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Asia
ASX Preview: Australian Shares Set to Fall as US-Iran Tensions Escalate; Westpac Banking Posts Higher Fiscal H1 Adjusted Earnings, Net Operating Income
Australian shares are poised to fall on Tuesday after renewed US-Iran hostilities and attacks around the Strait of Hormuz rattled global markets, sending oil prices higher and heightening fears over disruption to a key energy shipping route.Overnight, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq Composite, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.4%, 0.2%, and 1.1%, respectively.In the macroeconomy, Australian services activity edged back into expansion in April as firms increased hiring and output, but persistent inflation driven by higher fuel costs linked to Middle East tensions continued to weigh on new orders and keep business sentiment subdued, according to a monthly survey by S&P Global released Tuesday.Reserve Bank of Australia's monetary policy decision is due at 2:30 pm Sydney time.In corporate news, Westpac Banking (ASX:WBC) reported Tuesday fiscal first-half earnings of AU$1.014 per share excluding notable items on net operating income of AU$11.28 billion, compared with earnings of AU$0.998 on net operating income of AU$10.99 billion a year earlier.Regis Resources (ASX:RRL) agreed to acquire Vault Minerals (ASX:VAU) in a merger of equals to create a major gold producer with a pro forma market capitalization of about AU$10.7 billion.Australia's benchmark index fell 0.4% or 32.7 points to close at 8,697.10 on Monday.
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Research
Research Alert: CFRA Reiterates Strong Buy Opinion On Shares Of Aptargroup, Inc.
CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We maintain our 12-month target at $149, 26.8x our 2026 EPS estimate, a premium to its three-year average forward P/E of 26.5x. We trim our 2026 EPS view by $0.12 to $5.56 and decrease our 2027 EPS by $0.15 to $6.40. The injectables division continues to validate our thesis, with 20% Y/Y growth in Q1 as management actively works to increase capacity so the division can expand further. We note that emergency medicine faces a $65M headwind in 1H 2026 as it destocks from prior inventory, which led to flat Q1 core sales and weaker gross margins. Management is confident its pharma growth will expand beyond GLP-1 to both systemic nasal drug delivery and pulmonary biologics. Margin weakness and an unfavorable mix in the Beauty segment are temporary, with normal margins returning in 2H 2026 in our view. We continue to believe ATR is poised to capture significant growth in the biologics markets. ATR could face higher raw material costs as supply chains become stretched due to uncertainty in the Middle East.
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Asia
Wesfarmers Commits AU$100 Million Equity to Form 50:50 JV With Built Group
Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) has agreed to enter a 50:50 joint venture with Built Group to establish Built Living, a new Australian business dedicated to delivering residential apartments at scale through advanced manufacturing, with Wesfarmers initially committing up to AU$100 million of equity, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.The company said Built Living will use Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) methods, aiming to deliver apartments at about 20% lower cost and 50% faster than traditional construction, with a facility to be established in Western Australia expected to support the delivery of more than 2,000 apartments annually once completed.Construction of the facility is expected to commence in the second half, with the Western Australian Government supporting the establishment through a long-term lease of land in the Neerabup Automation and Robotics Precinct and direct support for facility development, the filing added.The company added that a portion of the facility's annual capacity will be used for government-backed housing projects and the state's social infrastructure pipeline, with the establishment of Built Living also expected to create growth opportunities for Wesfarmers' existing businesses, including through supply arrangements with Bunnings' trade business.Built Living will operate as a standalone company with equal board representation for Wesfarmers and Built, once Wesfarmers has fully deployed its initial AU$100 million commitment, the company said.The company added that the investment is not expected to have a material impact on its earnings in the current financial year.
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