
Sector: Biotech
Deal Type: On-market purchase
Latest Entry Price: $1.20 – $1.50
Price Performance Since Entry: +1,125%
Company: Dimerix Ltd (ASX:DXB)
Sector: Biotech
Deal Type: Rights Issue
Raise Amount: $800,000
Latest Entry Price: $0.08 with 1:1 option, strike $0.126
Price Performance Since Entry: +375%
Company: Noviqtech Ltd (ASX:NVQ)
Sector: Blockchain
Deal Type: Placement
Raise Amount: $1M
Latest Entry Price: $0.02 with 1:1 option $0.08 strike
Price Performance Since Entry: +30%
Company: Critica Limited (ASX:CRI)
Sector: REE
Deal Type: Placement
Raise Amount: $1M
Latest Entry Price: $0.0075 with a 1:1 CRIO
Price Performance Since Entry: +220%
Company: Patagonia Lithium Ltd (ASX:PL3)
Sector: Lithium
Deal Type: IPO
Raise Amount: $8.6M
Latest Entry Price: $0.09 with 1:2 PL3O
Price Performance Since Entry: +94%
Company: Kalgoorlie Gold Mining Ltd (ASX:KAL)
Sector: Gold/Mining
Deal Type: Placement
Raise Amount: $2.3M
Latest Entry Price: $0.026 with 1:2 option $0.032 strike
Price Performance Since Entry: +50%
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Peak accepts no responsibility for any views expressed and marketing material contained in this email except where the message specifically states otherwise and the sender is authorised to state them to be the views of Peak. Information provided in this email is general advise only and does take account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any advice in this email, Peak recommends that you consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances. If this email contains reference to any financial products, you should obtain the current Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or other disclosure documents for the particular products and consider this information before making any decisions regarding the products. The Financial Services Guide (FSG) can be found at www.peakassetmanagement.com.au or by telephoning Peak on 1300 304 460
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