PRE-MARKET AUSTRALIAN, JAPANESE & SOUTH KOREAN STOCK NEWS: Toyota Motor (7203 JT) submitted an application to build a new manufacturing facility in Texas
AUSTRALIA
Megaport (MP1 AT) - Co. appointed Jon Gidney as nonexecutive director, effective May 29, and Gidney will succeed Grant Dempsey as audit and risk committee chair. (Dow Jones Newswires)
Mineral Resources (MIN AT) - Co. is restarting its Bald Hill mine, with boss Chris Ellison citing a recovery in lithium prices behind the restart in WA. (The Australian)
Tabcorp (TAH AT) - Co. CEO Gillon McLachlan remains in daily talks with Racing NSW’s Peter V’landys over unresolved contract clauses for a national tote deal. (The Australian)
Technology One (TNE AT) - Co. H1 (AUD) net rose 6% Y/Y to 66.8mln, profit before tax rose 9% Y/Y to 89.1mln, rev. rose 11% Y/Y to 318.4mln, annual recurring revenue rose 17% Y/Y to 598.0mln, dividend AUD 0.08/shr, reaffirmed FY 2026 earnings guidance. (Dow Jones Newsplus/Motley Fool)
Broker Ratings/Price Target
- ALS (ALQ AT) Price target cut by 7.1% to AUD 26.00/shr by Bell Potter, price target raised by 6.1% to AUD 24.40/shr by Jefferies.
- Brambles (BXB AT) Price target cut by 7% to AUD 19.55/shr by Jefferies.
- Elders (ELD AT) Target price cut by 28% to AUD 6.45/shr by Bell Potter.
- Gentrack (GTK AT) Target price cut by 1.7% to AUD 5.70/shr by Bell Potter.
JAPAN
Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502 JT) - Co. was found liable over an antitrust plot to delay a generic constipation drug. (Nikkei)
Toyota Motor (7203 JT) - Co. submitted an application to build a new manufacturing facility in Texas, US. (Newswires)
Energy - Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi and South Korean President Lee are set to agree at their summit to establish a framework for cooperating on crude oil procurement, including a joint reserve. (Nikkei)
Tech - Japan is to support the growth of dual-use tech startups with early payments. (Nikkei)
Other News
Japanese Finance Minister Katayama said Japan was not yet at the stage of discussing specifics for an additional budget. (Newswires)
SOUTH KOREA
Kia Corp (000270 KS) - Co. CEO outlined a plan to deploy humanoid robot Atlas at its US factories in 2029. (Yonhap)
Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) - Co. and its largest labour union resumed government-led wage mediation talks in an effort to avert a strike, but failed to reach an agreement. (Yonhap)
Other News
BoK forecasts Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) strike to cut GDP growth by 0.5 percentage points. (Newswires)
Seoul is to launch a fund promoting industrial growth and manufacturing AI transformation. (Yonhap)
Toyota's application for a new manufacturing facility in Texas highlights its commitment to expanding operations in North America, which could enhance its production capacity and responsiveness to market demands. This move is significant as it reflects ongoing trends in reshoring manufacturing and may position Toyota strategically against competitors amid supply chain shifts. Investors should keep an eye on how this expansion impacts the company's production costs and competitive positioning going forward.