ASX ends higher as energy rally continues

The news: The Australian sharemarket ended the first trading session of 2025 higher, buoyed by continued gains by energy stocks.

The benchmark ASX 200 rose 0.52% to end the day at 8,201, with nine out of 11 sectors closing in green.

Biggest movers:

• The energy sector's recent rally continued into the new year, with the sector ending the day 1.38% higher. Lithium miner Liontown Resources (7.6%) was the top performer across the ASX 200. Uranium explorers Paladin Energy (4.5%) and Deep Yellow (3.1%) were also among the top 10 performers.
• Elsewhere, metal miners Fortescue (3.1%), Champion Iron (3%), Alcoa Corporation (3%) and West African Resources (2.8%) also saw strong gains as the materials sector climbed 1.04%.
• Three of the 10 worst performing ASX 200 companies were pharmaceutical stocks, with Telix Pharmaceuticals (-3.1%), Clarity Pharmaceuticals (-2.9%) and Neuren Pharmaceuticals (-1.8%) all retreating. Fellow healthcare companies Fisher & Paykel and Ramsay Healthcare also fell, both down 1.4%, as the sector edged lower.

Other news:

• Lendlease (0.2%) announced the sale of its UK construction business to Atlas Holdings for $70 million.
• Weebit Nano (-10.8%) shares plunged after the semiconductor company licensed its resistive random access memory technology to US semiconductor integrated device manufacturer onsemi.
• Jervois Global suspended trading on the ASX after the battery minerals producer signed a recapitalisation agreement with alternative investment firm Millstreet Capital Management, which will take the troubled company private.