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(VIDEO) Antarctic Cold Front to Bring Hail, Snow and Damaging Winds to Four Australian States Starting

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SYDNEY — Millions of Australians across the country’s southeast are being warned to brace for a blast of icy weather in the coming days, as a powerful low-pressure system currently sitting near Antarctica tracks toward the mainland, threatening to bring hail, snow, damaging winds and heavy rain to at least four states.

According to weather service Weatherzone, the low-pressure system is expected to travel more than 4,000 kilometers between Wednesday and Saturday, passing to the south of Australia over the weekend as it drags a large mass of polar air across the Southern Ocean toward the mainland. The severe weather is forecast to affect Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and southern Queensland, according to the outlook.

A Two-Stage Weather Event

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Forecasters say the system will unfold in two distinct phases. Wind and rain are expected to increase across southeastern Australia from Saturday into Sunday, as northerly winds strengthen ahead of the approaching cold front. That initial pre-frontal air is expected to remain relatively warm, meaning most of the precipitation during this early stage will fall as rain rather than snow, with the exception of higher terrain in the Alps.

The more severe, bitterly cold conditions are expected to arrive from late Sunday into Monday, as the cold air mass spreads across New South Wales, Victoria, southern Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, before reaching Tasmania on Monday. During this stage, forecasters are warning of blustery winds, rain, hail, thunderstorms and snow across southeastern Australia, conditions that could include damaging to destructive wind gusts and flooding rain.

Destructive Winds and Blizzard Conditions Possible

Damaging wind gusts are considered likely to develop across parts of Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, with forecasters saying those conditions may also extend into Tasmania. In the highest terrain, particularly across the Australian Alps, the system is expected to bring destructive wind gusts alongside blizzard conditions. Rain is forecast to be widespread across the country’s southeastern states on Sunday and Monday, with the heaviest rainfall totals expected along the ranges of central and northeastern Victoria and southern New South Wales.

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Bureau of Meteorology Tracks the System’s Path

David Crock, a meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology, said a cloud band was expected to continue streaming over inland Western Australia and parts of South Australia on Friday, ahead of the more severe conditions forecast for the weekend. Describing what would follow, Crock said a strong cold front would reach southwest Western Australia later Friday before continuing across South Australia over the course of the weekend. He added that elsewhere in the country, the dry season remains in full swing across northern Australia, with only a few light showers expected along parts of the Queensland coast.

Crock also noted that cloud and showers are likely to persist Friday around Australia’s southern states, as the broader system continues developing ahead of the more intense wintry conditions expected to arrive over the following days.

A Boost for Ski Resorts

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While the system is expected to bring disruptive and potentially hazardous conditions to populated areas, it is also likely to deliver a significant benefit to Australia’s alpine ski resorts. Forecasters say it is extremely likely that the natural snow depth at Spencers Creek, a key benchmark measurement site in the Snowy Mountains, will be well over a meter by the same time next week, with the majority of lifts across the country’s ski resorts expected to be operating as a result of the fresh snowfall. Thredbo, one of the region’s largest ski resorts, became the first Australian ski area to operate at full capacity in 2026 earlier this week, with all 15 of its lifts running.

A Pattern of Severe Winter Weather

The approaching system fits within a broader pattern of significant cold outbreaks that have periodically struck southeastern Australia during winter months in recent years, driven by low-pressure systems tracking north from the Antarctic region. Similar events in past years have brought rare snowfall to lower-elevation areas not typically accustomed to significant winter weather, along with widespread disruption including road closures, flight cancellations and, in some cases, livestock losses on farms caught in the path of the coldest conditions.

Authorities Urge Caution

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With the more severe phase of the system expected to bring a combination of flooding rain, damaging winds and hazardous alpine conditions, residents across the affected states are being urged to stay updated on official weather warnings as the system continues to develop over the coming days. Authorities have reiterated standard guidance that anyone facing a life-threatening situation as a result of the severe weather should contact emergency services immediately.

What to Expect in Each State

For Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, the greatest risks are expected to center on damaging wind gusts, heavy rainfall and potential flooding, particularly across higher terrain and along the ranges of central and northeastern Victoria and southern New South Wales. Tasmania is expected to see the cold front’s most intense conditions arrive slightly later, on Monday, with blizzard conditions possible in elevated alpine areas. Southern Queensland is also included in the areas expected to experience the cold air mass, extending the reach of the wintry system further north than is typical for this type of weather event.

