ASX200 up 36 points (0.6%) to 6534
– A2Milk (-2.8%); AGM today. Reaffirms guidance. More headlines to come……
– Afterpay (-1.7%); press speculation that giant US BNPL co Affirm is preparing to launch operations in Australia.
– ALS Ltd (-2.2%); said 1H profit fell 48% as a one-off gain from the sale of its China business wasn’t repeated. Net profit down 18% and it faced pandemic disruptions.
– Aristocrat (+2.2%); said its annual profit rose by 97% as it benefited from a deferred tax asset, but on a normalized basis annual net profit fell by 53%.
– ASX (-1.4%); ASIC has outlined its concerns with ASX’s main infrastructure and warned it’s licence could be hit with “further actions”.
– Charter Hall (+2.8%); has acquired a $353m portfolio of Bunnings stores around Australia. Will they keep the sausage sizzle going?
– Commonwealth Bank (+2.2%); CEO Matt Comyn said the housing market is no longer a risk to the post-Covid economy and expects property prices will rise 5% next year.
– Downer (+2.1%); has agreed to sell its blasting services business to a unit of Chile’s Sigdo Koppers in a deal that gives the unit an enterprise value of $62m.
– Qantas (-0.8%); CEO Alan Joyce said demand will be “huge” when travel restrictions are lifted and expects a travel bubble with NZ in 2021.
