Reporting season live updates: Everything you need to know about companies revealing results to the ASX today

A group led by Macquarie Asset Management will buy Qube Holdings in a deal worth around $11.7 billion, as the Australian firm adds a ports and rail operator to its vast swath of infrastructure assets.

The consortium will pay $5.20 per Qube share, according to a statement on Monday. That’s a 28 per cent premium to the last closing price on November 21, before Macquarie made an initial approach.

Qube operates a transport and trade network that handles an array of goods and services, including outbound grain and cottonseed shipments. It has about 10,000 staff across operations in Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia.

Macquarie’s asset management arm, a unit of Macquarie Group, oversees around $736b in public and private assets ranging from container terminals in New York to toll roads in South Korea.

A cost blowout has sent audio networking business Audinate to a widening loss of $10.6 million over the six months to December 31.

The group’s sales grew 12.1 per cent over the half year to $32.2m, as it said total operating expense growth is now expected to finish at 20 per cent in financial year 2026, versus the prior financial year.

Investor enthusiasm for the group’s audio networking software and hardware saw the ASX-listed shares bid to more than $23 in March 2024, but they last fetched just $.3.68 as its sales growth rates and ballooning expenses disappointed the market.

A contract worker has died following an incident at Rio Tinto’s SimFer mine at the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea.

Rio Tinto, the world’s largest producer of iron ore, said work had been suspended at the SimFer mine site after the accident on Saturday. Chief executive Simon Trott said he would travel to Guinea this week.

A Reuters review of internal documents, conducted in 2025, found six local workers had been killed between June 2023 and November 2024 in the construction of a port and a 670km railway leading to the mines in remote rural Guinea.

Read the full story ​here​

Liotntown’s lead independent non-executive director Ian Wells has set an exit date after landing a new executive gig.

The former chief financial officer at Fortescue joined the Liontown board two years ago and is chair of the audit and risk committee and a member of the remuneration and nomination committee.

He will leave on March 31 to take up a role as CFO and group executive strategy of Aurizon Holdings.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to sincerely thank Ian for his diligent work as a director during an important period in Liontown’s development,” said chair Tim Goyder.

“Ian has played a critical role in promoting continued improvement across the company’s financial, risk and governance systems, and his expertise and guidance have been invaluable as we transitioned from construction to operations at Kathleen Valley.

“While we are disappointed to see Ian leave the board, we understand his decision to pursue this exciting new opportunity and wish him every success in his new role.”

Broker RBC says BlueScope Steel’s interim dividend of 65c a share is ahead of its and the market’s expectations.

BlueScope also told the market it’s now targeting a $3-a-share return to investors in calendar year 2026, comprising a $1-a-share special dividend, annual dividends of $1.30 a a share, and an increase in its on-market buyback to $310 million - equal to 70c a share.

RBC last valued the shares at $29.50.

BlueScope reported half-year net profit of $391 million - a 118 per cent rise on a year earlier.

“Underlying EBIT for the half was $558m, on stronger US spreads, higher volumes across key markets and solid cost performance,” said managing director and chief executive Tania Archibald

“This result is a clear demonstration of the strength and diversity of our portfolio during a period of sustained low Asian steel spreads.

“BlueScope’s strong foundations are built on the hard work, discipline and commitment of our 16,500‑strong team. I want to thank our people for their contribution, our customers for their trust and our shareholders for their support.”

Electronics and appliance behemoth JB Hi-Fi has posted a 7.3 per cent jump in half-year revenue to $6.1 billion as customers splashed cash on new mobile phones, games, computers and fitness products.

The retail bellwether — which also owns JB Hi-Fi New Zealand, The Good Guys chain and home appliance and bathroom retailer e&s — recorded a net profit of $305.8 million in the six months to the end of December. This was up 7.1 per cent compared with the same time last year.

At the flagship JB Hi-Fi Australia stores, total sales increased by 6.3 per cent to $4.12b, “driven by continued customer demand for technology and consumer electronics products, and strong promotional execution”. The key growth categories were mobile phones, small appliances, games hardware, computers and fitness.

