Core Viewpoint - Synlait Milk has issued a profit warning, projecting a first-half loss of up to NZ$82 million (US$49.4 million) due to ongoing operational and cost impacts from previous manufacturing disruptions and weaker commodity returns [1][2]. Financial Performance - The company forecasts a net loss after tax of between NZ$77 million and NZ$82 million for the six months ending January, compared to a net profit after tax of NZ$4.8 million in the same period last year [2]. - Synlait Milk anticipates a half-year EBITDA loss of between NZ$28 million and NZ$33 million, a significant decline from the EBITDA of NZ$63.1 million recorded in the previous year [3]. - The company projects an underlying net loss of NZ$33 million to NZ$38 million, with an underlying EBITDA forecast of break-even to NZ$5 million [3]. Operational Challenges - Manufacturing issues at the Dunsandel site have largely been resolved, but the company continues to face related cost and operational impacts [2]. - The rebuilding of inventory across multiple product areas has required significant adjustments to manufacturing plans, impacting margins and increasing operating costs [4][5]. Strategic Outlook - Synlait Milk views the current financial year (2025/2026) as a "valuable reset" for the business, with a planned divestment of its North Island assets expected to strengthen its financial position through debt reduction [3][4]. - The company intends to focus on its operations in Canterbury post-transaction, acknowledging that recovery will take time [4]. - The CEO expressed disappointment with the six-month results but noted progress in operations and leadership, emphasizing a strategy reset aimed at returning to success within at least 12 months [6][7].

Market Overview - The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has increased the official cash rate to 3.85%, marking the first rate hike in over two years [2] - ASX 200 futures indicate a potential 40-point decline for Australian shares following the RBA's decision [1] - Wall Street's tech sector has faced a selloff, with the Nasdaq dropping as much as 1.4% due to concerns over potential AI disruptions [2] Company News - Resource Minister Madeleine King has warned that China's pause on rare earth controls may not last, impacting miners like BHP (ASX:BHP) and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) [5] - Rio Tinto's Australian listing has decreased nearly 2% amid Glencore merger discussions, while its London listing has increased by 9% [5] - Credit Corp (ASX:CCP) CEO Thomas Beregi stated that the company's bid for Humm Group (ASX:HUM) is not expected to be made public until finalized [6] - Synlait Milk (ASX:SM1) reported a net loss of NZ$82 million for the six months ending January 31 due to manufacturing issues [6] - Amcor Plc (ASX:AMC) is set to announce its earnings to shareholders today [6] Commodity and Forex Updates - The Australian dollar has risen above US 70 cents [7] - Iron ore prices are stable at $102.80 per tonne in Singapore [7] - Brent crude oil has increased by 3% to $68.08 per barrel [7] - Gold prices have surged to $5,054 per ounce [7] - US natural gas futures have risen by 4.2% to $3.37 per gigajoule [8]

Market Overview - Sentiment in Asian markets remains mixed as they brace for year-end, with focus on FOMC minutes and geopolitical developments in China, the Middle East, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict [1] Stock Indices Performance - China's Shanghai Composite Index closed flat at 3,965.12, ending a nine-day winning streak, with a trading range of 3,947.42 to 3,979.99 [2] - The Shenzhen Component Index increased by 0.50 percent to close at 13,604.07, up from 13,537.10 [2] - Japan's Nikkei 225 fell by 183 points or 0.36 percent to 50,343.50, with a trading range of 50,208.50 to 50,549.00 [2] - Korea's Kospi Index decreased by 6 points or 0.15 percent to 4,214.17, trading between 4,186.95 and 4,226.36 [4] - Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose by 219 points or 0.86 percent to 25,854.60, with a range of 25,930.22 to 25,611.23 [4] - Australia's S&P/ASX200 closed at 8,717.10, down 9 points or 0.10 percent, with a trading range of 8,706.60 to 8,751.90 [5] - New Zealand's NZX 50 gained 22 points or 0.16 percent to close at 13,548.13, trading between 13,518.17 and 13,569.85 [6] - Wall Street closed negatively, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.51 percent to 48,746.93 and the Nasdaq Composite down 0.50 percent to 23,474.35 [7] Company Performance - Fujitsu and Nidec Corp both rallied more than 2.2 percent [3] - Dainippon Screen Mfg Co, Murata Mfg Co, and Nitori Holdings Co gained over 1 percent [3] - Sumitomo Metal Mining led losses with a decline of 4.8 percent, followed by Rakuten, Japan Steel Works, Mitsubishi Materials Corp, and TOTO, all losing more than 2 percent [3] - Netwealth Group rebounded by 2.1 percent, while Temple & Webster Group, Mirvac Group, Santos, and Centuria Capital Group all rallied more than 1.5 percent [5] - Silex Systems and Liontown both plunged more than 4.7 percent, with Newmont Corp losing 4.1 percent and Catalyst Metals and Evolution Mining losing more than 3 percent [5] - Synlait Milk topped gains with a surge of 3.2 percent, while Pacific Edge, NZX, Scales, and Sanford all rallied more than 2 percent [6] - KMD Brands, Summerset Group, Serko, and Genesis Energy all declined by more than 1 percent [6]

