ASX ends higher
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: The Australian sharemarket ended higher after tracking Wall Street gains and another mixed session of earnings.
The numbers: The benchmark ASX 200 rose 0.22% to end at 7,997.7, with six out of 11 sectors finishing in green.
The best performing sector was IT, up 1.29%, followed by materials (0.92%).
Monadelphous shares jumped 10.83% after it lifted its full-year profit by 16% and said it expected a strong flow of new contracts. It was the best performer across the ASX 200.
Judo Bank shares surged 10.65% after it delivered a better-than-expected net interest margin and strong loan book growth.
Reliance Worldwide increased 8.94% after meeting guidance amid a tough macro environment.
Ansell shares rose 8.19% after it signalled that its healthcare end market conditions were normalising after suffering lower volumes and price cuts over the last year.
KMD Brands shares gained 6.25% after reporting that its sales trends had improved during the second-half.
ARB Corporation shares increased 5.97% after the car accessories supplier hiked its full-year dividend following an 18% growth in profit in the 2024 financial year.
Ingenia Communities Group rose 5.51% after topping its earnings guidance for the 2024 financial year.
Helia Group shares gained 3.04% despite the mortgage insurance provider flagging an "unusually low" number of insurance claims in the six months to June.
Deterra Royalties shares climbed 2.72% after it posted positive profit growth driven by a 13% rise in iron ore pricing in FY24.
HUB24 gained 0.9% after it boosted its funds under administration by 24% in FY24 as it reached record annual platform net inflows.
Sims rose 0.18% despite swinging to a full-year loss. However, its second-half earnings were materially higher than prior guidance.
ANZ shares gained 0.77% after posting its third-quarter credit impairment charge of $45 million was significantly lower than estimates.
Vicinity Centres edged 0.46% higher after topping its full-year earnings guidance and announcing a 50% acquisition stake in Perth's Lakeside Joondalup shopping centre.
VGI Partners ended flat after it increased its final dividend on the back of portfolio performance and profit growth.
The worst performing sector was AREITs, down 1.55%, followed by industrials and consumer staples (both 0.11%). The worst performer across the ASX 200 was Dexus, down 8.93%, as the property investor widened its full-year loss amid a slump in property valuations.
Yancoal plunged 14.51% after the company's directors decided against paying an interim dividend, despite booking a $420 million profit, to retain cash for acquisitions and growth initiatives.
Mader Group fell 11.06% despite reporting a rise of more than 30% in its net profit after tax.
The Australian dollar is buying 67.24 US cents.
The context: Earnings season continues with Iluka Resources, HMC Capital, Corporate Travel Management, Santos, Fletcher Building, Data 3, Cleanaway, IAG, AUB Group, Domino’s, Scentre, The Lottery Corporation, Ventia Services, WiseTech, Bapcor, Brambles, Pexa, and Healius reporting.
