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The Australian stock market is maintaining its early gains in mid-market moves on Wednesday, extending the gains in the previous three sessions, with the benchmark S&P\/ASX 200 moving up to near the 9,000 mark, following the broadly positive cues from Wall Street overnight, with gains in iron ore miners, energy and technology<\/span> stocks. Only gold miners lost their shine.<\/p>\n The benchmark S&P\/ASX 200 Index is gaining 31.60 points or 0.35 percent to 8,990.50, after touching a high of 9,007.10 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is up 36.50 points or 0.40 percent to 9,219.00. Australian stocks ended modestly higher on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Among major miners, Fortescue and Rio Tinto are gaining more than 1 percent each, while Mineral Resources is advancing almost 4 percent. BHP Group is losing 1.5 percent.<\/p>\n Oil stocks are mostly higher. Beach energy is adding almost 2 percent, while Woodside Energy and Origin Energy are edging up 0.3 to 0.4 percent each. Santos is losing more than 1 percent.<\/p>\n In the tech space, Afterpay owner Block and Xero are gaining almost 2 percent each, while Zip is jumping almost 8 percent, Appen is surging more than 9 percent and WiseTech Global is adding almost 1 percent.<\/p>\n Among the big four banks, National Australia bank is surging more than 4 percent and Westpac is gaining more than 1 percent, while Commonwealth Bank is edging down 0.5 percent. ANZ Banking is flat.<\/p>\n Among gold miners, Evolution Mining is losing more than 3 percent, Genesis Minerals is slipping almost 3 percent, Resolute Mining is down almost 1 percent, Northern Star Resources is declining more than 2 percent and Newmont is edging down 0.2 percent.<\/p>\n In economic news, the wage price index in Australia was up a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent on quarter in the fourth quarter of 2025, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday – unchanged and in line with expectations. On a yearly basis, wage prices were up 3.4 percent – again matching forecasts and steady from the previous three months.<\/p>\n Individually, private sector wages rose 0.8 percent on quarter and 3.4 percent on year, while public sector wages added 0.8 percent on quarter and 4.0 percent on year.<\/p>\n In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.708 on Wednesday. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Market Analysis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n