Investing 4 May 2026 - 9 May 2026

Australian stocks posted their steepest daily drop in nearly two months on Friday. The S&P/ASX 200 slid 133.7 points, or 1.51%, closing at 8,744.4, as fresh U.S.-Iran clashes wiped out Thursday’s brief gains. Financial shares were hit hard, down 2.25%. Heavyweights Westpac, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank, and ANZ all declined. The All Ordinaries shed 1.39%. The drop grabbed attention since it was widespread, driven by oil rather than just one disappointing report. ABC tallied losses close to $50 billion. AMP’s Shane Oliver flagged that if the Strait of Hormuz stays shut for longer, both the global and Australian economies could take a bigger hit. Rising fuel prices risk bleeding into everything from freight to packaging to what households pay

Australian shares finished Thursday up almost 1%, pushing their rebound to a third session. Miners drove the advance, while energy stocks slipped after crude oil prices eased on hopes for a U.S.-Iran agreement. Right now, the market’s recalibrating as it digests the oil shock that reignited inflation concerns and put rates back in the spotlight. Brent crude slipped under the $100 mark on Thursday, with traders eyeing the potential for a deal that might slowly restore access through the Strait of Hormuz—the Gulf chokepoint critical to world oil shipments.

Vedanta Ltd plans to seek listing approval on the stock exchanges for four spun-off units next week, CEO Deshnee Naidoo of Vedanta Resources said following the company’s quarterly results. Trading for the new companies could kick off by mid-June, she added. The group’s demerger—splitting the miner into separate businesses—has now cleared its May 1 record date, so investors are waiting for the new shares to hit the market. That timing makes a difference: Vedanta’s remaining shares are already changing hands, but the aluminium, power, oil and gas, and iron-and-steel businesses are still sidelined. Until those new entities start trading on the BSE and NSE, shareholders are left holding value they can see on paper, but can’t price in the open

Occidental Petroleum shares pushed higher on Monday ahead of the oil producer’s Q1 earnings release, with a flurry of bullish options activity adding fuel to a rally that’s already being driven by firmer crude prices and an upcoming change at the top. Timing is key here. Occidental enters earnings with oil-heavy names back in favor, thanks to Brent and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude surging as tension flares near the Strait of Hormuz. Investors, though, still haven’t decided: is OXY’s 2026 momentum just riding commodity tailwinds, or is there something fundamentally changing inside the company? Brent crude sets prices globally; WTI does that in the U.S.

Vedanta Ltd bounced back sharply on Monday, finishing up 8.5% at ₹294.65. This comes after the demerger price reset hit last week. The dramatic 60%-plus drop seen on April 30 wasn’t a standard plunge—the market was factoring in the separation of several businesses from the metals-to-oil conglomerate. This is the crux of the current moment. Vedanta now trades ex-demerger—so the stock price reflects only the core business, with the four spun-off units stripped out. Investors holding Vedanta shares on the record date get one share in each of the new entities for every Vedanta share they own.