-- Rakon (NZE:RAK) said Bourns has now paid for and holds about 95.6% of the company's voting rights, making it a "dominant owner" of Rakon, according to a Friday filing with the New Zealand bourse.
Bourns, a US-based electronics company, launched a full takeover offer for Rakon in February.
Japanese listed companies hold an estimated 20 trillion yen in unrealized gains from real estate assets, fueling activist investor calls for property sales to improve capital efficiency, Nikkei reported Friday.Estimates from Mizuho Trust & Banking show publicly traded firms hold business real estate with a book value of 119 trillion yen and an estimated market value of 139 trillion yen, according to the report.Rising land prices and inflation have sharply increased the value of corporate property holdings, including logistics facilities and headquarters. Unrealized gains on disclosed rental properties reached 30 trillion yen in fiscal 2025, up 25% from five years earlier, the report said.Activist investors are pressing companies to sell low-yield assets and use proceeds for shareholder returns or investments, according to the report.Nikkon Holdings (TYO:9072) said it may sell properties generating returns below its cost of capital after reviewing 243 sites valued at about 130 billion yen. Toho Holdings (TYO:8129) is also considering asset sales following pressure from investor 3D Investment Partners, the report said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
(Updates to add stock movement in the headline and last paragraph)News Corp (ASX:NWS) reported Friday fiscal third-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.21 per share, up from $0.17 a year earlier.Analysts polled by FactSet expected $0.19.Revenue for the quarter ended March 31 was $2.19 billion, up from $2.01 billion a year ago. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $2.11 billion.The company's shares rose 4% in recent Friday trade.
Schoolblazer's (ASX:SBZ) Schoolblazer Group subsidiary recorded AU$55.4 million in total revenue for the fiscal first half ended March 31, down from AU$57.7 million in the same period the year prior, according to a Friday filing with the Australian bourse.Total global sales of AU$55.3 million were down 4% compared with last year, the filing said.The company anticipates that about two-thirds of revenue and most of the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization will be generated in the fiscal second half, but ongoing geopolitical disruptions, freight rates, and delays are likely to have some impact.The company maintained its fiscal-year revenue of between AU$190 million and AU$200 million, per the filing.Shares fell 3% in morning trade on Friday and earlier reached their lowest since January 2021.