Recent trade saw Woodside Energy (ASX:WDS) shares tumble down as much as 3.2% to A$29.560, marking their steepest intraday percentage drop since December 7.

The oil and gas producer has been trading ex-dividend.

The company announced a final dividend of 60 cents per share last month.

Amid these developments, the shares hit their lowest point since December 8.

As of the last close, the company’s stock has fallen 1.7% year to date.

Woodside Energy is an oil and gas producer.

Lithium Australia’s shares experienced a boost, escalating to a peak of 7.4%, marking their highest since February 23.

The leap was attributed to the announcement of Lithium Australia (ASX:LIT) having concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Korea’s SungEel HiTech and a mutual growth agreement, which also contained an investment component.

The MoU foresees to bolster the supply chain of battery materials between Korea and Australia.

Despite the intraday increase, the highest since February 23, the stock has seen a 10% drop year-to-date.

Lithium Australia is a mining and resources company specializing in lithium extraction and recovery techniques.

Shares of Australia’s Lovisa Holdings (ASX:LOV) witnessed an increase of up to 1%, reaching A$30.85 and experiencing their greatest intraday gain since February 29th.

This progress comes after analysts at UBS elevated their price target on the company to A$27.50 from A$24, while maintaining a neutral stance.

The security firms highlighted that the like-for-like sales growth trajectories for Lovisa Holdings are on an uptrend, which they foresee as a primary focus and earnings propellant.

UBS also anticipates that the EBITDA margins are likely to grow starting from the 2025 financial year, indicating continued faith in the company’s gross margin expansion.

Among 14 analysts, nine have given this stock a rating of ‘buy’ or higher, four gave ‘hold’, and one rated it as ‘Strong sell’, with their median price target being A$28.60, according to LSEG data.

The company’s stock has increased by 24.9% this year, as recorded at the previous closing.

Lovisa Holdings is an Australian fashion jewelry and accessories retailer.

Inghams Group (ASX:ING) is experiencing a surge in share prices, up as much as 1.9% to A$3.680; the poultry producer’s benchmark intraday gain since February 27th.

This rise is in response to Inghams Group’s announcement that it is set to acquire Bostock Brothers, an organic chicken business in New Zealand, at a purchase price of NZ$35.3 million ($21.7 million).

Inghams Group expects that this acquisition will be EPS accretive to its FY25 earnings.

Despite this positive news, the company’s stock is down by approximately 9% this year to date.

Inghams Group (ASX:ING) is an Australian-based poultry producer.

Helia Group (ASX:HLI) shares plummet as much as 14.1% to A$3.66, marking their worst session since June 17, 2022, should these losses persist.

The company’s stock proves to be the top loser on the ASX200.

Having traded ex-dividend, the mortgage insurer previously declared a final ordinary dividend of 15 AU cents per share and a special dividend of 30 AU cents per share on February 27.

The shares reach their lowest level since November 28, 2023.

The stock has decreased 2.07% this year, as of the most recent closing.

Reporting by Archishma Iyer.

Helia Group is a company that specializes in mortgage insurance.

Shares of Treasury Wine (ASX:TWE), an Australian company, shot up by as much as 2.7% to reach A$12.4, marking the largest intraday percentage gain since February 27.

Analysts at UBS attribute the rise to weak performance from the company’s Americas business in the first half of 2024, whose operations are currently being geared towards luxury wine—a move that’s expected to bring a significant boost to Treasury Wine.

The brokerage firm maintains a ‘buy’ rating, although cautioning over the Americas business.

With Penfolds business witnessing growth, 12 out of 15 analysts have rated the stock as ‘buy’ or higher, while two gave a ‘hold’ rating, and one advised to ‘sell’.

The median price target stands at A$13.67, according to LSEG data.

The stock, as of its last close, is up 11.9% this year.

Treasury Wine is an Australian wine company that produces a range of wines under various brand names.

Amid heightened speculation of anticipate interest rate cuts, Australian shares saw minor gains on Thursday, largely on the back of increasing financial stocks.

These fluctuations come as a result of disappointing domestic growth data, notably for Q4.

The S&P/ASX 200 index (ASX:AXJO), for instance, rose modestly by 0.2% to reach 7,745.5.

This trajectory closely mirrors that of the previous day’s increase of 0.1%.

A contributing factor to investors' likelihood to bet on interest rate cuts was slower-than-projected growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for the October-December quarter.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics attributed this development to the successful initiatives put forth by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to curb inflation and consumer demand in Australia.

Analysts from Westpac expect this economic frailty to persist in the near future, with the potential for relief appearing around the middle of the year.

As the inflation situation improves, interest rates are predicted to lower from September onwards.

Citi analysts also anticipate cuts in August and November.

The financials sub-index (ASX:AXFJ) reached its highest point in over 16 years, growing by 0.4%.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA) and National Australia Bank (ASX:NAB) advanced by 0.4% and 0.7%, respectively.

Technology stocks, notably from Wisetech Global (ASX:WTC) and Xero (ASX:XRO), saw gains of 1.1% and 1.7%.

With bullion prices on the rise, gold stocks (ASX:AXGD) rose by 1%.

Contrarily, the mining sector (ASX:AXMM) saw a decrease of 0.4% due to poor iron ore futures resulting from an unstable steel market.

BHP Group (ASX:BHP) and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) experienced losses of 1.3% and 2.5%, respectively.

Energy stocks, too, saw a decrease of 1%, with stocks from Woodside Energy (ASX:WDS) seeing a significant decline of 2.8%.

Meanwhile, over in New Zealand, the S&P/NZX 50 index rose by 0.3% / 37.77 points, ending up at 11,833.67.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA) is the largest lender in the country and has been operational for over a century.

Australian gold sub-index jumps as much as 1.5%, hitting its highest level since Jan.

This boost is driven by gold’s rally to a record high overnight, underpinned mainly by bets for U.S.

monetary easing.

Among the sub-index’s major constituents, Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) rose as much as 3.1% to A$14.47, marking its highest valuation since mid-November 2020.

Meanwhile, Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) experienced a 2.7% rise to A$3.285, marking its apex since Jan.

The sub-index was down approximately 10% Year-To-Date as of its last closure, compared to a slight 0.4% increase in the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index.

Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) is a major player in the Australian gold sub-index.

Santos (ASX:STO) is currently embroiled in a legal tussle as the Federal Court has permitted an appeal against a Native Title ‘Future Act’ decision pertaining to the Narrabri Gas project, according to an announcement by the company.

The court, however, has abstained from making any judgments in relation to Santos’s conduct.

The company has pledged its commitment to remain constructive in its engagement with the Gomeroi people.

There are no official directives from the federal court regarding the following steps as of now.

In line with this, Santos will continue its work on land access, native title for environmental approvals processes, to push forward with Narrabri and the Hunter Gas Pipeline.

Santos is an Australian energy pioneer that delivers the economic and environmental benefits of natural gas to homes and businesses.

Shares of Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) have experienced an uptick as much as 13.3% to A$0.017, their highest point since January 3.

This rise comes on the heels of the gold miner announcing the production of the first gold bars from its Selkirk Joint Venture in the Menzies Gold Project, located in Western Australia.

More than 17.3 million shares changed hands, well exceeding the 30-day average volume of around 7 million shares.

However, year to date, the stock is down 11.8% based on the last close.

Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) is an Australian gold mining company involved in the production and exploration of precious metals.