Sydney, Feb 26, 2026, 17:34 (AEDT) — Market closed.
- Shares of Northern Star Resources slipped 2.5% on Thursday, paring back some gains from earlier in the week’s rally.
- Gold hovered close to its highest in three weeks, with investors watching tariffs, geopolitics, and the U.S. dollar.
- Northern Star is up next, with its March dividend schedule followed by a quarterly update in April.
Northern Star Resources Ltd NST.AX settled at A$29.62 on Thursday, down 2.5%. Shares touched A$30.69 earlier in the day before slipping. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has moved between A$15.30 and A$30.93.
The late pullback stands out, given the stock’s tight link to bullion—and lately, gold’s been jumpy. Tariff headlines, geopolitics, those alone have been swaying risk appetite. Miners usually absorb the hit when that happens.
Spot gold added 0.4% to $5,192.28 an ounce, reaching its highest level in over three weeks on Tuesday, according to Reuters. “Price action reflects a re-pricing of fresh policy (tariff) uncertainty, geopolitical concerns, and a subdued dollar,” OCBC strategist Christopher Wong said. Reuters
JPMorgan now sees gold reaching $6,300 an ounce by the end of 2026, citing projected demand from central banks and investors, the bank said in a Wednesday note. The firm also bumped up its long-term price target to $4,500 an ounce.
The ASX 200 notched yet another record high on Thursday, according to a live update from Market Index, but miners pulled back from session tops as the day wore on. Materials shares had logged a streak of new highs, with commodity gains—especially in gold—providing momentum.
Elsewhere among gold miners, Evolution Mining picked up 1.1% by the close. Regis Resources slipped 1.7%. Figures are from Investing.com.
Northern Star shareholders are eyeing next week’s dividend—a key event in the short term. The miner is set to pay an interim dividend of A$0.25 a share. Ex-dividend hits March 4, with March 5 as the record date, and the payout scheduled for March 26. (The ex-dividend date marks when shares lose rights to that forthcoming payment.)
Earlier this month, Managing Director Stuart Tonkin acknowledged a “soft operating performance” in the company’s half-year results, but said the board still declared an interim dividend. He cited “the resilience and growing returns” he sees taking shape in the business. NSR Limited
Even so, there’s risk on both sides here. If bullion drops more steeply, or the Australian dollar firms up, local gold miners feel the pinch on margins. Cost pressure keeps cropping up as a concern throughout the industry.
Northern Star is set to release its March 2026 quarterly results on April 22, per its investor calendar.
Traders are eyeing gold’s grip on its recent highs heading into Friday, also watching to see if the stock can stabilize before the March ex-dividend date—a point that often skews short-term demand.
