Why WorleyParsons Shares Tanked
WorleyParsons (WOR) will not pay a dividend for another reporting period as it continues to battle the aftershocks of the great oil and gas investment boom and bust here and around the world.
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Beach Back In The Black
Unlike WorleyParsons (WOR), the rebound in commodity prices – specifically oil and gas, did manage to reach the top and bottom line of Beach Energy (BPT) in the six months to December, and shareholders got a small bonus in a small reinstated interim dividend (unlike shareholders in WorleyParsons who had to go without for yet another six months).
Read MoreASX Posts Second Strong Week
The local market will start with a small rise this morning as investors reflect on the Trump rally, which continued on Wall Street on Friday, even though other markets saw a slowing in the gains.
Read MoreInvestors Ready For Buffett Missive
A week ahead of the release of its 2016 results and the famous chairman’s letter, the A class shares in Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway have hit a series of all time high in the last week last week – culminating in the intra day high of $US252,860 on Friday and another all time closing high of $US252,838 the same day.
Read MoreDiary: Reporting Season Overload
In Australia attention will be on the economy and on the December reporting season which peaks this week with more than 100 top companies releasing figures, led by the likes of BHP Billiton (Tuesday), Woolworths (Wednesday) and Qantas (Thursday).
Read MorePeak Week For Local Earnings
The Australian December half profit reporting season hits its peak this week with nearly 100 major companies reporting over the next five days.
Read MoreUS Oil Rig Count Up For Fifth Straight Week
The oil market remains in a watch and wonder mode as the focus remains not on the impact of the OPEC production cut, but on the rising number of US oil rigs in use and higher production (and stockpiles) in the world’s biggest economy and third biggest oil producer.
Read MoreANZ Reshuffles Cash Profit Up 31%
On the face of it the ANZ’s first quarter trading update showed a bank doing well, perhaps better than its peers like the Commonwealth (CBA) and the National Australia Bank (NAB).
Read MoreSouth32 Heads North
21 months after being spun out of BHP Billiton (BHP) we saw the full potential of South32 (S32) yesterday in its December half year result. The company revealed a sharp jump in half-year underlying earnings, thanks to ongoing cost cutting and stronger coal and manganese prices.
Read MoreTelstra: 1300-Competition
Telstra (TLS) shares lost more than 6% yesterday in the wake of the telco’s surprise slide in interim profit.
Read MoreSlater & Gordon Smashed Again
Slater & Gordon (SGH) shares dropped more than 30% at one stage yesterday in the wake of a statement which all but confirmed the company was broke and tottering on the edge of collapse.
Read More‘Delighted’ Evolution Mining Returns To Profit
Evolution Mining (EVN) had a series of good news announcement for the market yesterday – a return to profit, and record profit, a doubling of interim dividend and the decision to push ahead with the more than $260 million worth of spending on the expansion of its Cowal gold mine in western NSW.
Read MoreTen Teeters As Earnings Fall Short
Ten Network (TEN) shares recovered from the lows during yesterday’s sell off, but remained weak at the end in the aftermath of the company’s surprise profit warning and downgrade.
Read MoreInvestors Go Cold On Domino’s Pizza
Investors savaged shares in fast food giant Domino’s Pizza (DMP) yesterday, carving nearly $900 million from its market value after a 16% plunge in its share price, despite another solid result for the six months to December and sharp lift in dividend.
Read MoreSeven West Slips On Writedowns, Weak Result
Seven West Media (SWM) shares slid sharply yesterday after revealing a cut in dividend and a 91% plunge in net after tax profit for the December half. More importantly the ratings for its powerhouse program, My Kitchen Rules (MKR) have fallen in a hole, and that slump became few apparent as the half year results were being released.
Read MoreNAB Economists Drop Rate Cut Call
The National Australia Bank sees stronger economic growth and no need for rate cuts in the middle of 2017.
Read MoreWesfarmers Eyes Officeworks Exit
Retail giant Wesfarmers (WES) is looking to sell its successful Officeworks chain through a trade sale or a stock market float, as the conglomerate lifted interim dividend after a reasonable profit for the half year.
Read MorePrimary Health Cuts Guidance
A rough day for Primary Healthcare (PRY) and its shareholders yesterday as a profit surprise left the market unimpressed.
Read MoreEurope Unit Sees Sonic Reaffirm Outlook
Primary Healthcare’s (PRY) rival, Sonic Healthcare (SHL) had better news for shareholders and the market yesterday in its first half report.
Read MoreArgo Misses Resources Rally
Like so many investors, Argo Investments (ARG), the country’s second biggest listed investment company (LIC) got caught out by the surge in commodity prices – led by coal and iron ore – in late 2016.
