ASX 200 +1.30% to 8,793.6 as IFT lands record 555MW data-centre deal
ASX 200 close: 8,793.6 (+1.30%) Breadth: Basic Materials supplied 13 of the day's top-25 gainers; Energy supplied 8 of the top-25 losers Sentiment: bullish
The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,793.6 on Wednesday 6 May 2026, up 113.1 points or 1.30%, led by digital-infrastructure names after Infratil's CDC arm signed a record 555MW data-centre contract. DGT.AU +25.00% printed the largest single-name move on a US$750m Chicago asset sale, and parent manager HMC.AU added +17.06% on a Macquarie Conference business update. Energy was the day's drag as Brent fell 3.44% to US$106.09.
Session highlights
- 8,793.6 ASX 200 close (+1.30%, +113.1 pts); 9,016.1 All Ords (+1.27%); AU VIX 12.27 (-4.54%).
- IFT.AU +14.95% to $12.07 carried the index on its 555MW CDC contract — the largest data-centre deal in Australian history; FY28 EBITDAF guidance now exceeds A$1bn.
- ELV.AU +7.64% led a synchronised lithium move: WC8.AU +7.38%, IGO.AU +6.60%, LTR.AU +6.28%, PMT.AU +10.69%, A4N.AU +10.74% — six battery-metals names up 6% or more.
- KCN.AU +6.40% and EMR.AU +4.54% tracked gold's +2.62% to US$4,688/oz; VAU.AU -4.09% and RRL.AU -3.56% diverged within the gold cohort.
- WDS.AU -2.66%, NHC.AU -3.45%, BPT.AU -3.02%, YAL.AU -3.27% and VEA.AU -3.27% led Energy lower as Brent fell 3.44% and WTI fell 4.03%; uranium plays BMN.AU -4.68% and DYL.AU -4.17% extended the move.
Sector scorecard
- Best: Real Estate — DGT.AU +25.00% and HMC.AU +17.06%, both lifted by data-centre asset deals on the same day.
- Worst: Energy — 8 of the top-25 losers were energy names; the cohort shed 2.5-4.7% as Brent and WTI sold off in tandem.
- Dispersion (best minus worst single-name moves): +25.00% (DGT.AU) vs -8.93% (MFG.AU) — a 33.93-point spread.
- Basic Materials had the widest internal split: 13 of the top-25 gainers (lithium, gold, copper) versus 5 of the top-25 losers (uranium, tungsten, vault gold).
Top movers
| Ticker | Move | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| DGT.AU | +25.00% | US$750m sale of Chicago (CHI1) data-centre asset |
| HMC.AU | +17.06% | Macquarie Conference update; reaffirmed FY26 EPS >40c, 12c dividend |
| IFT.AU | +14.95% | CDC arm wins 555MW contract — Australia's largest data-centre deal |
| A4N.AU | +10.74% | Critical-minerals/battery-materials cohort momentum |
| PMT.AU | +10.69% | Lithium sector strength; no company-specific announcement |
| MFG.AU | -8.93% | Day-2 reaction to fee cut (1.35% to 0.89%) and Vinva outsourcing |
| JBH.AU | -6.28% | Q3 sales +4% but flagged supplier costs and stock shortages |
| 360.AU | -5.88% | Unannounced — likely flow-driven (earnings 18 May 2026) |
| 4DX.AU | -5.47% | Unannounced — likely flow-driven |
| EQR.AU | -5.45% | Unannounced — likely flow-driven after extended tungsten run |
Notable announcements
- Infratil (IFT.AU) — CDC's 30-year, 555MW contract with a US-based investor; FY27 EBITDAF guidance reaffirmed at A$680-720m; FY28 EBITDAF expected above A$1bn; total contracted capacity now exceeds 1GW.
- DigiCo Infrastructure REIT (DGT.AU) — Binding sale of CHI1 facility for US$750m, applied to balance-sheet strengthening; the asset sale prints into a market where Infratil's CDC deal validates AU/US data-centre asset values.
- HMC Capital (HMC.AU) — FY26 pre-tax operating EPS reaffirmed above 40c per share (subject to mid-2026 KKR transaction close); FY26 dividend guidance maintained at 12c; strategy refresh built around four verticals (Real Estate, Digital Infrastructure, Private Credit, Energy Transition).
- JB Hi-Fi (JBH.AU) — Q3 FY26: JBH AU total sales +4% (comp +2.6%); JBH NZ total sales +23.2% (comp +15.2%); The Good Guys total sales +3.6%; CEO Nick Wells flagged supplier component cost increases and stock availability issues into the EOFY trading period.
- Magellan (MFG.AU) — Day-2 reaction to 5 May 2026 announcement: Magellan Global Fund management fees cut from 1.35% to 0.89%, performance fees removed, Vinva Investment Management appointed as investment manager; flagship Global Equities Fund AUM was approximately A$5.3bn at 30 April 2026.
At the AU close (16:15 AEST)
| Asset | Level | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 (futures) | 7,259.22 | +0.81% | Pre-market; day high 7,273.26 |
| NASDAQ (futures) | 25,326 | +1.03% | Pre-market; day high 25,361 |
| Dow (futures) | 49,298 | +0.73% | Pre-market; day high 49,365 |
| VIX | 17.08 | -1.73% | Range 17.06-17.15 |
| Brent | US$106.09 | -3.44% | Day low US$105.47 from US$110.45 high |
| Gold | US$4,688/oz | +2.62% | Day high US$4,693.9 |
| Copper | US$6.11/lb | +2.03% | Day high US$6.125 |
| AUD/USD | 0.7239 | +0.78% | Day high 0.7253 |
Next 24h catalysts (AEST)
- Thu 7 May 10:00 — ASX 200 open; tracks the US Wednesday-night cash session (which begins after the AU close).
- Thu 7 May (overnight US) — US economic data slate; earnings cycle continues post-mega-cap reporting; Treasury auctions.
- Fri 8 May (US session) — US weekly jobless claims; FOMC speaker calendar runs through the week.
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