Market Report: ASX closes lower as Audinate surges 26%, Bendigo Bank drops 15%
Published: 17:08 17 Feb 2025 AEDT
The ASX closed 0.22% lower at 8,537.1 points on below-average volumes, maintaining its position near a 52-week high. Over the past five days, the index has gained 0.3% and remains 0.91% below its yearly peak.
Audinate Group led the market, surging 26% to $9.59 per share following the release of its first-half FY25 results, which exceeded market guidance.
Despite a 29% year-on-year decline in gross profit to US$16 million, the company's gross margin reached 82%, benefiting from a shift toward higher-margin software-based products.
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank was the worst performer, dropping 15% to $11.37 per share.
The regional lender reported a 1.1% year-on-year decline in cash earnings after tax, with a sharper 9.7% drop compared to the second half of FY24. Weaker margins led to a significant earnings shortfall.
Seven sectors closed higher. Utilities led with a 1.6% gain, while Energy was the weakest, falling 1.51%.
After signing a US$138 million joint venture agreement with Vale to develop the Iron Bear Iron Ore Project in Canada, Cyclone Metals shares increased by 20.69% to a daily high of $0.07 while Sprintex Ltd was as much as 20.38% higher to $0.065 on an update for the strategic collaboration with Mest Water as the first large-scale purchase order is imminent.
Livium Ltd recorded a 25% increase on the previous close with a daily high of $0.015; Nexus Minerals Ltd reached $0.066, an 11.87% rise; Nova Minerals Ltd reached $0.34, rise of 6.25%; Peninsula Energy Ltd moved up by 6.0% to $1.06; International Graphite Ltd produced some encouraging test-work results which pushed shares up by 5.36% to $09.059; and Orthocell Ltd rose 5.10% to $1.65.
