Australia’s ASX 200 edged up 18 points, or 0.2%, to close at 9,251 on Tuesday, snapping a two-day losing streak. Sentiment improved after the Reserve Bank of Australia unanimously held cash rates at 4.35%, as expected, while reiterating its vigilance against entrenched inflation with earlier three hikes still filtering through the economy. Traders largely brushed aside July’s weak business confidence, which remains well below pre-conflict levels seen in February before the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran. U.S. futures also firmed ahead of Wednesday’s inflation data. Gains in energy minerals, healthcare, technology, and consumer durables outweighed declines in logistics and retail. BHP rose 0.7%, and Rio Tinto added 0.5%, while Woodside Energy surged 3.8% and Santos jumped 5.4%. Austral soared 17.5% after South Korea’s Hanwha offered to acquire its U.S. shipbuilding arm for up to USD 1.2 billion, underscoring strong deal activity in the sector.