Aristocrat Lifts Profit, Dividend, Sees Better 2014
Gaming machine maker Aristocrat Leisure (ALL) has lifted full year profit by almost 17% despite a slide in revenue caused by weak sales in Australia, Japan and several other markets.
Read MoreGaming machine maker Aristocrat Leisure (ALL) has lifted full year profit by almost 17% despite a slide in revenue caused by weak sales in Australia, Japan and several other markets.
Read MoreIt sounds like it was a case of ‘trust us, we are Woolworths, we know what we are doing’ on two counts from the retailer’s chairman at yesterday’s annual meeting.
Read MoreAnsell (ANN) has returned to the acquisition trail, this time with a $US600 million plus deal to buy a major glove and protective wear rival in the US. It is the second purchase by Ansell in the past two months.
Read MoreA small $10 million enticement to shareholders in Warrnambool Cheese and Butter (WCB) with the seemingly preferred bidder Saputo of Canada offering to pay accepting shareholders more if it gets to 50% of its target.
Read MoreAnd, Commonwealth Property Office Fund (CPA) said yesterday that it had terminated a deal with Dexus Property Group (DXS) and a Canadian pension fund, after receiving a higher takeover offer from property investor The GPT Group.
Read MoreWill the six month Iran deal trigger a restructuring of the global oil industry, especially the oil rich US fracking sector by driving global prices down under $US80 a barrel?
Read MoreBrisbane-based software group TechnologyOne (TNE) says earnings hit guidance with a 14% rise in the year to September 30 to a record $26.1 million.
Read MoreWall Street’s record finish on Friday was a bit of chimera – it gave the wrong impression of a lift in sentiment in markets after some indifferent days earlier in the week.
Read MoreCommodities were definitely weaker than shares last week, and the US dollar’s strength (and no real change in key US interest rates on Friday) left the week looking underwhelming, and the outlook for the coming week decidedly mixed.
Read MoreThe run up to our third quarter GDP data announcement starts this week with updates on construction and private investment expected to confirm the growing downturn in resource investment – and perhaps a glimmer of hope about the strength of the housing upturn.
Read MoreAnother tough day on the local market yesterday – the fourth fall in a row and coming despite a growing queue of companies that want investor cash.
Read MoreBHP Billiton (BHP) is still a strong believer in the China growth story (they have to be because they have so much at stake) judging by the message from this year’s shareholder meetings in London and Australia, and by comments from CEO Andrew Mackenzie who seems to be straight out of the optimist mould carved by his predecessor Marius Kloppers.
Read MoreReserve Bank Governor, Glenn Stevens last night ruled out, for the time being, intervening to sell the dollar to help drive the currency’s value lower.
Read MoreThe dichotomy in the Australian retailing scene was again on display at the annual meetings of Myer (MYR) in Melbourne and Kathmandu (KMD) in NZ yesterday.
Read MoreAnd still they tumble out – shock downgrades from the already downgraded mining services sector. It’s getting bloodier and yesterday WorleyParsons (WOR), one of the sector’s major players, shook confidence with a sharp and surprising earnings downgrade for the current half and full year.
Read MoreA partial sell down of the 59% controlling stake in Australand (ALZ) held by CapitaLand of Singapore is underway after Australand’s shares went into a trading halt yesterday.
Read MoreIt’s not going to be a repeat of the great Warrnambool Butter and Cheese (WCB) auction, but the developing takeover battle for control of Commonwealth Property Office Fund (CPA) shows that CBD property in Australia, while a much larger and expensive group of assets, doesn’t have a strong story such as dairying and selling oodles of milk products to China.
Read MoreYet another downgrade/warning from the mining services and construction sector, with Perth-based Monadelphous Group (MND) telling shareholders at yesterday’s AGM that revenue and earnings will be down on the record 2012-13 year.
Read MorePerth-based engineering and services company, Forge Group (FGE), is struggling to stay alive, judging by an update released to the market on Monday and buried in a request for an extension of the voluntary suspension that has already seen the company’s shares off the lists since November 4.
Read MoreAnother whiff of confidence from investors about a sector that has been on the nose in the past year or so – steel – specifically the shares of our Number 2 steelmaker, Arrium (ARI) (the old OneSteel).
Read MoreWell, the ‘good news’ is that Elders (ELD) ‘only’ lost a total of $505 million in the year to September, instead of last week’s estimate of $510 million.
Read MoreInvestors have reacted oddly to heavy mining equipment outfit Emeco’s (EHL) trading update. The shares bounced yesterday, up 6% at one stage at 27.5c, before ending at 25.5c, a rise of 2% or a whole half a cent.
Read MoreWith the US Federal Reserve looking as though it will keep its $US85 billion a month in bond buying going, commodities have been given a bit of a reprieve from a further shake out.
Read MoreAnd the commentary on commodity prices applies equally to equities – watch the Fed, it’s the single biggest influence and will be well into 2014 and possibly beyond.
Read MoreNo really big attention-grabbing events anywhere around the world to completely dominate markets in the coming week.
Read MoreSilver is gold’s ‘wingman’ following its golden older brother everywhere – down, up, sideways.
Read MoreSuffering shareholders in the Ten Network (TEN) are between a rock and a very, very hard place.
Read MorePoor news for gold’s prospects from the World Gold Council (WGC) which revealed a noticeable fall in third quarter demand for the metal.
Read MoreVirgin Australia (VAH) has moved closer to being privatised by some of its major shareholders after announcing a surprise $350 million capital raising which is equal to a third of its market value.
Read MoreYes, there’s been more action in the great three-way Australian milk auction.
Read MoreJames Hardie (JHX) shares touched a record high yesterday after it revealed a sharp jump in interim profit and promised a higher dividend to shareholders.
Read MoreGood news from two leading building industry players today, DuluxGroup (DLX) and CSR, with both companies providing upbeat outlooks for 2014.
Read MoreAnd it was also a more confident upgrade from paint and building products company, DuluxGroup (DLX), thanks to the gathering rebound in housing.
Read MoreAustralia’s biggest milk processor Murray Goulburn has moved to try and grab front position in the continuing, and increasingly expensive battle for small Victorian dairy group, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter (WCB).
Read MoreShares in fertiliser and explosives maker Incitec Pivot (IPL) rose strongly yesterday despite the company revealing a near $140 million fall in its full year profit thanks to reduced demand, low prices and the high value of the Australian dollar.
Read MoreA swingeing restructure from Kerry Stokes’ main listed company, Seven Group Holdings (SVW) with more than 600 job losses announced, taking the number cut from the huge Caterpillar franchise operator to close to more than 1,000 in the past five months.
Read MoreIt’s no wonder that News Corp (NWS) were sold off after the company yesterday reported its first ever first quarter trading report as a company separate to the other businesses of the Murdoch empire in 21st Century Fox (which reported last week).
Read MoreThat flighty, post-Federal election boost to business confidence has gone, evaporating over the past month as realism about the economy overtook the optimism.
Read MoreOn the face of it the building industry is showing signs of rebounding to the satisfaction of the Reserve Bank and the banks – even if there are some early signs of overheating in the Sydney market.
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