The Australian sharemarket fell on Tuesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 dropping 0.68% to 8,785.70 by 12:12pm AEDT after setting a new 20-day high. Six of the 11 sectors traded lower, led by materials, which declined 1.8 per cent. BHP fell 2.2 per cent after reporting a 19 per cent drop in September-quarter copper production, while Rio Tinto slipped 0.8 per cent and Glencore lost 3.3 per cent. The losses came despite a rebound on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq gained 1.6 per cent overnight, supported by technology stocks. Higher global bond yields weighed on sentiment, while oil eased from a five-month high to around US$109 a barrel. Gains in technology and consumer staples helped the ASX recover from its intraday lows.
In small cap company news,
Verbrec secures $22 million in water infrastructure contracts across Australia and New Zealand
Verbrec (ASX: VBC) has secured approximately $22 million in water and wastewater infrastructure contracts since the start of FY2027, including a $12.3 million design and construction contract for the Levin Wastewater Treatment Plant in New Zealand. The company and its subsidiary Alliance Automation have also been awarded $9.6 million in electrical, control systems and automation projects across Australia, primarily in South Australia and Queensland. The contracts will be delivered across FY2027 and FY2028, with Verbrec confirming its work-in-hand position remains consistent with existing revenue guidance. Water sector revenue increased from 7 per cent of group revenue in FY2025 to 21 per cent in FY2026.
EBR Systems submits Australian regulatory application for wireless heart failure device
EBR Systems (ASX: EBR) has submitted an application to Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) seeking inclusion of its WiSE System on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. The wireless cardiac pacing device, which has received US FDA approval, is designed to treat heart failure patients who have not benefited from conventional cardiac resynchronisation therapy. The application is expected to be assessed under the TGA’s Priority Review pathway, granted in April 2026, which aims to shorten the evaluation period. If approved, Australia would become a new commercial market for the technology beyond the United States, although the timing and outcome of the regulatory assessment remain uncertain.
Axiant Resources identifies new gold targets ahead of Shoobridge drilling
Axiant Resources (ASX: AXR) has identified additional gold exploration targets following induced polarisation surveys at its Shoobridge Gold Project, approximately 130 kilometres south of Darwin in the Northern Territory. The surveys highlighted a continuous geophysical trend associated with the main gold-bearing structure, alongside previously untested targets at depth and on its eastern and western flanks. All drilling approvals have been received, with site preparation underway and the company’s maiden drilling program expected to begin in the coming weeks. The program will investigate potential extensions to previously identified gold mineralisation along strike and at depth.
Gentrack wins Momentum Energy contract for customer billing platform
Gentrack Group (ASX: GTK) has secured a contract with Australian energy retailer Momentum Energy to implement its g2 billing platform, supporting more than 200,000 residential and business meter points across Australia. Momentum selected the technology following a competitive evaluation, with the platform designed to simplify billing operations, improve customer service and support future digital and AI-driven efficiencies. The agreement expands Gentrack’s customer base in the Australian utilities sector, where its software supports energy and water providers. Financial terms and the implementation timetable were not disclosed.
WhiteHawk gains access to US federal cybersecurity procurement opportunities
WhiteHawk (ASX: WHK) has been selected by Bell Federal Systems to pursue US federal government technology and cybersecurity opportunities through NASA’s Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement VI program. The procurement framework has an aggregate ceiling of US$60 billion over 10 years and provides access to technology requirements across US civilian and defence agencies. Under the arrangement, Bell Federal Systems will coordinate potential tenders, with WhiteHawk contributing cybersecurity, cyber risk management and AI governance solutions. Ordering is scheduled to begin on 1 November 2026, although no individual contracts or revenue have been secured under the arrangement.
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