Several major Australian companies have released their latest financial results, revealing a mixed bag of outcomes for investors. Woolworths, a leading supermarket chain, reported a 17 per cent fall in underlying net profit to $1.38 billion, leading to a reduced final dividend. The company attributed the downturn to underperformance in its Australian supermarkets and Big W discount chain. Woolworths is one of Australia’s largest retailers, operating supermarkets, department stores, and other consumer-focused businesses. The company strives to provide everyday needs to Australian families.
In other news, Nine Entertainment, owner of The Australian Financial Review, announced a special dividend of 49 cents per share ($780 million) following the sale of its stake in Domain to CoStar. Despite this windfall for investors, Nine’s overall profit dropped 10 per cent to $194.4 million, even as revenue rose 2 per cent to $2.7 billion. Nine Entertainment is a major media company in Australia, with holdings in television, radio, and publishing. They deliver news and entertainment content to a broad audience.
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises also faced headwinds, reporting a full-year loss of $3.7 million due to significant restructuring costs. The pizza chain cut its final dividend to 21.5 cents per share, down from 50.4 cents the previous year. Meanwhile, logistics software firm WiseTech Global saw revenue increase by 14 per cent to $US778.7 million, and net profit after tax rose 17 per cent to $US200 million, however, the results still missed analysts’ expectations. The company maintained its final dividend at 7.7 cents per share.
Other companies reporting include Sigma Healthcare, which announced a management shake-up after a 41 per cent increase in annual profits following its merger with Chemist Warehouse. DroneShield posted a 210 per cent revenue surge, while Tabcorp, Worley, Lovisa, Adairs Group, Flight Centre, and Cash Converters also released their results, reflecting varied performance across different sectors.
