S&P/ASX 200 ends on lower side as Australian shares close best week since April 2025 with a dip; check top gainers-losers and best performing sectors

Core Viewpoint - The S&P/ASX 200 index closed lower on February 13, 2026, despite logging its best week since late April last year, driven by strong company earnings, particularly from banks, which propelled the benchmark towards record territory last touched in October 2025 [1][7]. Market Performance - The S&P/ASX 200 dropped 125.90 points, or 1.39%, to 8,917.60 after reaching a new 50-day high, but gained 2.4% over the week [1][7]. - The index ended Thursday at 9,105 points, just 10 points below its record high of 9,115.20 [1][7]. - The index is currently 2.17% off its 52-week high [2][7]. Top Gainers and Losers - The top five gainers included AMP Limited (up 8.984%), GQG Partners Inc. (up 7.764%), Origin Energy Limited (up 5.043%), NextDC Limited (up 3.698%), and Arena REIT (up 3.170%) [3][7]. - The bottom performers were AUSTAL LIMITED (down 22.82%) and NICK SCALI LIMITED (down 22.32%) [2][7]. Sector Performance - The Utilities sector was the best-performing, gaining 3.38% on the day and 9.38% over the past five days [5][8]. - Financials fell 0.8% on the day but recorded their best week since mid-March 2022, climbing 5.4% [5][8]. - Miners weighed on the index, falling 2.2% on the day, but the sub-index was up 5.1% for the week [6][8]. - Healthcare stocks slid 4% to their lowest level in nearly seven years, with Cochlear Limited dropping 19.2% after reporting weaker-than-expected first-half earnings [6][8]. Notable Company Updates - Westpac shares finished 1.2% lower after reaching a record high earlier in the day, following better-than-expected first-quarter profit [5][8]. - National Australia Bank closed 1.1% lower, while CBA was down 1.4%, and ANZ advanced 1.3% [6][8]. - The healthcare sub-index tumbled 12.6% for the week, marking its worst performance since mid-March 2020, primarily due to CSL's disappointing results and the departure of its CEO [7][8].