With the low-pressure system still tracking toward the Australian mainland as of Thursday, forecasters are continuing to refine their projections for exact rainfall totals, wind speeds and snowfall accumulations as the weekend approaches. Given the system’s scale and the multiple hazards it is expected to bring, including hail, thunderstorms, flooding rain and potentially blizzard conditions in alpine regions, authorities across the affected states are likely to continue issuing updated warnings and advisories in the lead-up to the system’s peak impact late Sunday and into Monday.

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Bears unveil home jersey at packed function

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GE Vernova Supplier Spikes Past Buy Point On Data-Center Thirst

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GE Vernova Supplier Spikes Past Buy Point On Data-Center Thirst

Shares of Ronan, Mt.-based innovator AirJoule were aloft like vapor Wednesday as the company’s recent deal with GE Vernova worked through the stock market ether. The company develops products that harvest water from the air in order to cool AI data-center servers. AirJoule (AIRJ), a joint-venture partner with data center gas turbine supplier GE Vernova (GEV) since March 2024, has…

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Aussie shares lose steam to close record-breaking week

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Aussie shares lose steam to close record-breaking week

Australia’s share market has taken a breather after multiple records, with equities in a holding pattern until the next major catalyst emerges.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 fell eight points on Friday, down 0.09 per cent to 9,263.6, after a five-day winning streak and all-time highs in the previous two sessions. 

The broader All Ordinaries eased by 6.9 points, or 0.07 per cent, to 9,445.1.

Energy stocks rose in line with oil prices after Iran and Oman’s plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while barring US and Israeli ships dashed hopes of an imminent peace deal.

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“Iran feels it ‘holds the cards’ given it can still effectively block ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz (and to a degree the Red Sea) and all of America’s bombing can’t seem to shake the regime,” Betashares chief economist David Bassanese said.

“A deal between Iran and Oman would block US and Israeli ships crossing the Strait – but this must surely be an ambit claim as the US could never agree to that.”

However, raw materials stocks continued to rally as gold, lithium and rare earths miners soared on lower inflation expectations and upswings in underlying commodity prices.

Gold is trading at seven-week highs of $US4,297 ($A6,109) an ounce, after easing global inflation fears softened the US interest rate outlook, helping non-yielding assets rebound.

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Shares in Australia’s largest company BHP gained 4.5 per cent since Monday to trade at $62.97, its heightened copper exposure paying off as AI-related demand for the base metal soars.

Financials continued their hot streak, trading near record highs and clocking gains in eight of the past nine weeks as the major banks recovered from a second quarter slump.

Consumer-facing stocks also improved in recent weeks, buoyed by softer-than-expected June inflation and resilient household spending.

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Looking ahead, all eyes will be on the Reserve Bank’s Tuesday meeting for signs of Australia’s interest rate path ahead.

“The RBA will likely revise down their inflation forecast next week and hold rates unchanged, but don’t expect this to be the end of the hiking cycle,” AMP economist My Bui said.

The central bank would retain a hawkish bias, and AMP expected another rate hike in November if core inflation remained sticky, Ms Bui added.

In company news, Coles confirmed it will offshore hundreds of back office jobs in a multi-year deal with Accenture.

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Earnings season continued to deliver a mixed bag, as James Hardie shares soaring on a strong first quarter update, Nick Scali dipped on a dim retail and supply chain outlook, while ResMed tumbled seven per cent after flagging “very modest” prices increases.

The Australian dollar is buying 70.33 US cents, down from 70.42 US cents on Thursday at 5pm.

ON THE ASX:

* The S&P/ASX200 fell by eight points, or 0.09 per cent, to 9,263.6

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* The broader All Ordinaries lost 46.6 points, or 0.07 per cent, to 9,445.1

One Australian dollar trades for:

* 70.33 US cents, from 70.42 US cents at 5pm AEST on Thursday

* 111.37 Japanese yen, from 111.13 Japanese yen

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* 61.04 euro cents, from 61.00 euro cents

* 52.28 British pence, from 52.32 pence

* 119.90 NZ cents, from 119.92 NZ cents

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Trent shares slide 3% after Q1. What Morgan Stanley, four other brokerages recommend

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Trent shares slide 3% after Q1. What Morgan Stanley, four other brokerages recommend
Shares of Tata Group’s apparel arm, Trent, declined 3% to hit an intraday low of Rs 3,028 on the BSE on Friday after the company reported a 21% year-on-year (YoY) increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 519 crore for the quarter ended June.

