Investor demand boosts Mirvac’s activities
Mirvac Group’s diversified property management, development and real estate activities have been boosted by investor demand for capital growth, income and search for cyclical upturns.
BoQ banks on growth but off target on loans
Bank of Queensland investors have been cheered by the bank’s turnaround, and have long seen it as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the upturn in home lending, and reduction in funding costs. But many are now questioning whether that’s been borne out.
Coal price drags Wesfarmers retail growth
A recovery in consumer confidence has done little to buoy shares in Wesfarmers, which remain stuck in a rut because of concerns over plunging coal prices.
Macquarie enjoys golden run
Shareholders attending Macquarie Group’s annual general meeting on Thursday should be in a buoyant mood.
National Storage delivers for shareholders
Storage unit trust National Storage REIT has been a runaway success since it listed on the ASX in December 2013.
AFIC keeps an eye on Fox
Australia’s biggest listed investment company is quietly watching 21st Century Fox’s bold takeover plans for rival Time Warner.
Can Sirtex keep going past $1 billion?
Liver cancer drug developer Sirtex Medical pierced through a market value of $1 billion for the first time last week, as investors piled in after a solid sales update, but most analysts think the stock is at fair value.
Investors book Wotif takeover by Expedia
Wotif.com Holdings’s share price is demonstrating that investors expect a $702 million agreed takeover from US online travel group Expedia will proceed as planned, with little chance of an interloper.
Growthpoint trading at premium to NTA despite decline
Securities in office and industrial property trust Growthpoint Properties Australia have fallen in the last month although the company is still trading at a premium to its net tangible assets.
M2 looks beyond broadband, eyes energy retailer Lumo
M2 Group, Australia’s fifth-largest provider of fixed-line broadband services with brands such as Dodo and iPrimus, is looking towards acquisitions in the energy retailing market and other sectors that aren’t traditionally associated with telecommunications.
Gresham hired to sell ING mortgage book
Gresham is running a sale process for an ING Direct mortgage book, with the big 4 banks and regional lenders expected to take a look.
Work to be done for ANI
The Fife Capita lFunds-managed Australian Industrial REIT announced valuation upgrades worth $8.6 million across seven properties that make up almost half of its 15 asset-strong $295 million portfolio of logistics, distribution and warehouse properties.
Computershare stock rises after profit warning
It’s not everyday that a profit write-down sends a company’s share price higher, but that’s exactly what happened with global share registry group Computershare.
Post-winter chill forecast for Myer
The stream of downgrades from retailers such as Super Retail Group, The Reject Shop and Noni B – blamed almost universally on poor consumer confidence after the federal budget and a warmish winter – has had analysts hunting for the next victim.
REA analysts stay positive despite agency price talks
Media group REA traded lower on Wednesday after the announcement that 300 real estate agencies in Melbourne have appointed a media buyer to negotiate ad prices on their behalf.
Private equity turns to Ten for opportunities
Struggling free-to-air broadcaster Ten Network Holdings is attracting interest among private equity firms looking for a potential turnaround opportunity.
Climate woes in Amcor forecasts
There are plenty of ways to assess the future value of a stock, but sometimes sticking your head out the window and checking the weather can be just as important as complex financial modelling.
Bell Potter slashes forecasts for Global Construction Services
Analysts at Bell Potter ran the ruler across Global Construction Services after the company provided profit guidance well below its expectations.
FlexiGroup appoints Chris Beare as new chairman
FlexiGroup said Chris Beare will become chairman on July 24, succeeding outgoing chairman Margaret Jackson and completing an overhaul of the of the no-interest ever financier and lease company in the past year.
Federation Centres emerges from retail gloom
Weak consumer sentiment, combined with the impact of the recent federal budget, is hurting the retail sector and the owners of retail property, including Federation Centres.
Goodman Group earnings upgraded 7pc
Shares in industrial property developer Goodman Group surged 11 per cent in the last three months with management capping off the strong run by announcing an improved earnings outlook on Wednesday.
Reject Shop in the discount bin
Reject Shop’s incoming CEO has some tough decisions to make, including whether to continue the discount variety retailer’s aggressive store expansion strategy. New stores are not delivering the same bang for their buck.
Allan Gray calls for EGM on Roc-Horizon merger vote
Roc Oil’s biggest shareholder is upping the ante in its push to grant its fellow shareholders a vote on the company’s controversial $800 million merger plan with Horizon Oil.
China metals probe raises financing concerns
For many Western traders eyeing the gargantuan growth of China's commodity demand, credit is a touchy issue that brings back memories of the 2008 financial crisis.
Tough times for Cochlear despite product reapproval
Investors are yet to be convinced that hearing implant maker Cochlear is past a patchy period that has been marked by a recall and loss of market share.
Analysts urge Australand to accept Stockland bid
Australand security holders are being urged to accept Stockland’s higher, all-scrip bid, which equates to $4.35 per security on a net asset value (NAV) basis.
