PRE-MARKET AUSTRALIAN, JAPANESE & SOUTH KOREAN STOCK NEWS: Honda (7267 JT) suffers FY oper. loss of around JPY 400bln, Sony (6758 JT) forecasts FY26 net to increase 12.5% Y/Y to JPY 1.16tln
AUSTRALIA
AngloGold Ashanti (AGG AT) - Co. Q1 (USD) EPS 2.52, net cash flow from operating activities USD 1.7bln, free cash flow USD 1.2bln, average gold price received per ounce rose 69%, dividend USD 1.16/shr, and remains on track to meet 2026 annual guidance. (Dow Jones Newsplus)
CSL (CSL AT) - Co. downgraded annual earnings guidance and now expects FY revenue of around USD 15.2bln and underlying net profit of USD 3.1bln, while signalling another USD 5bln of pretax impairments including for the Vifor business. (Dow Jones Newsplus)
Dyno Nobel (DNL AT) - Co. H1 (AUD) net AUD 19.9mln, profit before material items AUD 160.9mln, rev. AUD 1.90bln, dividend AUD 0.046/shr. (Dow Jones Newsplus)
Inghams (ING AT) - Co. reaffirmed FY 2026 underlying EBITDA guidance of AUD 180mln-200mln, said EBITDA run-rate improved materially through FY 2026, core poultry volumes rose 1.1% in the first nine months of FY 2026, core poultry net selling prices rose 1.1%, and expects a FY 2026 net impact of AUD 7mln-10mln from higher diesel costs. (Dow Jones Newsplus)
Metcash (MTS AT) - Co. expects FY underlying net profit of AUD 268mln-270mln, FY group revenue growth of 0.7%, FY group revenue growth excluding tobacco of 3.8%, while liquor EBIT margin recovered in H2 and hardware and tools sales momentum improved in H2. (Dow Jones Newsplus)
oOh!media (OML AT) - Co. received a takeover offer from I Squared Capital at AUD 1.45/shr cash, said the offer was higher than an earlier bid by Pacific Equity Partners but that neither offer adequately reflects its intrinsic value, while it will provide bidders with limited due diligence information, engage with other parties, and pause its on-market share buyback program. (Dow Jones Newsplus)
Southern Cross Media (SXL AT) - Co.’s new boss ruled out launching a streaming service but wants to partner with global platforms and chase the NRL’s broadcast rights. (The Australian)
Other News
Australian Treasurer Chalmers said the upcoming budget will target surging home prices and will aim to make it easier for people to gain a foothold in the housing market, according to Bloomberg. (Newswires)
Australia’s government is to scrap the 50% capital gains tax discount by July 2027 and will offer a one-year grace period for tax changes. (Newswires)
JAPAN
Honda Motor (7267 JT) - Co. is set to record an operating loss of around JPY 400bln for FY, as it reevaluates its EV strategy and cancels three EV model launches planned for North America. (Nikkei)
Nintendo (7974 JT) - Co. FY26 (JPY) net 424.1bln (prev. 278.8bln Y/Y), rev. rose 99% Y/Y to 2.3tln, Co. sees FY27 net to decline 27% Y/Y to 310bln and rev. to decline 11% Y/Y to 2.05tln, while it is to hike the price of its Switch 2 console due to memory chip prices. (Newswires/Nikkei)
Osaka Gas (9532 JT) - Co. announced an equity buyback for 28mln shares, representing 7.04%, for JPY 80bln. (Newswires)
Sony Group (6758 JT) - Co. is betting on AI to fuel gaming evolution, while it is partnering with TSMC (2330 TT) on next-generation image sensors as it targets robotics and automotive sectors and forecasts double-digit profit growth with consolidated FY26 net expected to increase 12.5% Y/Y to JPY 1.16tln. (Nikkei)
Toyota Motor (7203 JT) - Co. forecasts a decrease in FY26 net profit amid Middle East tensions. (Nikkei)
Autos - Japan-made EVs are at risk of losing EU subsidies under a content proposal. (Nikkei)
SOUTH KOREA
HMM (011200 KS) - Co.-operated vessel explosion and fire in the Strait of Hormuz was caused by a strike from unidentified airborne objects, according to an investigation team. (Yonhap)
Hyundai Motor (005380 KS) - Co. signed an agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries (047810 KS) to jointly develop advanced air mobility aircraft. (Yonhap)
Lotte Shopping (023530 KS) - Co. Q1 (KRW) net rose 694.1% Y/Y to KRW 143.9bln, operating profit rose 70.6% Y/Y to KRW 252.9bln, rev. rose 3.6% Y/Y to KRW 3.58tln. (ChosunBiz)
Other News
South Korean low-cost carriers cut 900 round-trip flights and introduced unpaid leave and other emergency measures as the Middle East conflict drove up fuel prices. (Yonhap)
Honda's projected operational loss of JPY 400 billion signals significant challenges in its EV strategy and could weigh on investor sentiment regarding Japanese automakers overall. Conversely, Sony's forecast for a 12.5% increase in net profit indicates confidence in growth potential, particularly with its focus on AI in gaming and partnerships in new tech, likely boosting its stock outlook and market perception positively.