The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 430 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Revenue from operations grew 18% YoY to Rs 5,755 crore during the quarter. Compared with the March quarter, Trent’s consolidated net profit rose 25% from Rs 413 crore, while revenue from operations increased 14% from Rs 5,028 crore.

Buy, sell or hold Trent shares?

Morgan Stanley maintained its ‘Overweight’ rating on Trent and raised its target price to Rs 3,406 from Rs 3,151, implying an upside of around 10%.

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The brokerage said Q1FY27 EBITDA margin came in well ahead of expectations, supported by year-on-year (YoY) gross margin expansion, while EBITDA growth remained strong despite higher depreciation weighing on profit before tax.

Morgan Stanley also reaffirmed its preference for the company-operated expansion model, raised its EBITDA margin assumptions following the strong quarterly performance, and flagged the Middle East conflict as a near-term risk to consumer sentiment.


Also read: Tata Sons faces continued listing uncertainty after RBI classification
Motilal Oswal maintained its ‘Buy’ rating on Trent with a target price of Rs 3,775, implying an upside of around 21%. The brokerage said the retailer continues to prioritise cluster-level revenue growth and expanding its market share across key micro-markets, rather than focusing on store-level like-for-like (LFL) growth.It noted that Trent remains focused on deepening Zudio’s penetration while accelerating store additions for Westside. Despite rising raw material costs and supply chain risks, the brokerage highlighted the company’s strong margin expansion during the quarter and said management expects supply chain initiatives, closer supplier engagement and calibrated pricing to help sustain margins.

Macquarie maintained its ‘Outperform’ rating on Trent with a target price of Rs 3,600, implying an upside of around 16%. The brokerage said the company delivered a strong Q1 earnings beat, reflecting healthy demand. It attributed the gross margin outperformance to the rising contribution of higher-margin Westside sales. Macquarie also said management’s clarification on FY27 store additions and its constructive commentary on demand reinforced its confidence in sales growth. It added that Trent has multiple levers to manage input cost pressures and sufficient lead time to implement changes, limiting the impact on margins.

Bernstein reiterated its ‘Outperform’ rating on Trent with a target price of Rs 3,500, implying an upside of around 13%. The brokerage said the company once again exceeded profitability expectations while continuing to execute on its growth strategy. It highlighted that Trent has delivered on its store addition plans, sustained growth and consistently improved margins. Bernstein believes the retailer can maintain steady-state growth of 18%-20%, although it remains cautious about near-term macroeconomic headwinds.

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Read more: ET Exclusive: Tata Sons reported a 22% increase in annual profit for the year ended March 26

HSBC maintained its ‘Buy’ rating on Trent with a target price of Rs 3,390, implying an upside of around 12%. The brokerage said Q1 EBITDA exceeded its estimates by around 10%, driven by stronger gross margins, which it believes reflected the lagged benefit of lower raw material costs. It noted that the fashion business reported low single-digit like-for-like (LFL) growth, while management’s commentary was mixed but marginally more positive than in Q4FY26. HSBC added that a pickup in growth remains the key catalyst for the stock.

Jefferies remains bearish on Trent

Jefferies maintained its ‘Hold’ rating on Trent and raised its target price to Rs 3,435 from Rs 3,110, implying an upside of around 13%.

The brokerage said strong earnings growth in the first quarter was driven by margin expansion and continued store additions, particularly at Zudio. It noted that like-for-like growth remained in the low single digits, partly due to store densification. Jefferies added that management’s commentary remained cautious on near-term demand amid geopolitical uncertainty, which could push up commodity prices and affect both demand and supply chains, with the company already witnessing cost inflation.

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Gilead Sciences’ (GILD) highly anticipated HIV prevention drug, Yeztugo, beat second-quarter expectations late Tuesday, allaying analysts’ concerns over soft prescription trends. However, Gilead stock toppled Wednesday. The Street’s focus landed on HIV treatment powerhouses Biktarvy and Descovy. The duo “beat considerably, even if helped somewhat by pricing and favorable inventory … and seasonal dynamics,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Brian Abrahams…

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