Energy stocks advanced 1.2% at midday Wednesday, driven higher by earnings from sector heavyweight Woodside Energy 
WDS.
Woodside reported Tuesday that its earnings per diluted share in 2024 rose to $1.869 from $0.869 per diluted share a year earlier. Operating revenue for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, was $13.18 billion, down from $14 billion in the same period a year earlier.
The consumer staples sector shed 1.1%. Australia’s monthly consumer price index indicator rose 2.5% in the 12 months to January, unchanged from the pace of increase in December 2024, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed.
Woolworths Group 
WOW reported Wednesday attributable earnings per diluted share in the fiscal first half of AU$0.602, compared with a loss of AU$0.641 per diluted share a year earlier. The board declared an interim dividend of AU$0.39 per share, down from AU$0.47 a year earlier, payable on April 23 to shareholders on record as of March 6.