Market Overview - Major U.S. index futures indicate a lower open on Monday, with stocks expected to give back gains after a strong performance last week [1] - Profit taking may contribute to initial weakness as traders look to cash in on recent gains ahead of the year-end [1] - The Dow and S&P 500 reached record closing highs last Thursday before slightly declining on Friday [1] Tech Sector Performance - A pullback in big-name tech companies, including Oracle, which is down over 2 percent in pre-market trading, may weigh on the market [2] - Nvidia and Micron Technology also show notable pre-market weakness after strong gains last week [2] Trading Activity - Stocks showed a lack of direction on Friday, with major averages bouncing around the unchanged line before closing slightly lower [3] - The S&P 500 reached a new record intraday high before closing down 2.11 points, or less than 0.1 percent, at 6,929.94 [3] Weekly Performance - Despite choppy trading, major averages posted strong weekly gains: S&P 500 up 1.4 percent, Dow and Nasdaq both up 1.2 percent [4] Sector Movements - Gold stocks showed significant strength, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index climbing 1.4 percent to a new record closing high [6] - Steel stocks also performed well, while airline and telecom stocks experienced moderate declines [6] Commodity and Currency Markets - Crude oil futures surged $1.41 to $58.15 a barrel after a previous drop [7] - Gold futures fell $84.30 to $4,460.40 an ounce after a significant increase in the prior session [7] - The U.S. dollar is trading at 156.26 yen, down from 156.54 yen, and at $1.1767 against the euro, slightly down from $1.1771 [7] Asian Market Performance - Asian stock markets displayed mixed performance amid weak sentiment from Wall Street futures and rising geopolitical tensions [8] - China's Shanghai Composite Index edged higher, recording a nine-session winning streak [9] European Market Performance - European stocks fluctuated between gains and losses amid cautious trading, with defense stocks declining due to progress in Ukraine peace talks [15] - The German DAX Index fell by 0.1 percent, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index and the French CAC 40 Index rose by 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively [15] Economic Indicators - The National Association of Realtors is set to release a report on pending home sales, expected to increase by 0.8 percent in November [20] - The Energy Information Administration will report on crude oil inventories, anticipated to decrease by 2.6 million barrels [21]

Market Performance - Asian stock markets exhibited mixed performance, influenced by weak sentiment in Wall Street Futures and rising geopolitical tensions [1] - The Shanghai Composite Index increased by 2 points or 0.04% to close at 3,965.28, marking a nine-session winning streak [2] - The Japanese Nikkei 225 index decreased by 256 points or 0.51% to finish at 50,494.00 [2] - The Korean Kospi Index rose by 91 points or 2.2% to close at 4,220.56 [4] - The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong fell by 184 points or 0.71% to end at 25,635.23 [4] - Australia's S&P/ASX200 index dropped by 37 points or 0.42% to close at 8,725.70 [5] - The NZX 50 in New Zealand decreased by 3 points or 0.02% to finish at 13,525.99 [7] Company Performance - Itochu Corp saw a significant increase of 5.3%, while Sumitomo Metal Mining and Fujikura both gained nearly 4% [3] - South32, Block, and Zip all rallied more than 2% [6] - Netwealth Group experienced a decline of 6.4%, followed by DroneShield with a 4.9% drop [6] - Pacific Edge led gains in New Zealand with a surge of 5.3% [7] - Investore Property topped losses with a decline of 1.7% [8] Geopolitical and Economic Factors - Geopolitical concerns regarding China, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, along with thin trading ahead of New Year holidays, limited market gains [1]