The retailer said The Good Guys benefited from Black Friday and Boxing Day promotional periods as customers splurged on portable appliances, floorcare, cooking, fefrigeration and laundry.

“We are pleased to report record sales and strong earnings for HY26, as we built on the momentum of the previous year,” JB Hi-Fi boss Nick Wells said.

“In a retail environment where customers are seeking value, our brands continue to resonate strongly and our teams continue to execute to a high standard.”

Australian banking shares capped their biggest weekly jump in almost four years on better-than-expected earnings updates.

A sub-gauge of financial stocks on Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 5.4 per cent in the five sessions through Friday, notching its best week since March 2022. Climbing profits from Commonwealth Bank of Australia and ANZ drove the rally.

“Stronger-than-expected earnings coupled with market dislocation” from the so-called AI scare trade have supported banking stocks, said Matthew Haupt, portfolio manager at Wilson Asset Management. Investors have been closing out long positions in technology shares and rotating into lenders, he added.

ANZ stood out among its peers, with the stock surging to a record on Thursday after the lender’s quarterly profit soared.

CBA, whose shares have steadily declined in recent months amid valuation concerns, spiked the most since 2020 Wednesday as it posted first-half earnings that beat estimates.

Westpac also unveiled a first-quarter profit increase on Friday.

New Zealand infant formula distributor a2 Milk boosted first-half earnings and raised full-year revenue guidance as sales in China continue to strengthen.

Net income from continuing operations rose 9.4 per cent to $NZ112.1 million ($95.7m), the company reported Monday in Wellington. Revenue jumped 19 per cent to $NZ993m and the company now forecasts a mid double-digit percentage increase in full-year revenue - previously low double-digit.

“Our upgraded outlook means we are now on track to achieve our $NZ2 billion medium-term sales ambition in FY26, a full year ahead of plan,” said chief executive David Bortolussi. “Infant milk formula remains central to our growth strategy and continues to outperform the China market.”

Sales in the key China formula market increased, boosted by increased birth rates in 2024, allowing the company to increase market share.

While there were fewer newborns in 2025, that trend is expected to reverse reflecting a recovery in marriage rates and from the greater focus on birth rate stabilization which is explicitly listed as a government policy, the company said.

Australian vintner Treasury Wines Estates has reported lower-than-expected revenue in its first-half earnings, as US supply chain difficulties and adverse consumer trends in China impacted the luxury wine maker.

Treasury Wines, maker of the iconic Penfolds brand, reported a $649 million first-half net loss on Monday, compared with a $221m profit a year earlier. Net sales revenue came in at $1.3 billion, down 16 per cent year-on-year and lower than analyst expectations of $1.38b.

However, the company said it is expecting second-half earnings to be higher than the first-half.

Chief executive Sam Fischer, who started in the role in October, said that despite Monday’s results, he was encouraged that the wine company’s key brands were resonating with consumers as he undertakes “the transformation of the business”.

“We are already making meaningful progress with the decisive actions required to return to a path of sustainable, profitable growth,” he said.

Under its new CEO, Treasury has announced a turnaround plan targeting annual savings of $100mover the next two to three years, including by cutting inventories to protect demand and reputation of its brands.

It comes after a difficult few years for the company following weaker-than-expected demand in China and supply disruptions in the US, sending shares spiraling over the past year to their lowest point since 2011.

The S&P/ASX200 last week come agonisingly close to breaking its all-time intraday high, only to pull back sharply on Friday with a shock 1.4 per cent retreat.

The U-turn came as Wall Street’s concerns about AI overinvestment gathered pace.

The S&P500, the Nasdaq and the Dow all declined for the week with technology stocks on a roller-coaster ride due to uncertainty about the extent to which profits could be disrupted due to AI competition and the hefty spending needed to support the technology.

Can results out over the next few weeks convince local investors to dive back in?

Up today are writedown-blown Treasury Wine Estates, electronics and whitegoods retail giant JB Hi-Fi, A2 Milk Co, recent takeover target BlueScope Steel, Ansell, Stockland and Aurizon.