As of the close on Friday, $S&P/ASX 200(XJO.AU)$ closed at 7,971.10 on Friday, up 2.49% in the past 5 days.
1. $ORORA LTD(ORA.AU)$ +32.28%
Orora is considering selling its North American packaging business worth some $2 billion, with the glass bottles and cans manufacturer telling investors it had been in discussions with potential buyers about a deal for “months”.
The company’s chief executive Brian Lowe said those negotiations had begun months before a buyout approach from private equity group Lone Star for the whole of Orora at $2.55 a share. The Lone Star proposal was rejected by the board on Tuesday.
Orora cut its final dividend payout by 44 per cent to 5¢ a share after managing just a 0.2 per cent rise in net profit after tax to $185.2 million for the 12 months ended June 30. But its shares climbed for the second consecutive day, up 6 per cent to $2.41, following a 19 per cent jump on Tuesday to $2.27 after confirming the Lone Star approach.
2. $MAGELLAN FINANCIAL GROUP LTD(MFG.AU)$ +15.25%
Magellan Financial Group’s shares surged 11.2%, hitting an 11-month high of A$10.01, after announcing a 31% profit spike and a new strategic partnership.
Magellan clocked a 31% increase in annual profit to A$238.8 million ($158.13 million) for the year ending June 2024, driven by higher performance fees and reduced expenses. This financial triumph solidified its position as one of the top gainers on the ASX 200.
The real catalyst for the stock’s ascent was the announcement of a strategic deal with Vinva Investment Management. By acquiring a 29.5% stake in Vinva Holdings for A$138.5 million, Magellan secured exclusive distribution rights for Vinva’s products and strategies, both in Australia and globally. This partnership is set to significantly expand Magellan’s global distribution footprint.
3. $JB HI-FI LTD(JBH.AU)$ +14.87%
JB Hi-Fi stores in Australia delivered a year-on-year turnover increase of 5.6 per cent. That sent JB Hi-Fi’s share price up more than 10 per cent. They have climbed more than a third since December 31.
Stronger sales at JB Hi-Fi have fuelled hopes that a prolonged period of weak consumer demand is coming to an end, with investors now predicting a better-than-expected earnings season for listed retailers after months of soft trading.
The electronics and consumer goods giant has been among the first to report full-year earnings, with sales across its businesses including The Good Guys down 0.4 per cent to $9.59 billion in the 12 months to June 30. Profits fell 16.4 per cent to $438.8 million.
4. $NRW HOLDINGS LTD(NWH.AU)$ +13.06%
Mining contractor NRW Holdings was the biggest mover after reporting another record result for the 2024 financial year, which saw shares close up 9.7%.
Revenue grew 9.2% year-over-year to $2.9 billion, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation rose 15.9% to $334.8 million compared to the prior financial year. NRW declared a fully franked final dividend of $0.09 per share, taking the total FY24 dividend to $0.155 per share – an 11% hike over FY23.
NRW says the mining segment has over 90% of its expected revenue for the forthcoming financial year secured. Work in hand currently totals $3.5 billion and there are current active tenders amounting to around $3.5 billion.
5. $SIMS LTD(SGM.AU)$ +11.55%
Australian steel processor Sims has announced the sale of its UK business UK Metal (UKM) to Unimetals Group for £195m (about $249m), which drives the stock price up!
The deal includes 28 facilities, including three port facilities and four shedders. Unimetals will assume responsibility for employees currently working the UKM business. UKM sales are said to have represented approximately 14% of the total Sims Metal sales volumes in 2024. Going forward, the company’s metal portfolio will include Australia and New Zealand Metal, North America Metal (“NAM”) and its 50% interest in the SA Recycling Joint Venture.
Sims has also announced that it has signed a letter of intent to sell its remaining interest in CLP Circular Services Holdings for approximately US$32 million.
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