ASX reporting season: All the latest news from companies releasing financial results to the market today

Medibank Private says Australians are still prioritising their health amid cost of living pressures, booking a 2.9 per cent lift in full-year underlying net profit, which strips out one-off items, to $636.8 million.

Revenue was up 4.6 per cent to $8.58 billion, while expenses increased 5.4 per cent.

The insurer paid $6.8b in claims to customers, up 4.6 per cent, as the number of policyholders inched 1 per cent higher despite increased competition and marketing by aggregators.

“Our claims payout ratio ... remains above the industry average,” chief executive David Koczkar said.

Policyholder growth was skewed to lower tier products and there was higher switching, the company said.

Mr Koczkar said the Live Better rewards program - which allows members with eligible hospital or extras cover to earn up to $400 a year worth of redeemable points for taking actions like exercise or making healthy food choices - was “the reason one-in-three people choose Medibank”.

Medibank declared a fully franked dividend of 19.2 cents per share, up 6.7 per cent.

NRW’s acquisition of NSW contractor Fredon is paying dividends for the Perth-based mining and civil contractor, which this morning reported revenue growth of more than 31 per cent and underlying earnings growth of almost 39 per cent.

It will pay out an improved final dividend of 14.5c a share - up 63 per cent on the previous year.

Statutory net profit rocketed 454.3 per cent to $153.4 million, with revenue coming in at $4.3 billion.

NRW boss Jules Pemberton said Fredon had exceeded its acquisition expectations in its first nine months within the group and has established “a significant fourth operating segment, providing exposure to attractive long-term growth sectors including health, defence, data centres, commercial construction and infrastructure”.

“We currently have $7.5b in secured revenue, together with a pipeline of $29.1b, of which $11.1b are submitted tenders, giving us confidence in our long-term earnings outlook,” he said.

“We continue to see significant opportunities across resources, defence, infrastructure, energy transition projects and increasingly within the rapidly expanding data centre sector, where we are able to support the construction of both urban and remote facilities.”

Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue has trimmed its final payout to investors after booking a writedown-battered fall in statutory net profit for the full year.

The iron ore major declared a final fully franked dividend of 46c a share, down from last year’s 60c a share, trimming the full-year payout to $1.08. That was down from the previous year’s $1.10.

Fortescue this morning revealed a 9 per cent rise in revenue to just under $US17 billion ($23.9b).

But a previously flagged $US525 million charge again the value of its trouble-plagued Iron Bridge magnetite mine in the Pilbara weighed on profit, which fell 15 per cent to $US2.87b.

Fortescue shipped a record 201.3 million tonnes for the year, with average realised prices up 7 per cent from a year earlier to $US90.7/t. Cost per wet metric tonne was marginally higher at $US18.74/t.

Fortescue metals and operations CEO Dino Otranto said the miner invested $US3.6b across the business and finished the year with $US5.1b in cash, with net debt of $US900m.

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Super Retail Group has hailed a modest rise in revenue for the big-box retailer’s portfolio amid “significant headwinds”.

The company, which owns Rebel Sports, Supercheap Auto and BCF, saw revenue rise 3.2 per cent over FY26 to $4.2 billion.

But statutory net profit slumped 7.2 per cent to $206m, despite group-wide gross margins jumping 10 basis points to 45.7 per cent.

Like-for-like sales were strongest at Rebel, rising 3.8 per cent, whicle Supercheap Auto sales grew 2.7 per cent.

Sales retreated 2.1 per cent for BCF.

“First half trading was impacted by adverse environmental conditions in South Australia and Victoria resulting ina reduction in marine and fishing activity,” Super Reatil said.

“Despite a positive start to the second half, the leisure category was heavily impacted by the sharp increase in domestic fuel prices and concerns around supply shortages, which significantly moderated outdoor leisure activity over the crucial Easter trading period.”

Group MD and CEO Paul Bradshaw said it was a solid financial result for the group, with record sales achieved in the face of significant headwinds that included geopolitical instability in the Middle East, unfavourable weather and increasing interest rate pressure on households.