Analysts mixed on Southern Cross profit downgrade
The troubles of the Ten Network are branching out, with Southern Cross Media blaming its 10 per cent profit downgrade on the free-to-air broadcaster.
UBS downgrades Regis Resources to ‘neutral’
UBS has slapped a “neutral” on gold producer Regis Resources, downgrading it from a buy because it was “no longer the stand out gold stock”.
Outlook cements concern on growth
Long-standing Adelaide Brighton boss Mark Chellew faced the company’s shareholders for the last time on Wednesday at the concrete and building material maker’s annual general meeting.
BigAir shares feel heat after Telstra move
Shares in wireless communications provider BigAir dropped 8.8 per cent to 82.5c on Wednesday after Telstra announced plans to build a national Wi-Fi network for its home broadband customers.
Racing NSW CEO says no increase in race fields fees
Concerns about a nationwide hike in the fees Tabcorp pays to racing bodies, which wiped 7 per cent from the wagering operator’s value last week, may have been overstated with Racing NSW saying it will not follow the move made by Racing Victoria.
Banks lead late sharemarket jump into the black
After trading flat for most of Thursday, Australian shares finished marginally higher, helped by some late buying in the big banks, while nickel miners were sold off after the ore plunged sharply.
GP fees will hit hard on companies’ share price
It will take some time to assess the impact of the Abbott government’s tough first budget on corporate Australia, but an early area of concern is in the healthcare sector.
Incitec Pivot profit ‘low quality’: Deutsche
Beating market expectations is usually enough to have investors and analysts praising your profit result. But in the case of Incitec Pivot, which manufactures, markets and distributes a range of industrial chemicals, fertilisers and explosives, better wasn’t quite good enough.
Analysts take ‘neutral’ stance on SCA
Neighbourhood shopping centre owner SCA Property Group has enjoyed a meteoric share price rise since February but analysts believe the stock could be too expensive.
News puts future of print in the picture
It has been a big week for News Corporation. The publisher of The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal paid more than $200,000 for pictures of a brawl between gaming mogul James Packer and Nine Entertainment boss David Gyngell.
FlexiGroup investors eager for growth news
FlexiGroup shareholders are eagerly awaiting to hear chief executive Tarek Robbiati’s growth strategy on May 15, following senior executive changes at the financial services company.
Kin confident it’s on yellow brick road
Junior resource company Kin Mining says its about 18 months away from digging up ‘‘yellow bricks’’ from red West Australian earth.
Mirvac builds up on solid track
Mirvac Group, a diversified property investment and management group, has been steadily rebuilding value for investors since the global financial crisis.
Stockland weighs up value of Australand bid
Australia’s largest residential developer, Stockland, this week delivered the best year-to-date result in its residential division for the past four years.
Transurban’s Queensland Motorway buy may hit earnings: analysts
Investors have been enamoured with Transurban for the toll road operator’s steady cashflow and reliable dividends, but the whopping $7 billion the company paid for Queensland Motorways has raised fears management has hurt earnings by paying too much.
Breadmaker shareholders wants rise in bid
Consumer foods giant Goodman Fielder has been touted as a takeover target since its $2.1 billion float in 2005, but a $1.8 billion offer by Singapore oils trader Wilmar International and Hong Kong investment management company First Pacific has disappointed investors.
Badgerys Creek not yet a threat to Sydney Airport
The government’s decision to select Badgerys Creek as the site of a $2.5 billion second Sydney airport hasn’t changed the investment case for Sydney Airport, analysts say.
Brick deal builds support for Boral
The momentum behind the residential housing recovery has sent building materials stocks on an impressive run, but analysts say Boral shares have further to rally in the wake of a transformative joint venture with rival CSR.
PNG lift for Horizon Oil
Horizon Oil looks set to benefit from the progress it has made in commercialising its gas resources in Papua New Guinea, having secured key government approvals for its $319 million Stanley gas condensates project.
Further mall sales for CFX
The recently internalised $13.9 billion CFS Retail Property Trust (CFX) is expected to continue to offload several non-core retail assets as it prepares to open the doors next week of its $1.2 billion Emporium Melbourne mall - jointly developed with the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.
Qantas shares fail to fly
Qantas Airways’ plan to cut $2 billion of costs over the next three years – including 5000 jobs – has yet to provide much support for the ailing carrier’s share price.
AFS a good bolt-on for CSR
Analysts have welcomed CSR’s $40 million acquisition of AFS Products as a means of tapping into fast-growing apartment construction, but there are concerns the housing construction recovery will not be strong enough to justify CSR’s lofty share price.
SCA Property wins over investors with guidance lift
Neighbourhood shopping centre owner SCA Property Group has emerged as one of the sector’s best performers for the month following a February lift in guidance and a buyback announcement.
Flight Centre on upward path
News that travel group Flight Centre has been hit with an $11 million penalty by the Federal Court for trying to enter agreements with airlines to fix prices will do little for the company’s reputation, but analysts are less concerned.
