ASX Remains Steady Before CPI Release; Nick Scali Shares Surge 10%

On Wednesday, the Australian stock market showed little movement at the open, as investors awaited the significant September quarter inflation data, which is set to be released later in the morning and will influence future interest rate decisions.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics is anticipated to report an inflation increase of 3% for the year ending September 30, compared to 2.1% at the end of June. The Reserve Bank will scrutinize this data ahead of its rate decision next Tuesday.

At 10:11 am AEST, the S&P/ASX 200 index was marginally up by 0.3 points, standing at 9012.80, with gains in four out of the 11 sectors. Notably, the materials sector led the way as the Trump administration endorsed plans for new nuclear facilities. Uranium miner Boss Energy soared 13.8% following its record quarterly production at the Honeymoon project, with costs falling below FY26 projections. Major miners BHP and Rio Tinto saw increases of nearly 1% as iron ore prices rose by 0.8% on Tuesday.

Woolworths experienced a minor rise of 0.3% despite its September quarter sales of $18.5 billion falling short of the company's goals. According to CEO Amanda Bardwell, more efforts are required to regain customer trust.

For the second consecutive day, healthcare was the weakest sector, with CSL plunging another 3.3% after its annual meeting on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Telix Pharmaceuticals dropped 1% as it announced plans to release 45,584 ordinary shares from voluntary escrow on November 6.

Stocks in Focus

In corporate news, Nick Scali soared 10.1% following strong Q1 ANZ sales, with total written orders up by 11.6%, and projected December half-year profit expected to reach between $33 million and $35 million.

Cash Converters decreased by 5.7% following its institutional equity raising, securing $15.74 million towards a total goal of $25 million.

SiteMinder climbed 4.5% after early FY26 trading confirmed its annual recurring revenue growth aligned with last year, indicating ongoing demand for its hotel commerce platform.

Ansell rallied 5.9% as it boosted its earnings per share guidance to US$1.37–US$1.49, up from the previous US$1.33–US$1.45, driven by favorable currency shifts and reduced operational costs.

Helia saw a slight decline of 0.7% after reaffirming its focus on the LMI market, reporting $66.1 million in gross written premiums and a net profit after tax of $17.8 million for the September quarter.

Finally, Medibank fell 0.4% in anticipation of its health strategy presentation, where it aims to achieve $200 million in annual health earnings and engage 10 million Australians by FY30.