PRE-MARKET AUSTRALIAN, JAPANESE & SOUTH KOREAN STOCKS NEWS: Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) Chairman Lee Jae-yong will purchase KRW 1.9trln worth of the Co.’s shares from his mother

AUSTRALIA

Beach Energy (BPT AT) - Co. is reportedly in talks to operate Elixir Energy's (EXR AT) core Taroom Trough acreage in a potential strategic farm-in agreement, after the companies entered into a process deed on August 21; a deal could threaten Elixir’s listed status. (The Australian/Newswires)

Eagers Automotive (APE AT) - Co. agreed to acquire a 50% interest in Zagame Automotive Group, which will operate as a JV with founder Bobby Zagame, with the investment expected to immediately boost earnings and completion targeted for end-November; financial terms were not disclosed. (Dow Jones Newsplus)

NextDC (NXT AT) - Co. successfully priced an AUD 1.1bln convertible notes offering aimed at strengthening liquidity and supporting its growth plans; the notes are due 2031 with a 1.75% annual interest rate and initial conversion price of AUD 16.695/shr, representing a 32.5% premium to the AUD 12.60/shr reference price, with expected net proceeds of AUD 1.006bln. (Dow Jones Newsplus/Motley Fool)

Nine Entertainment (NEC AT) - Co. extended its Australian streaming and broadcast rights for the Premier League by six years through the 2033/34 season, with the FY29 rights fee broadly in line with FY28 before scaling at a 3% CAGR across the contract, while it expects to remove the subscription discount for legacy Optus subscribers. (Dow Jones Newsplus)

St Barbara (SBM AT) - Co. agreed to sell its remaining interest in the New Simberi project to Lingbao Gold for AUD 410mln in cash plus a AUD 43mln cash repayment representing its share of construction capital, alongside future net smelter return royalties, with completion targeted in Q1 2027. (Dow Jones Newsplus)

Telstra (TLS AT) - Co. priced a CHF 200mln seven-year bond issue expected to be issued on September 30, with proceeds to be used for general corporate purposes. (Dow Jones Newsplus)

West African Resources (WAF AT) - Co. H1 (AUD) net rose 89% Y/Y to 351.4mln, rev. rose 206% Y/Y to 1.46bln, special dividend AUD 0.20/shr; Co. plans to accelerate debt repayments over the coming 12 months and says it is positioned to build on its performance in H2 and beyond. (Dow Jones Newsplus)

Woodside Energy (WDS AT) - Co. said Executive Vice President and COO International Daniel Kalms will leave the company, with Paa-Joe Akoto-Ampaw named acting EVP and COO International while a recruitment process is conducted for the role. (Dow Jones Newsplus)

Broker Ratings/Price Target

• Metcash (MTS AT) - Upgraded to Outperform from Neutral by Macquarie; price target cut 4.4% to AUD 3.25/shr by UBS.
• Westgold Resources (WGX AT) - Price target cut 10% to AUD 8.75/shr by UBS.

JAPAN

Daikin Industries (6367 JT) - Co. developed an AI tool to help train air-conditioning maintenance technicians, with a 2027 rollout targeted as it seeks to address shortages of experienced engineers. (Nikkei)

Honda Motor (7267 JT) - Co. is investing in US startup Niron Magnetics, which is working to commercialise rare-earth-free magnets, as Japan and the US seek to reduce supply-chain dependence on China. (Nikkei)

Marubeni (8002 JT) - Co. is targeting a 15% ROE, potentially the highest among Japan’s trading houses, as it increases investment and shareholder-return targets and mobilises cash across the group. (Nikkei)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011 JT) - Co. developed a system to produce hydrogen from natural gas without releasing CO2, with plans to market the technology to power utilities and other customers alongside its gas turbines. (Nikkei)

Mitsui & Co. (8031 JT) - Co. is building a medical data network across Asia using anonymised patient information to help pharmaceutical companies identify patients for clinical trials and accelerate cancer drug development. (Nikkei)

Sanrio (8136 JT) - Co. plans to deepen engagement with its growing retail investor base through social media and shareholder meetings as it seeks to make Hello Kitty fans a majority of shareholders. (Nikkei)

Sumitomo Corp. (8053 JT) - Co. partnered with Sakana AI to promote the startup’s Japanese-developed AI models across its network of around 100,000 client companies. (Nikkei)

Energy

Japan’s government plans to co-invest with private companies in overseas biomass fuel projects to diversify energy supplies and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. (Nikkei)

Other News

Japan’s government plans to develop drone-based quantum sensors capable of detecting submarines. (Nikkei)

SOUTH KOREA

Hyundai Motor (005380 KS) - Co. is reportedly building a data factory in Korea to collect robot data. (ZDNet)

Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) - Chairman Lee Jae-yong will purchase KRW 1.9trln worth of the Co.’s shares from his mother. (Yonhap)

Other News

South Korean securities firms’ Q2 net profit rose 20% Y/Y, largely due to higher commission income amid increased stock trading. (Yonhap)

Korea Exchange will launch after-market stock trading from next Monday, allowing real-time trading for four hours after the regular session. (Yonhap)