Autobacs Seven (TYO:9832) booked a 6.1% increase in total store sales in May, with same-store sales up 5.4% year on year, according to a Friday filing with the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The average purchase price per customer rose 1.7% across all stores.
The company attributed the sales growth to stronger demand for batteries and accessories amid rising maintenance demand for existing cars and a higher number of weekends and national holidays from the previous year.
Rio Tinto's (ASX:RIO) acquisition of the remaining shares in Energy Resources of Australia (ASX:ERA) has been approved by the Federal Court of Australia, a Friday judgment disclosure by the court showed."Having considered the evidence before me and Zentree's objections (and, to the extent they differ, those of the other objecting shareholders). I am satisfied that the terms set out in the Notice give a fair value for the shares in ERA," the judgment said.Energy Resources of Australia said it will need time to review the judgment and prepare its market response, and the trading halt on its shares will remain in place until the earlier of it releasing a disclosure about the proceedings or the start of trading on June 9, according to a Friday Australian bourse filing.The company's shares fell 2% in recent Friday trade.
South Korean educational robots and drones manufacturer Alux (KOSDAQ:475580) extended a 12 billion won loan to its subsidiary, iFab, according to a filing with the Korea Exchange on Friday.The loan will be used to acquire shares in other corporations and for business operations, the filing said.The loan period is from June 11, 2026, to June 10, 2027. The loan amount is equivalent to 26.38% of iFab's total equity capital, it said.
Spark New Zealand (NZE:SPK, ASX:SPK) launched Verified Call, a feature that helps customers identify legitimate Spark calls by displaying the company's name, logo, a verified badge, and reason for calling on the mobile phone screen before picking up, according to a Thursday statement from the company.The company said Verified Call works by sending a notification to the Spark app just before the call connects, allowing Spark's verified branding and call intent to appear on the customer's screen while the phone is ringing and during the call."We're also exploring how this capability could be extended more broadly across other organizations, as part of a wider, coordinated approach to strengthening trust in phone communications," said Ross Dickson, Spark Fraud lead.The company's New Zealand shares rose past 1% in recent Friday trade.