Read MoreTreasury Wines Uncorking China
As expected, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) more than doubled its after tax profit for the six months to December to $136.2 million as it rode stronger demand for its fine wines, especially in China and reaped the benefits of the Diageo wine purchase and the benefits of an aggressive cost cutting and restructuring program.
Read MoreCochlear H1 Profit Jumps 19%
There was something of a familiar story in yesterday’s half year result from hearing implant group, Cochlear (COH) – a nice rise in sales, a nice rise in profit and an even nice rise in interim dividend, and a reconfirmed full year guidance for a profit lift of around 10% to 20%.
Read MoreCBA Posts Record Cash Profit, Dividend Edges Higher
The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has squeezed out an extra cent for shareholders on its interim dividend which will now be $1.99 a share after a flat result for the six months to December 31. Nevertheless the cash net profit hit a record $4.9 billion for the half.
Read MoreBusiness Confidence, Conditions Jump
The Reserve Bank is not the only group to be more confident about the outlook for the Australian economy – business is feeling the same way according to the latest monthly survey of conditions and confidence from the National Australia Bank.
Read MoreFairfax Reverses Print Policy
Fairfax Media (FXJ) is remaining in print – a move that will upset News Corp Australia (which itself is now in a struggle to remain afloat after a massive write down in the value of its fixed assets last week) and some Fairfax’s shareholders who want to see the businesses sold off.
Read MoreAmcor Packages Solid Result
Packaging giant Amcor (AMC) manages consistently to convince investors it is on track, even after reporting what seemed, on first impression, a weak result.
Read MoreAnsell Dividend Edges Higher On Flat Result
Gloves and protective clothing maker Ansell (ANN) edged its interim dividend up by just a quarter of a cent for the December half after reporting a flat first-half net profit.
Read MoreBendelaide Confirms Lacklustre Result
The scene has been set for the Commonwealth Bank’s (CBA) interim result tomorrow to either confirm the weaker trend in banking, or show that it can again outperform the rest of the sector.
Read MoreNewcrest To Pay First Dividend In Four Years
Welcome news for shareholders in Newcrest Mining (NCM) – they will receive the first interim dividend for four years thanks to a combination of higher prices and higher gold and copper production in the six months to December 31 which saw the company more than double its first-half profit.
Read MoreJB Hi-Fi Turns It Up
JB Hi-Fi (JBH) benefited from the collapse of rival Dick Smith a year ago and the early impact of the Good Guys buy to post a record 23.6% jump in half year sales to $2.6 billion in the six months to the end of December.
Read MoreDomino’s Tumbles On Wage Fraud
Domino’s (DMP) shares fell yesterday after more bad news in weekend media with allegations of widespread wage fraud within the pizza chain’s network.
Read MoreCopper Surges On BHP Force Majeure
Copper took over as the commodity under focus late last week after a strike forced BHP Billiton (BHP) to curtail activity at its huge Escondida mine in Chile and declaring force majeure on contracted shipments.
Read MoreReporting Season To Hit Full Steam
The Australian December half profit reporting season hits full steam this week with 61 major companies reporting. By the end of the week we should know what sort of season it will be, especially for shareholders.
Read MoreDiary: Corporate Profits, January Jobs, Japanese GDP
With the Reserve Bank now painting a more rosy picture for the Australian economy, we can expect to see that reinforced this week with a couple of significant bits of data and reports.
Read MoreIEA Reports Record OPEC-Cuts Compliance
While global oil prices on Friday finished solidly after the International Energy Agency (IEA) lifted its forecast for global-oil demand this year and claimed there had been strong compliance with OPEC’s pledge to cut output, there was a certain amount of wariness among traders.
Read MoreShares Rebound On Resources Surge
Commodity prices such as iron ore, oil and copper surged on Friday night for varying reasons, so will Australian investors pick up on the scent later this morning, or will they follow the safety of the 0.2%, or 10 point rise in the SPI overnight Friday?
Read MoreRBA Continues Upbeat Mantra
Reserve Bank Governor, Phil Lowe has again underlined the central bank’s more upbeat outlook for the Australian economy in comments to a Sydney business dinner last night, telling his audience that the Australian economy is “in reasonable shape”, with the ‘headwinds’ of the past expected to “blow themselves out”.
Read MoreSuncorp Mulls Life Insurance Exit
Suncorp (SUN) has joined the rush to ‘review’ and clean up its underperforming life insurance business as the sector continues to pressure insurers. Suncorp revealed that earnings from its life business halved in the six months to December in reporting a weak 1.3% rise in statutory half-yearly net profit.
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