
We’re mid-way through the final week of reporting season, sprinting to the finish line and a much-needed weekend rest from acres of PDFs and colourful company presentations.
It was Coles’ turn yesterday. Today we get a look at Woolworths’ books to see if it can retain the crown and remain Australia’s biggest grocer.
Also stepping up to present today are Richard White’s WiseTech Global, Domino’s Pizza, DroneShield, Nickel Industries, Lovisa, Perseus Mining, Flight Centre, Paladin Energy and The Koala Company.
Stay with us for all the updates throughout the day.
Key Events
WiseTech stands by job cuts revenue rockets
An Australian technology company has stood behind cutting 1700 jobs in favour of artificial intelligence, as it raked in record annual revenue.
Logistics software provider WiseTech Global’s total income surged 79 per cent to $US1.4 billion ($19.5b) in the year to June 30, supported by its buyout of Texas-headquartered supply chain player e2open.
The acquisition helped deliver $64 million in annualised operating profit savings, while its artificial intelligence transformation had cut $34m from the balance sheet, chief executive Zubin Appoo said.
“AI has fundamentally changed how we build products, support customers, and work across WiseTech,” Mr Appoo told analysts at a Wednesday earnings briefing.
WiseTech cut 500 jobs globally earlier in the year under an efficiency program, before months later axing around 1200 more roles, mainly in product development and customer service.
The cuts amounted to roughly one in four of the company’s formerly 7000-strong headcount, and resulted in Mr Appoo being targeted with personal insults and a hand-written threat of violence in May.
Despite the record inflows, the company’s bottom line profit fell 11 per cent to $US178.7m.
Responding to the perceived threat of AI to software providers, Mr Appoo noted WiseTech’s customs solutions — which covered around four-fifths of global manufactured trade flows across 193 countries — could not be replicated.
Read more here ...
Dividend windfall for Sandfire investors
Shares in copper producer Sandfire Resources have surged 7.5 per cent in morning trade on the back of a bumper dividend.
The West Perth-based company with mines in Spain and Botswana delivered a 282 per cent increase in net profit to $US355.8 million.
Revenue rose from $US1.18 billion to $US1.65b.
The earnings bonanza was driven by record prices for copper, which is used extensively in the infrastructure and that makes artificial intelligence possible.
Sandfire declared a 35 cent a share dividend for the 2026 financial year, which was nearly triple the 13 cent payout analysts were expecting.
It did not declare a dividend in FY2025.
Sandfire’s stock was trading at $24.50 by 9.30am.
Bargain hunting now ‘entrenched’ among Woolies shoppers
Woolworths chief executive Amanda Bardwell says value-seeking shopping behaviour is now “entrenched” as households cope with higher cost-of-living pressures.
“For three years now, we’ve been talking about the pressure on household budgets. We’ve moved beyond a temporary phase into a new reality of entrenched value-seeking,” Ms Bardwell told media as she unveiled Woolworths’ full-year results on Wednesday.
“Customers have developed money-saving habits to stretch their weekly shopping as far as possible. Lower shelf price and everyday low price are helping meet their needs.”
The nation’s biggest supermarket chain booked an 18 per cent lift in net profit to $1.14 billion in the year to June 28. Excluding significant items, which included a $710 million provision to right an historical staff underpayments bungle, net profit would have hit $1.6b.
Group revenue jumped 3.6 per cent to $71.5b.
Rival Coles on Tuesday conceded Woolworths’ Ooshies promotion kept a lid on sales growth as it entered the new financial year.
Read more here ...
Writedowns take a slice out of Domino’s
Domino’s Pizza has slumped to a $134.2 million loss for the full-year as the chain stuggles through a bruising company reset.
Revenue tumbled 11.2 per cent to $2.05 billion as group same store sales declined 4.7 per cent across Australia and New Zealand, 2.2 per cent in Europe and 6.7 per cent in Asia.
