ASX Market Open: Mid-week bounce can’t save morose W41 from overall fall; Bullock hearing to come

Market Overview - Australian shares are projected to open with a -0.29% drop, indicating a negative overall performance for Week 41 despite a slight recovery mid-week [1] - Major Wall Street indexes closed in the red, with the Dow Jones leading with a -0.5% drop, while London and Singapore also experienced declines [3] Key Events - Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock is set to address a Senate hearing focusing on rising property prices, which is a significant topic for investors [4] - The ongoing dispute between China and BHP Group may not be resolved this year, with any potential impact not expected until early January [5] Company News - Qantas has issued a warning to customers regarding a deadline set by hackers threatening to release stolen personal data from its 5.7 million customer database [6] - AGL Energy has acknowledged that its 600-megawatt wind farm in Victoria is "unlikely" to be completed by 2030 [6] - Battery Age Minerals is gaining attention after receiving approval for a drill permit for its El Aguila Gold-Silver Project in Argentina [7] Commodity Prices - The Australian dollar is trading at 65.5 U.S. cents [8] - Iron Ore prices increased by +1% to $105.10 per tonne, while Brent Crude fell by 1.5% to $65.22 per barrel [8] - Gold prices have decreased from recent highs, currently at $3,992 per ounce, and U.S. natural gas futures dropped by -2.7% to $3.24 per gigajoule [8]