Market Overview - Major U.S. index futures are indicating a modestly lower open, with stocks likely to give back ground after recent gains [1] - The Dow rose by 227.79 points (0.5%) to 48,362.68, the Nasdaq climbed by 121.21 points (0.5%) to 23,428.83, and the S&P 500 advanced by 43.99 points (0.6%) to 6,878.49 [4] - Trading activity appeared subdued due to a lack of major U.S. economic data, with some traders away from their desks ahead of the Christmas holiday [6] Economic Indicators - The U.S. economy grew by 4.3% in Q3 2025, significantly higher than the expected 3.3% [2][21] - New orders for U.S. manufactured durable goods fell by 2.2% in October, contrary to expectations of a 1.5% decline [19][20] - Excluding transportation equipment, durable goods orders increased by 0.2% in October [20] Sector Performance - Gold stocks saw substantial strength, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index rising by 3.3% to a record closing high [7] - Airline stocks also performed well, reflected by a 1.7% gain in the NYSE Arca Airline Index [7] - Tech stocks like Oracle (ORCL) and Nvidia (NVDA) contributed to market recovery, with Oracle shares surging by 3.3% after Wells Fargo reiterated its Overweight rating [5] International Markets - Asian markets extended gains, with China's Shanghai Composite Index up 0.1% to 3,919.98 [10] - The Japanese Nikkei 225 Index inched up less than 0.1% to 50,412.87, while the Korean Kospi Index increased by 0.3% to 4,117.32 [11] - European stock markets are trading mixed, with the U.K.'s FTSE 100 down 0.01% and France's CAC 40 down 0.21% [15][16]

Market Overview - Major U.S. index futures indicate a higher open on Monday, with stocks expected to continue the upward trend from the previous sessions [1] - Technology stocks are likely to lead the market, following strong performances last Thursday and Friday [1] Company Highlights - Oracle (ORCL) shares surged by 2.6% in pre-market trading after Wells Fargo reiterated its Overweight rating [1] - Oracle's stock spiked by 6.6% following a memo from TikTok CEO indicating an agreement to sell its U.S. operations to a joint venture including Oracle and Silver Lake [5] - Nvidia (NVDA) shares jumped by 3.9% after reports of plans to ship AI chips to China before the Lunar New Year [6] - Micron Technology also showed strong performance after better-than-expected quarterly results and guidance [5] Economic Indicators - Existing home sales in the U.S. rose by 0.5% to an annual rate of 4.13 million in November, following a 1.5% increase in October [7] - Consumer sentiment index for December was revised down to 52.9 from a preliminary 53.3, still above November's 51.0 [9] Sector Performance - The tech-heavy Nasdaq closed up 301.26 points or 1.3% at 23,307.62, while the S&P 500 rose by 59.74 points or 0.9% to 6,834.50 [4] - Biotechnology stocks performed well, with the NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index surging by 3.1% [10] - Gold stocks saw strength, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index increasing by 2.7% amid rising gold prices [10] Commodity and Currency Markets - Crude oil futures rose by $1.28 to $57.80 per barrel [12] - Gold futures jumped by $69.50 to $4,456.80 per ounce [12] - The U.S. dollar traded at 157.04 yen, down from 157.75 yen [12]

Asian closed with strong gains on Monday, buoyed by Wall Street's tech-led rally on Friday. Sentiment was also boosted by People's Bank of China keeping its one-year and five-year Loan Prime Rate at record lows for the seventh consecutive month.China's Shanghai Composite Index gained 27 points or 0.69 percent to finish trading at 3,917.36, versus the previous close of 3890.45. The day's trading ranged between 3,900.52 and 3,920.01. The Japanese benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 913 points or 1.8 percent to close ...

Core Viewpoint - Synlait Milk has agreed to sell its North Island assets to Abbott Laboratories for approximately US$178 million, while the company has returned to EBITDA profitability and reduced net losses to NZ$40 million in fiscal 2025 [1][4]. Group 1: Asset Sale Details - The North Island assets include Synlait's Pokeno factory, a blending and canning facility, and a warehouse, which were identified as underutilized and incurring financial losses [2][4]. - The gross value of the North Island assets is around NZ$273 million, representing more than half of Synlait's average market capitalization of NZ$429.7 million [3]. - The transaction is expected to close on April 1, pending consent under the Overseas Investment Act [3]. Group 2: Financial Impact - Proceeds from the asset sale will significantly reduce Synlait's debt, which decreased from NZ$551.6 million to NZ$250.7 million in fiscal 2025 [7]. Group 3: Partnership with Abbott - Abbott has been a customer of Synlait since 2020 and the partnership will continue post-transaction for transitional services for up to three years, with potential extensions [6]. - The Pokeno facility was customized to process both dairy and non-dairy nutritional products following the agreement with Abbott [6].

Synlait Milk will sell several of its New Zealand assets to Abbott Laboratories for NZ$307 million ($177 million), enabling it to reset its balance sheet after a period of losses and underperformance https://t.co/NjN49cXPgQ ...