FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Schoolblazer Unit Posts Lower Fiscal H1 Revenue; Shares Reach Five-Year Low

By

-- 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.

Related Articles

Asia

New Zealand First Home Buyers Retain High Market Share Amid Favorable Conditions, Cotality-Westpac Report Says

First home buyers in New Zealand represented 27.5% of property purchases across the country in the first quarter, slightly lower than the 28.2% record high in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a Cotality-Westpac report published Friday.First home buyers are purchasing more in a market that is busier overall: over the last 12 months, they bought some 24,800 properties, the biggest annual total since the third quarter of 2021, according to the report."This strength for [first home buyers] is being seen right across the country, with market shares running above their own long-term averages since 2005," the report said, noting that first-time buyers accounted for 37% of first-quarter activity in the broader Wellington area, roughly 8 percentage points higher than its average.Activity for first home buyers is supported by access to low-deposit finance, with recent central bank data showing that more than half of their loans are offered at less than 20% deposit."Looking ahead, although getting onto the property ladder remains challenging, conditions should stay relatively favorable for first home buyers," the report said.

$^NZ50
Asia

Lupin's Consolidated Profit Rises in Fiscal Q4

Lupin's (NSE:LUPIN, BOM:500257) consolidated attributable profit rose sharply to 14.6 billion Indian rupees in the fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31, from 7.73 billion rupees. a year ago.Earnings per share came in at 31.89 rupees from 16.87 rupees a year earlier, the pharmaceutical company said in a filing with the Indian stock exchanges on Thursday.Revenue from operations in fiscal Q4 increased to 74.7 billion rupees from 56.7 billion rupees a year ago.The company's board declares a dividend of 18 rupees per equity share of face value of 2 rupees each, fully paid up, for the financial year ended March 31.

$BOM:500257$NSE:LUPIN
US Markets

Japan Services Activity Hits 11-Month Low as Middle East Conflict Drives Input Costs to One-Year High

Japan's service sector growth slowed to an 11-month low in April as rising costs and weaker demand weighed on activity, while companies raised prices at one of the fastest rates on record, adding to concerns over mounting inflationary pressure ahead of a possible Bank of Japan rate increase.The au Jibun Bank Japan Services PMI business activity index fell to 51 in April from 53.4 in March, marking the weakest expansion since May 2025, according to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence. A reading above 50 indicates growth.New business growth also softened to the slowest pace since October, while export demand contracted for the first time in five months as uncertainty linked to the Middle East conflict and elevated prices weighed on overseas sales.At the same time, input costs rose at the fastest rate in a year, driven largely by higher fuel and import expenses tied to the conflict and a weaker yen. Companies passed those costs on to customers, pushing selling prices to the third-steepest increase since the survey began in 2007.The broader composite PMI, which combines manufacturing and services activity, eased to 52.2 from 53, though manufacturing output expanded at the fastest pace in more than 12 years amid front-loaded demand."Underlying data indicated that the slowdown stemmed from more subdued growth across the service sector, as manufacturers reported the quickest rise in output in over 12 years amid reports of front-loading due to thewar in the Middle East," said S&P Global Market Intelligence's Economics Associate Director Annabel Fiddes.The data adds to signs that Japan's economy is entering a more difficult phase for policymakers, with slowing activity coinciding with persistent inflation pressure."The business mood continued to be dampened by lingering uncertainty over the war and the possibility of future price hikes and softer customer demand. Notably, optimism around the year-ahead slipped to the lowestsince the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020," Fiddes added.Separate government data showed real wages in March rose 1% from a year earlier for a third straight monthly increase, while nominal wages climbed 2.7% to 317,254 yen. However, wage gains continued to lag inflation, with consumer prices rising 1.6%.The combination of softer services demand and accelerating price pressures could complicate the Bank of Japan's policy outlook as markets increasingly price in a possible rate increase in June. The central bank kept interest rates unchanged in April but warned that inflation could overshoot expectations as companies continue shifting toward higher wages and prices.

$^N225