Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) has announced that Macquarie Capital has completed the acquisition of Onyx Insight.

Onyx Insight is a provider of data analytics for the renewable energy sector.

The company will continue to operate as an independent business following the acquisition.

Macquarie Group is a global banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services firm.

88 Energy (ASX:88E) has recently announced that the operations for the Hickory-1 Flow Test have begun.

88 Energy is an exploration and production company with operations focused on the Slope of Alaska.

The Australian stock market faltered, retreating from record-level highs as major players in the mining and banking industry dragged down the benchmark, shifting investor focus to the upcoming central bank’s monetary policy meeting.

The S&P/ASX 200 index declined by 1.8% to conclude at 7,704.200, sliding from the all-time closing record of 7,847.00 from the previous Friday.

This marks the end of a three-day upward trend and results in its poorest performance since early July of the preceding year.

Banking sector shares faced a significant downturn, ending the day 2.2% lower - their worst intraday decline in over 10 months.

The ‘Big Four’ lenders each experienced losses exceeding 2%.

Westpac Banking Corp witnessed a decline of approximately 3.2% - their steepest decline since May 11 of the prior year.

Similarly, National Australia Bank saw a decrease of approximately 3.1% in what marked its worst day since Nov.

14, the preceding year.

Mining sector shares slid by 2.7% reaching their lowest point since October of the previous year.

Commodity giants such as BHP Group, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue endured losses between 2.7% and 3.5%, making them the primary contributors to the benchmark index’s drop.

Brad Smoling, managing director of Smoling Stockbroking, suggested that the market may be experiencing ‘a bit of profit-taking at this stage,’ and deemed the sell-off a ‘healthy little pull back.’ Investors are keeping a keen eye on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) monetary policy meeting set for the coming week.

The bank is widely predicted to maintain its current cash rate, even in light of mounting evidence that the high borrowing rate has taken effect as planned.

ANZ analysts predict a rate cut by the RBA in November but do not rule out the possibility of the bank initiating its easing measures earlier given the recent slight dip in inflation and higher unemployment rates than anticipated.

Energy stocks closed 2.1% lower in response to concerns over weak demand from China coupled with persisting geopolitical uncertainties.

Prominent energy firms such as Woodside Energy and Santos were also affected, shedding 2.4% and 2.1% respectively.

Healthcare stocks dropped by 1.6%, and real estate stocks concluded 1.1% lower.

New Zealand’s benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index also suffered a decline of 0.4%, ending the session at 11,873.6700.

Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:WBC) is one of Australia’s ‘big four’ banks and offers a broad range of banking and financial services.

The Australian Federation of Air Pilots has declared its intention to fund further industrial action in Western Australia.

Furthermore, the AFAP negotiating team informed Qantas (ASX:QAN) management that there would be an additional two days of halted work action set to occur on March 14 and 15.

Qantas (ASX:QAN) is an Australian based airline company.

The pilots at Qantas Airways units Network Aviation and QantasLink (ASX:QAN) plan to stage a fresh strike this week, as their demands for better pay persist, according to the Australian Federation of Air Pilots.

The union revealed on Monday that shockwaves from this move will be felt during a time when the pilots are trying to renegotiate a new enterprise agreement that would supersede the Network Aviation Pilots Enterprise Agreement 2016, which had expired in October 2020.

This week’s scheduled work stoppage by pilots at QantasLink and Network Aviation is slated for Thursday and Friday, the AFAP confirmed.

Qantas, esteemed as the nation’s flag carrier, has yet to respond to inquiries for a statement.

The airline and the union have unsuccessfully been negotiating for over a year and a half, with the pilots rejecting three deals up to this date, even including an offer of a salary bump over 25%, followed by a proposed 3% yearly increment.

Qantas (ASX:QAN) is an Australian airline company.

Shares of Nagambie Resources (ASX:NAG) plummeted as much as 48% to a record low of A$0.013, potentially marking the company’s worst trading day if losses hold.

The significant decline in stock value followed the resource explorer’s unsuccessful bid to store potential acid sulfate soil (PASS) material at its Nagambie mine.

Primarily composed of iron sulfide minerals, PASS poses a significant strategic concern for the company.

The day’s trading saw about 5.5 million shares change hands, a significant increase from the company’s 30-day average trading volume of 420,407 shares.

Prior to this downturn, Nagambie Resources' stock had already shrunk by 13.8% this year.

Nagambie Resources is a resource exploring company focused on unearthing valuable minerals.

Shares of MC Mining (ASX:MCM) surged significantly, rising by as much as 10.3% to reach A$0.160.

This increase comes as MC Mining’s most considerable intraday percentage gain since November 3, 2023.

The stock’s ascent touched its highest levels since November 16.

The remarkable rise followed the revelation that the coal miner received a non-binding indicative takeover offer from Vulcan Resources.

This offer price ranges between A$0.17 per share and A$0.20 per share.

The lower end of the offer price signals a 17.2% premium on the company’s last closing figures.

Despite the surge, the stock recorded a 3.3% decline year-to-date, calculated based on its last close.

MC Mining (ASX:MCM) is a coal mining company headquartered in Australia.

Shares of toll road operator Atlas Arteria (ASX:ALX) fell by as much as 2.2% to A$5.31 after analysts at Macquarie lower the price target on the company to A$5.39 from A$5.44, while maintaining the ‘neutral’ rating.

The company is currently facing challenges regarding taxes imposed by France, where it operates major toll roads, in their new budget.

Macquarie warns that the company’s dividend will not be sustainable without winning this French constitutional challenge.

Earnings estimates for the company have been lowered by 4.6%, 3.9%, and 3.2% for CY24, CY25, and CY26 respectively.

The stock has experienced a 6.1% decline this year, as of the last close.

Atlas Arteria (ASX:ALX) is a company that operates toll roads in several countries.

Australian energy stocks, marked as ASX:EJ, have experienced a significant drop, falling as much as 2.4% to reach their lowest point since Dec.

This downward trend could point to the worst trading day since Feb.

26, if the losses persist.

The fall came on the back of a 1% dip in oil prices last Friday, triggered by suspicions of low demand from China, the top consumer.

Particularly standing out in this fall were shares of energy giant, Woodside Energy (ASX:WDS), which plunged up to 2.8% to their lowest level since Dec.

Similarly, shares of Santos (ASX:STO) suffered a decline of up to 2.5%, potentially marking their most significant single-day loss since Feb.

26, if the losses hold.

For the year, as of the last closing, the AXEJ index is down by 1.6%.

Woodside Energy is a multinational oil and gas company based in Australia.

Santos is a significant oil and gas exploration and production company also based in Australia.

Shares of Nordic Nickel (ASX:NNL) have experienced an impressive boost, climbing as high as 12.50% to A$0.180, its peak level since November 20, 2023.

The surge has been connected to a reported enhancement in the mineral resource estimate linked specifically to the Hotinvaara Prospect to be found within the company’s main Pulju Nickel Project in Finland.

As further proof of the project’s progress, a comprehensive metallurgical test work program is currently in action, according to the company.

If the upward trend continues, the company’s stock is set for a third consecutive session of gains.

Notably, NNL’s shares have risen by 10.3% year-to-date, as of the last closing.

Nordic Nickel (ASX:NNL) is an exploration company which achieved significant increase in mineral resources in its key Finnish project.