-- Huaxin Building Materials' (SHA:600801) attributable profit rose 169% to 630.1 million yuan in the first quarter from 233.9 million yuan in the year-ago period, according to a Thursday filing with the Shanghai bourse.
Earnings per share at the cement manufacturer increased 164% to 0.29 yuan from 0.11 yuan in the prior-year period.
Operating revenue grew 24% year over year to 8.91 billion yuan from 7.16 billion yuan.
Australian shares swung back to positive territory on Friday's close as equities received a boost from earnings season in the US and oil prices eased.The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.74%, or 64 points, to close at 8,729.80.Brent crude oil futures were trading over $111 per barrel. The Strait of Hormuz remained closed, and Iran said it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions if the US renewed attacks.Strong corporate earnings lead to a rally in tech stocks on Wall Street. The US gross domestic product (GDP) increased at a 2% annualized rate last quarter, compared with a 0.5% pace in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said.On the domestic front, Australia's producer prices, excluding exports, increased 0.4% in the March quarter, following a 0.8% rise in the December 2025 quarter, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.Australia's manufacturing sector returned to expansion in April, though the improvement was outweighed by major supply-chain disruptions and a sharp rise in costs linked to fuel and freight pressures arising from the Middle East conflict, according to a survey by S&P Global.The headline seasonally adjusted S&P Global Australia Manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) rose to 51.3 in April from 49.8 in March.Australia's home value index edged 0.3% higher in April, registering its slowest pace of growth since January 2025 amid declines in Sydney and Melbourne, according to figures from Cotality.In company news, ANZ Group Holdings (ASX:ANZ, NZE:ANZ) reported fiscal first-half cash earnings of AU$1.242 per share, up from AU$1.17 a year earlier. Operating income for the six months ended March 31 was AU$11.2 billion, compared with about AU$11 billion a year earlier. Its shares fell 2% at market close.Coles Group (ASX:COL) sales revenue for the fiscal third quarter was AU$10.7 billion, up from AU$10.38 billion a year earlier. The increase was driven by a 4% growth in the supermarket segment's sales revenue to AU$9.78 billion. Its shares closed up 3%.Lastly, Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) and its Jetstar unit are set to extend previously disclosed schedule changes across their international and domestic network into the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, aiming to mitigate the impact of significantly higher fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict. Its shares closed up 1%.
Japanese shares closed higher on Friday, with sentiment supported after Tokyo signaled readiness to step into currency markets to curb volatility driven by speculative moves in crude-linked trades.The Nikkei 225 rose 0.38%, or 228.20 points, to close at 59,513.12.Atsushi Mimura, Japan's vice finance minister for international affairs, said authorities stand ready to respond to market distortions linked to speculative trading in crude oil futures.Japan moved into the currency market on Thursday to support the yen, according to people familiar with the matter, with U.S. officials alerted in advance in line with Group of Seven practices. The yen traded around 157.19 per dollar in Tokyo on Friday morning, after strengthening to 155.57 the previous day from an intraday low near 160.72.In other economic news, Tokyo core inflation slowed to 1.5% in April, marking a fifth straight deceleration and staying below the Bank of Japan's 2% target, while a key underlying gauge eased to 1.9%.Japan's consumer confidence index fell 1.1 points to 32.2 in April, with weaker sentiment on spending and livelihoods, even as 93.6% of households expected prices to rise over the next year.On the corporate front, Marubeni (TYO:8002) fell 4% after reporting an 8.1% rise in annual profit to 543.85 billion yen and forecasting 580 billion yen for the current year.Makino Milling Machine (TYO:6135) rose 5% after MM Holdings dropped its takeover bid following a government recommendation citing national security concerns.Air Water (TYO:4088) slid 14% after the Tokyo Stock Exchange designated its shares as a security on alert and imposed a listing rule violation penalty.
Beijing Tongrentang's (SHA:600085) attributable profit fell 19% to 471.2 million yuan in the first quarter from 582.2 million yuan in the year-ago period, according to a Thursday filing with the Shanghai bourse.Basic earnings per share at the traditional Chinese medicine manufacturer decreased 19% to 0.344 yuan from 0.425 yuan in the prior-year period.Operating revenue declined 12% year over year to 4.66 billion yuan from 5.28 billion yuan.