Firmus Technologies, a former bitcoin miner now building AI-focused data centres, is seeking a $7 billion IPO on the ASX that would value the company at $44 billion. Bankers have struggled to line up buyers at the targeted $11 per share and are looking at cutting the price to around $8.25 to keep the float alive, according to The Australian and The Australian Financial Review. Maas Group, which owns 3.2% of Firmus, sank more than 20% on Thursday.

U.S. stock futures were little changed in early Wednesday trading as tech shares rebounded, though gains were capped by inflation worries tied to higher energy prices and expectations for further rate hikes. AI lab Anthropic drew attention with plans to seek an IPO valuation of more than $US2 trillion. Markets are also watching a slate of Federal Reserve speakers, with traders pricing a 70 per cent chance of another rate increase in October. Separately, AstraZeneca said it will invest $2 billion in a biopharma company and partner on cancer-treatment studies.

Telstra reported full-year profit of $2.4bn, up 2.7% from a year earlier, but its shares fell 3.2% to $4.84 after the results disappointed the market. Mobile revenue rose 3.2% to $11.37bn and accounted for 44% of total income. Other telecom stocks also weakened, with TPG Telecom down 0.28% and Superloop down 3.11%. The declines helped push the ASX 200 down 0.23% at the close.

BHP workers in the Pilbara region of Western Australia plan a new round of strikes over a pay dispute, including a 24-hour shiploading stoppage on August 8 and a full work stoppage from 5:30am on August 9. It is the second strike in two months. Each 24-hour stoppage is expected to cost BHP about $120m in lost revenue and the Western Australian government about $6.85m in lost royalty payments. The action is set to disrupt global iron ore supply chains, particularly key export channels.

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply after Houthi forces attacked oil tankers in the Red Sea and Iran moved closer to blocking the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Brent crude up 7% in a day and nearly 40% for the month, back above $100 a barrel. The ceasefire broke down completely as the US and Iran launched strikes against each other. Asian equities sold off broadly, with Japan’s Nikkei down 2.9% and South Korea’s KOSPI falling 3.7%. US Treasury yields jumped to multi-year highs as markets priced in a possible Federal Reserve rate hike as soon as next week.

Australian equities were higher by midday, led by gains in basic materials as investors returned to mining and energy stocks. Copper rose to its highest level since mid-June, while gold climbed to $US4,122 an ounce and Brent crude traded above $US92 a barrel, a six-week high. Market focus remained on the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict entering a tenth day of exchanges, alongside a rebound in U.S. semiconductor shares and heightened geopolitical risk premiums.

Australian equities slid after Donald Trump said the US-Iran ceasefire was “over,” stoking a renewed flare-up in the Persian Gulf and lifting Brent crude above $82 a barrel from earlier lows. Energy stocks including Woodside, Santos and Ampol rose as oil prices rebounded. Gold unexpectedly fell to $4,075 an ounce and the basic materials sector dropped 1.9%. The rise in oil was attributed to a revived geopolitical risk premium rather than inflation or demand shifts.

特斯拉向澳大利亚市场推送FSD（Supervised）v14.3.3软件更新，覆盖HW4硬件的Model Y和Model 3，新增Sloth速度模式、升级神经网络编码器、优化交通标志识别与紧急车辆响应等。Model Y为澳大利亚5月最畅销新车。FSD订阅制已落地，本次更新属区域性功能强化，非全球同步，亦非L3级监管批准，但强化了特斯拉FSD商业化进展的可见性。

Colombian rightwing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella is on track to win the presidential election, taking just under 50% of the vote with nearly 95% of ballot boxes counted. His leftist rival Ivan Cepeda trailed by about 368,000 votes on 48.4%, according to data from the national registry office. De La Espriella has pledged to end the current administration’s restrictions on new oil projects and expand oil and gas development. Cepeda has vowed to continue President Gustavo Petro’s energy policy, including a moratorium on new oil projects.