On a brighter note, underlying net profit rose 4 per cent to $121.6m, in line with guidance, and franchisee profitability for the 12 months to the third quarter improved 11.3 per cent on a constant currency basis to $105,700 per store.
Chair, and Hungry Jack’s founder, Jack Cowin noted he had said a year ago that success would be measured by the ability of Domino’s franchise partners to earn a proper return.

“That remains the standard I hold this business to, and it is the standard against which I would ask shareholders to read this year’s result,” he said.
“We have made a deliberate decision to prioritise franchise partner profitability; to grow margins on our sales and reduce the reliance on discounting.
“Measured against what we set out to do, we delivered, but I stress we have more work to do.”
Mr Cowin said the full-year loss was blamed on significant non‑recurring items recognised following a comprehensive review of the group’s balance sheet and operations.
The majority of the items were non‑cash and included impairments and write‑downs relating to France and Taiwan, technology assets and underperforming corporate stores.”
Mr Cowin — the biggest shareholder of Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, which operates 3500 stores in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe — has been embroiled in a long-running stand-off with his Nasdaq-listed master franchisor, Domino’s Pizza over his move to ditch discounts.
Mr Cowin had previously said he would not apologise to the chain’s US parent for moving the business away from heavy discounting, and that it would continue to sacrifice short-term royalties in favour of sustained growth.
Wiluna Mining wields axes ahead of ASX return
Wiluna Mining’s hopes for a $200 million initial public offering within weeks have taken a hit as the company slashes staff and struggles to fix broken equipment.
The gold play’s latest battle follows the rupture of a carbon-in-leach tank in July that led to processing being suspended.
It comes as Wiluna pursues a promised relisting to the ASX by the end of the September quarter after collapsing into administration in 2022.
The business was only brought back to life at the end of 2025 amid a tailwind from a hot gold price above $US4000 an ounce.
Shareholders were told on Tuesday that Wiluna would not spend money on the tanks, which meant tailings reprocessing can’t be restarted. Plans to mill third-party ore have also been suspended.
The company has cut jobs but did not reveal exactly how many staff were axed in the “restructure”. A spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about how many workers were axed.
Read more here ...
SeaLink Rottnest business to stay with Kelsian
Kelsian Group will retain its SeaLink Rottnest ferry business under plans to offload the group’s entire tourism portfolio to Journey Beyond.
Kelsian first revealed the $161 million deal in February but there were concerns the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission may raise a red flag.
The watchdog has been assessing the transaction with and without the inclusion of the Rottnest business, which would strip $15.2m from the deal.
Kelsian this morning said the parties had agreed not to proceed with the sale of SeaLink Rottnest.
“SeaLink Rottnest is a profitable standalone, commuter ferry business with a strong brand,” said Kelsian CEO Graeme Legh.
“Kelsian intends to continue to operate SeaLink Rottnest alongside its other marine ferry operations across Australia, including the Transperth commuter ferry operation in Western Australia, which was not part of the original tourism portfolio sale.
“Having removed SeaLink Rottnest from the transaction perimeter, we are confident we have acompelling case for ACCC approval of the remaining tourism portfolio transaction. We continue to expect the sale to complete in 1HFY27.”
The deal also remains subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval.
Flight Centre cops $60m fourth quarter Middle East war hit as travellers changed plans
Flight Centre says it is seeing a strong rebound in leisure travel after its bottom line took a big hit from conflict in the Middle East during the June quarter.
The US and Israel war on Iran sent travellers scrambling to change their plans, costing the company about $60 million, its full-year results on Wednesday showed.
Still, profit improved across most metrics despite the escalating Middle East tensions, with statutory net profit rising 38 per cent to $149m. Underlying profit before tax eased four per cent to $278m.
Chief executive and founder Graham “Skroo” Turner said 2025-26 was “a story of mixed fortunes” for the company, with nine months of strong momentum and progress interrupted by three months of external disruption that left profit broadly in line with the prior financial year.