“During the year, we also delivered key strategic projects, including a new human resources core and payroll system and the seamless execution of our new automated distribution centre in Victoria,” he said.

“While our brands collectively delivered profit growth, the deliberate investment in these projects to position the group for long-term success resulted in a decline in profit before tax.

“Towards the end of the financial year, we launched our new five-year strategy that outlined our ambitious growth plans and transformation agenda.

”While challenges in the broader retail landscape remain, I’m confident we have the team and strategy in place to meet evolving customer needs and deliver future growth.”

A fake-ID wielding teenager has landed two Sydney casinos in hot water after they failed to prevent his antics.

Carrying a fraudulent driver’s licence, the 16-year-old boy was able to access Crown Sydney on 19 occasions and consume free alcohol in the process.

The venue allowed the boy – who on some occasions was accompanied by his mother – to gamble and attain silver membership status.

He was also able to pay three undetected visits to fellow casino The Star Sydney.

Following an investigation by Liquor and Gaming NSW, both venues have been slapped with huge fines for failing to detect the teen between April and August 2025.

The case was referred to the NSW independent Casino Commission (NICC), which has handed down severe sanctions to both casinos.

Crown Sydney, where the lion’s share of the teen’s activity took place, has been ordered to pay a $1.75m.

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A glistening gold price run over the past financial year has delivered Northern Star Resources a stellar rise in revenue and profit.

But the Super Pit owner won’t share the extra wealth with shareholders, maintaining a final dividend of 30c a share - the same figure it paid out in FY25.

Revenue soared 19 per cent to $7.62 billion over the year to June 30, up 19 per cent on the previous year as Middle East tensions and a global energy crisis pushed prices of the precious metal to multiple record highs.

Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation was $4.3b, with underlying free cash flow of $190 million.

Cash earnings was up just one per cent to $2.9b and net profit leapt 24 per cent to $1.67b.

Outgoing CEO Stuart Tonkin said Northern Star - which has so far resisted calls from from activist major shareholder Elliott Investment Management for a board clear-out or possible sale - said the miner was “at an important inflection point”.

Florida-based Elliott Investment Management on Friday issued a response to a scathing letter signed by Northern Star chair Michael Chaney and addressed to all shareholders on Thursday.

In the letter, Mr Chaney accused Elliott of making demands “to which no responsible board would agree”.

Northern Star’s three production hubs are forecast to turn out between 1.5 and 1.65 million ounces this year at all-in costs of between $3050 and $3450.

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The main US stock market indexes closed modestly higher, as easing government bond yields boosted risk appetites while a dramatic rally in shares of vaccine-maker Moderna drove gains in the healthcare sector.

Investors barely reacted to minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s July meeting, which showed deepening concern about inflation with “several” policymakers ready to raise interest rates.

Many said a rate hike would be needed if inflation does not decline to the US central bank’s 2 per cent target.

But a day after the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond hit its highest level since 2007, the yield fell on Wednesday along with the 10-year Treasury yield.

The moves came after the US Treasury announced it would double the size of liquidity support buyback operations for longer-dated bonds.

“The risk-on trade is trying to hang on to the lifeline that Treasury Secretary Bessent sent,” said Carol Schleif, chief market strategist at BMO Private Wealth, noting that riskier assets including high-profile technology stocks had sold off in recent days as bond yields rose.

Concerns over ballooning government debt and rising inflation had pushed global bond yields to multi-decade highs on Tuesday.

Schleif said investors were relieved by the government support as higher rates “could potentially impact the AI trade” as technology companies have been issuing debt and equity and using their own cash to fund construction of data centres supporting AI.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 119.65 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 53,463.05, the S&P 500 gained 16.22 points, or 0.21 per cent, to 7707.98 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 41.38 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 26,331.09.

Read the full overnight report here ...

Here’s your one-stop-shop for everything you may have missed from reporting season yesterday ...