Sydney, Feb 16, 2026, 18:25 AEDT — Market closed.
- Woodside shares ended slightly higher, after slipping from an early session high
- Oil held near $68 a barrel as traders braced for U.S.–Iran talks and possible OPEC+ supply moves
- Investors are positioning ahead of Woodside’s full-year results and briefing on Feb. 24
Woodside Energy Group Ltd (WDS.AX) shares ended 0.23% higher at A$25.84 on Monday, after touching an intraday high of A$26.12 and then sliding to finish at the day’s low. About 2.12 million shares traded, according to market data. (Investing.com Australia)
The small move matters anyway. Energy stocks are being pushed around by a thin, holiday-hit tape in Asia, and the next few headlines on crude can do more damage than usual when liquidity is patchy. (Reuters)
Oil prices were little changed, with Brent up 3 cents at $67.78 a barrel and U.S. WTI at $62.91, up 2 cents. IG market analyst Tony Sycamore described the setup as “the calm before the storm,” while Sugandha Sachdeva, founder of SS WealthStreet, warned that “price action could stay erratic” with demand cues muted and investors watching geopolitics and inventory data. (Reuters)
For Woodside, the crude tape still matters. The company sells oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), and swings in benchmark prices can feed quickly into revenue expectations and dividend chatter.
Monday’s price action had a wait-for-the-next-catalyst feel. Woodside opened at A$26.07, got a brief lift, then bled lower into the close — the kind of drift traders often read as caution ahead of event risk.
That event risk is close. Woodside said its 2025 annual report, climate and sustainability update and investor briefing will be released on Tuesday, Feb. 24, with a teleconference hosted by acting CEO Liz Westcott and CFO Graham Tiver. (Woodside)
Investors will listen for any shift in spending plans and timelines on big projects, and whether the company holds its line on output and costs. In January, Woodside forecast lower 2026 production, pointing to planned maintenance and a major Pluto LNG turnaround (a planned shutdown for maintenance) in the second quarter, and said Scarborough was 94% complete with first LNG expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. (Reuters)
The briefing lands with leadership still in focus. Woodside said in December it appointed Liz Westcott as acting CEO after Meg O’Neill resigned to take the top job at BP, and the board began a process to find a permanent replacement. (Woodside)
The risk is that the macro turns unfriendly at the same time as the company has to defend its spending and schedule. Any sign of progress on U.S.–Iran talks, or fresh supply from OPEC+ (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies), could pressure crude and take some shine off oil-linked names.
On the other side, a flare-up that lifts risk premiums can prop up the sector, but it also tends to bring sharper two-way moves — not always a gift to investors sitting through an earnings week.
