Apple(US:AAPL) The Market Onlineยท2025-10-02 22:40Market Overview - Australian shares are expected to decline by -0.21% at the market open on Friday, following a bullish trend that led to a significant rise in the ASX 200 index [1] - The ASX experienced a +1.1% gain on Thursday, nearing the 9,000 points mark, although the increase was perceived as lacking substantial justification [2] Economic Influences - The bullish sentiment surrounding the potential U.S. government shutdown and rising gold prices contributed to the market's performance, although the overall buying activity seemed speculative [3] - Wall Street showed resilience with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones achieving slight gains despite the looming shutdown, while the Nasdaq composite rose by +0.4% [3] Company News - AGL Energy (ASX:AGL) is under focus as shareholders convene for an annual meeting to discuss a climate plan, with major investor Grok, led by Mike Cannon-Brookes, playing a significant role [5] - Telco companies, including Telstra (ASX:TLS) and TPG Telecom (ASX:TPG), will be required to provide "real-time" updates on Triple Zero outages starting next month due to government regulations [5] - DigiCo (ASX:DGT) announced an expansion of its IT capacity to 41 megawatts by mid-2026, along with an increase in guidance by $5 million [6] - Iceni Gold (ASX:ICL) received positive results from a 10,000-meter drilling campaign at its Guyer target site, attracting attention from investors [6] - Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) was downgraded to "Neutral" by brokers, with a target price set at $2.10 [6] Commodity Prices - The Australian dollar is trading at 65.9 U.S. cents [7] - Iron Ore prices decreased by -0.3% to $103.40 per tonne in Singapore [7] - Brent Crude oil fell by -1.57% to $64.32 per barrel [7] - Gold prices slightly decreased to $3,858 per ounce [7] - U.S. natural gas futures dropped by -1.9% to $3.40 per gigajoule [7]