US markets closed mixed after a volatile session that followed the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut since December. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 260 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 46,018.32, briefly touching a record high, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.1 per cent to 6,600.35 and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3 per cent to 22,261.33. Tech stocks such as Nvidia, Oracle, Palantir and Broadcom led the declines, while rate-sensitive names including Walmart, JPMorgan and American Express pushed the Dow higher. The Russell 2000 added 0.18 per cent on expectations that smaller companies will benefit from lower borrowing costs.
The Fed lowered its benchmark rate by a quarter point to 4–4.25 per cent in an 11-to-1 vote and signalled two more cuts this year. Chair Jerome Powell stressed the move was a “risk management cut,” not the start of an aggressive easing cycle, noting slower job gains, rising unemployment and still-elevated inflation.
In Australia, shares are set to open modestly weaker. Futures point to a 15-point fall, or 0.2 per cent, in the S&P/ASX 200 to 8,839. Attention will turn to the August labour force report at 11.30am, with NAB forecasting the unemployment rate to rise slightly to 4.3 per cent alongside an employment gain of about 25,000 jobs.
In company news,
Critical Resources to begin maiden drilling at Amoco gold-antimony corridor
Critical Resources (ASX:CRR) announced results from soil sampling at its Amoco Gold-Antimony Project in New South Wales. The survey defined a 2 km-long corridor with strong gold, antimony, and arsenic anomalies aligned with regional structures, confirming the project’s prospectivity. Rock chip samples returned up to 17.9 g/t gold, 0.7% antimony, and 80 g/t silver. The company has approvals in place and will mobilise a drill rig on 29 September for its maiden drilling program. Amoco lies near Larvotto’s Hillgrove project and Koonenberry Gold’s Enmore project, highlighting a broader mineralised trend. Register here to hear more from Critical Resources at our next Sip & Learn webinar, Thursday 25 September at 12.30pm AEST.
Encounter Resources pinpoints new niobium-REE and copper-gold drill targets at Aileron
Encounter Resources (ASX:ENR) reported that a high-resolution airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey at its Aileron Project in the West Arunta region has mapped the Green carbonatite complex in detail and identified several new drill targets. The data point to shallow conductors likely linked to niobium-rare earth mineralisation and an outstanding copper-gold target at the Scott Prospect. Aircore drilling of the new carbonatite targets will begin shortly, with diamond drilling at Scott scheduled for October 2025. The survey, co-funded by WA’s EIS scheme, represents a step-change in Encounter’s regional exploration targeting.
Livium moves into solar panel recycling with South Korea’s Won Kwang S&T
Livium (ASX:LIT) signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Won Kwang S&T to collaborate on solar panel recycling. Initially, panels collected in Australia will be exported for recycling in South Korea, before progressing to partial dismantling in Australia and eventually building a local joint venture recycling facility. The deal diversifies Livium’s revenue and positions it in the fast-growing photovoltaic recycling market, projected to generate more than 90,000 tonnes of waste annually in Australia by 2035. With landfill bans and stewardship schemes looming, Livium is positioning itself as an early mover in clean energy waste recycling.
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Source: Finance News Network
