PRE-MARKET AUSTRALIAN, JAPANESE AND SOUTH KOREAN STOCKS NEWS: Goodman Group (GMG AT) shelved its AUD 1.2bln Sydney data centre project, TEPCO (9501 JT) capital tie-up talks are delayed, RBA rate decision scheduled

AUSTRALIA

CLS (CLS AT) - Co. collaborates with Amazon Web Services to advance biopharmaceutical R&D. (Newswires)

Cochlear (COH AT) - Co. is subject to a class action in Victoria relating to its FY26 underlying net profit forecast, covering investors who acquired shares between 15 August 2025 and 21 April 2026; Co. denies the allegations and will defend the proceedings. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Codan (CDA AT) - Co. expects H1 Communications revenue of AUD 400-410mln with an EBIT margin of 40%, Minelab H1 revenue run-rate slightly above the prior half and H1 group net profit of at least AUD 160mln, while targeting FY27 Communications revenue growth of 30-40%. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Goodman Group (GMG AT) - Co. has shelved its AUD 1.2bln Sydney data centre project, Project Mars, amid rising community concerns over large digital infrastructure developments. (The Australian)

Healius (HLS AT) - Co. has completed the sale of Agilex Biolabs, clearing a key hurdle for potential private equity bidders that had previously been told to hold off on approaches. (The Australian)

Megaport (MP1 AT) - Co. secured AUD 978.6mln in new AI infrastructure contracts, including AUD 322.6mln of prepayments, taking pro forma annual recurring revenue to AUD 1.1bln. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Metcash (MTS AT) - Co. and Coveo expanded their strategic partnership to power next-generation AI-enabled experiences for B2B retail customers.

Northern Star Resources (NST AT) - Agnico Eagle is reportedly eyeing the Co. after Gold Fields rejected a multibillion-dollar approach for the Australian gold miner. (The Australian)

REA Group (REA AT) - Co. agreed to acquire a 35% stake in Irish marketplace operator Distilled for EUR 248mln, funded from debt and cash reserves, with completion expected by end-December 2026 and modest core EPS accretion expected in the first year after completion. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Broker Ratings/Price Target

• James Hardie Industries (JHX AT) cut to Neutral from Buy by Citigroup.

JAPAN

Honda Motor (7267 JT) - Co. paused production at its Bangkok motorcycle plant amid heavy rains that disrupted worker commutes and logistics, although facilities were largely unaffected. (Nikkei)

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (7012 JT) - Co. has begun mass production of hospital robots that transport medical samples and medications, with the machines having saved around 2,700 hours of work at Japanese healthcare facilities. (Nikkei)

Resonac Holdings (4004 JT) - Co. became the first Japanese company to develop a 300-mm silicon carbide substrate, which can yield around four times as many chips as current substrates. (Nikkei)

Sony Group (6758 JT) - Co. will skip the 2027 CES trade show after around six decades of participation as it shifts its focus towards media and entertainment. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Electric Power (9501 JT) - Capital tie-up talks involving the Co. are reportedly delayed. (Nikkei)

Automakers - Toyota Motor (7203 JT) and other Japanese EV makers face potential pressure from planned EU industrial legislation that would favour EVs assembled within the bloc and could eliminate tax breaks for imported electric vehicles. (Nikkei)

Tech - NTT (9432 JT) and SoftBank Corp. (9434 JT) are separately expanding AI-powered cybersecurity systems that process customer data entirely within Japan, with the companies looking to work with OpenAI and Anthropic while protecting data sovereignty. (Nikkei)

SOUTH KOREA

Hanwha Ocean (042660 KS) - Co. won a KRW 680bln order to build two LNG carriers. (Yonhap)

Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) - Co. committed USD 1bln to KKR- and NVIDIA-backed AI infrastructure firm Helix Digital, taking the firm's total capital commitments to more than USD 11bln. (Dow Jones Newswires)