ASX reporting season: All the latest news from companies releasing financial results to the market today
We’re mid-way through the final week of reporting season, sprinting to the finish line and a much-needed weekend rest from acres of PDFs and colourful company presentations.
We’re mid-way through the final week of reporting season, sprinting to the finish line and a much-needed weekend rest from acres of PDFs and colourful company presentations.
It was Coles’ turn yesterday. Today we get a look at Woolworths’ books to see if it can retain the crown and remain Australia’s biggest grocer.
Also stepping up to present today are Richard White’s WiseTech Global, Domino’s Pizza, DroneShield, Nickel Industries, Lovisa, Perseus Mining, Flight Centre, Paladin Energy and The Koala Company.
Stay with us for all the updates throughout the day.
Daniel Newell is reporting live.
Ooshies get Woolies off to flying star after solid year
Woolworths remains the king of Australia’s grocery market, booking a $1.14 billion profit from a solid jump in revenue during FY26 despite more cost-conscious shopping.
But the real star of the show has been its Ooshies collectibles campaign, which drove a near 8 per cent surge in sales in the first eight weeks of the new financial year.
Despite the “strong performance” of the promotion, CEO Amanda Bardwell warned customers were expected to remain value-focused in the year ahead.
“Wage growth is also expected to remain elevated by historical standards reflecting the current year’s annual wage increase of 4.75 per cent in Australia and progressive changes to pay for our 18 and 19-year-old retail team members,” she said.
“These cost pressures challenge us to be even more efficient, leveraging technology to be more productive in order to reinvest back into the business for our customers.”
Woolworths reported a 3.6 per cent rise in group-wide sales for the last financial year to $71.5b.
Net profit before significant items - which included a $710 million provision to right an historical staff underpayments bungle - was $1.6b.
Its grocery stores took in $53.8b, up 4.6 per cent. But its New Zealand stores continue to struggle, with sales down 3.1 per cent to $7.3b.
Perseus Mining shines in record year
A stunning gold price run throughout FY26 has delivered record results for cashed-up Perseus Mining.
The West Africa-focused miner this morning reported an after-tax profit of $480.5 million - up 14 per cent on the previous full year.
Revenue came in at $1.5 billion, a jump of 19 per cent as the precious metal touched record highs.
Perseus sold 399,023 ounce during the year, a fall from FY25’s 494,343oz. But that was more than offset by a 45 per cent jump in the average realised price per ounce to $3693.
The Subiaco-based company now holds $1.03b in cash, along with $400m of undrawn debt.
It declared a final payout of 9c a share, taking the full-year dividend to a record 14c a share, up 87 per cent on a year earlier.
“FY26 was also a year of major project momentum with our Nyanzaga gold project in Tanzania on track for first gold pour in January 2027 and the achievement of first gold pour from the CMA underground in Côte d’Ivoire,” said MD Craig James.
“Our mineral resource and ore reserve update released today demonstrates Perseus’s ongoing ability to grow its resources, with a 37 per cent increase in measured and indicated resources and a 40 per cent increase in proved and probable reserves compared to FY25.”
The Perseus board is also considering an additional distribution of $100m to recognise the additional proceeds received from the recent sale of the Meyas Sands gold project in Sudan.
Oil extends loses as Iran-Oman push talks to reopen Hormuz
Oil extended declines as Iran and Oman discussed an “interim framework” aimed at resuming shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
West Texas Intermediate traded near $US81 a barrel after falling about 6 per cent in the previous three sessions, while Brent closed below $US89 on Tuesday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi discussed the initiative to establish a “temporary joint maritime corridor”, according to a joint statement carried by the Oman News Agency.
Technical talks between the two sides will continue with the aim of agreeing on a permanent maritime corridor, the future administration of the strait, as well as a mechanism for information exchange, traffic management, and the provision of relevant maritime and security services, it said.
Investors have largely shrugged off US plans released on Monday to increase economic pressure on Iran, with Washington stopping short of secondary sanctions on trading partners including China, the top buyer of Iranian crude.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said countries will face a specific timeline to shut down links with Iran or face unilateral punishment.
“It seems crude is now beginning to price in a sooner rather than later peace deal,” said Dennis Kissler, senior vice-president for trading at BOK Financial Securities.
“With some oil still getting through the strait, Iran and the US are more likely to be in a newer state of de-escalation as both sides are looking for an off ramp.”
Bloomberg
While you were sleeping ...
Wall Street’s main indexes have closed higher as technology stocks recovered from a selloff ahead of AI heavyweight Nvidia’s results, while investors found some relief in drops in oil prices and bond yields.
The gains could ease investor concerns sparked by a recent bond market rout that lifted yields and pressured equities. They could also help set the tone for September, a historically weaker month for stocks.
Longer-dated Treasury yields fell on Tuesday as oil prices dropped to a one-week low and traders continued to weigh the implications of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s decision to expand Treasury buybacks.
“There’s a lot of push and pull - in the bond market, geopolitics, oil,” said Joe Quinlan, head of market strategy for Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank.
“But we’re pretty constructive on the outlook (for the) next 12, 18 months on the US economy; therefore, we are constructive on the markets as well.”
Nvidia’s results on Wednesday will be the next test for the earnings-driven rally. Any signs of slowing growth could reignite concerns about stretched valuations and how long the AI boom can sustain them.
“This is the classic problem of being the epicenter of the buildout - when you are the trade, execution stops being a catalyst and becomes a prerequisite,” said Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial.
Markets have grown wary of cyclical spending and the methods hyperscalers are using to fund their AI buildouts.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 160.24 points, or 0.30 per cent, to 53,577.40, the S&P 500 gained 24.38 points, or 0.32 per cent, to 7677.24 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 171.11 points, or 0.66 per cent, to 26,151.30.
Read the full overnight report here ...
Originally published on The West Australian