“Through the first three quarters we were tracking well ahead of the prior year in both leisure and corporate,” Mr Turner said.
“Then, in Q4, the Middle East conflict disrupted travel patterns.
“That was an external shock, not a change in the leisure business’s underlying strength, and momentum is already returning.”
The leisure business hit record total transaction value levels in July, surpassing the pre-pandemic 2019 peak, and its strongest profit for the month since 2015.
The $200m profit Flight Centre had been on track to achieve remained “a viable, medium-term target given that travel downturns are historically short and followed by rapid rebounds”, Mr Turner said.
As usual for the company, earnings guidance for the current financial year will be provided at its annual general meeting in November.
Bellevue adds to board
Bellevue Gold has appointed two new board members under its previously announced succession plan.
Independent non-executive directors Debra Counsell and Tanya Rybarczyk will join the board from September 23.
Ms Counsell is a lawyer and former senior executive with more than 30
years’ global experience in mining and resources, heavy industry, infrastructure and energy. Most recently she was chief legal officer and company secretary at BlueScope Steel and also served on both of its joint venture boards.
Ms Rybarczyk is a chartered accountant with more than 30 years’ experience across finance, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations and executive management.
She spent more than two decades with Wesfarmers, including as chief financial officer of Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers, general manager of CSBP Fertilisers and general manager of Kleenheat.
Ms Rybarczyk is currently a non-executive director of Synergy, Aquirian and the West
Australian Ballet Company.
The news comes as Shannon Coates revealed she does not intend to stand for re-election at this year’s annual general meeting.
Ooshies get Woolies off to flying star after solid year
Woolworths remains the king of Australia’s grocery market, booking a $1.14 billion profit from a solid jump in revenue during FY26 despite more cost-conscious shopping.
But the real star of the show has been its Ooshies collectibles campaign, which drove a near 8 per cent surge in sales in the first eight weeks of the new financial year.
Despite the “strong performance” of the promotion, CEO Amanda Bardwell warned customers were expected to remain value-focused in the year ahead.
“Wage growth is also expected to remain elevated by historical standards reflecting the current year’s annual wage increase of 4.75 per cent in Australia and progressive changes to pay for our 18 and 19-year-old retail team members,” she said.
“These cost pressures challenge us to be even more efficient, leveraging technology to be more productive in order to reinvest back into the business for our customers.”
Woolworths reported a 3.6 per cent rise in group-wide sales for the last financial year to $71.5b.
Net profit before significant items - which included a $710 million provision to right an historical staff underpayments bungle - was $1.6b.
Its grocery stores took in $53.8b, up 4.6 per cent. But its New Zealand stores continue to struggle, with sales down 3.1 per cent to $7.3b.
Perseus Mining shines in record year
A stunning gold price run throughout FY26 has delivered record results for cashed-up Perseus Mining.
The West Africa-focused miner this morning reported an after-tax profit of $480.5 million - up 14 per cent on the previous full year.
Revenue came in at $1.5 billion, a jump of 19 per cent as the precious metal touched record highs.
Perseus sold 399,023 ounce during the year, a fall from FY25’s 494,343oz. But that was more than offset by a 45 per cent jump in the average realised price per ounce to $3693.
The Subiaco-based company now holds $1.03b in cash, along with $400m of undrawn debt.
It declared a final payout of 9c a share, taking the full-year dividend to a record 14c a share, up 87 per cent on a year earlier.
“FY26 was also a year of major project momentum with our Nyanzaga gold project in Tanzania on track for first gold pour in January 2027 and the achievement of first gold pour from the CMA underground in Côte d’Ivoire,” said MD Craig James.
“Our mineral resource and ore reserve update released today demonstrates Perseus’s ongoing ability to grow its resources, with a 37 per cent increase in measured and indicated resources and a 40 per cent increase in proved and probable reserves compared to FY25.”
The Perseus board is also considering an additional distribution of $100m to recognise the additional proceeds received from the recent sale of the Meyas Sands gold project in Sudan.
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