Australasian Equities

Fat Prophets
Australasian Equities

Core

medium

Buy

Taking Australia’s Largest Ports Operator Off the Stock Exchange Macquarie Group is taking Qube Holdings, Australia’s largest ports and rail logistics operator, off the stock exchange in a A$11.7 billion deal assembled with pension funds and sovereign wealth investors from Singapore, the United States and Spain. Shareholders approved the transaction on 16 June with 97.7% in favour, paying a 28% premium to where Qube shares traded before the bid was announced. Final court approval is expected in early July. The deal

Sonic Healthcare

Core

medium

Hold

Selling the Building, Keeping the Compounding Australian healthcare has been the worst sector on the local market over the past year, as former high-flyers like CSL and Cochlear were brutally punished after underwhelming updates in early 2026. Although Sonic Healthcare has outperformed the broader sector, this is little solace as the stock has fallen about 13% YTD and by 26% over the past twelve months. It is down about a third from its 52-week high, trading near multi-year lows, on a

Woodside Energy

Core

medium

Hold

Tightening Its Grip on Australia’s Largest Undeveloped Offshore Gas Field Woodside Energy (ASX: WDS) has moved to increase its stake in Browse, Australia’s largest undeveloped offshore gas field, paying US$225 million upfront for an additional 10.67% interest, with a further US$175 million payable only if the project receives a construction go-ahead by mid-2032. The deal deepens Woodside’s control over a resource that could supply gas to Asian markets for decades. Separately, the company firmly denied any takeover discussions with ExxonMobil, removing

Elders

Core

medium

Hold

Feedlot Sells for 4x Book Value Elders (ASX: ELD) is selling a large cattle feedlot in New South Wales for A$195.8 million after receiving all government approvals. The sale completes on 30th June and will be used to pay down debt, bringing borrowings back to a more comfortable level following last year’s A$475 million acquisition of the Delta Agribusiness. Elders is refocusing on advisory and agency services rather than owning physical agricultural assets. The earnings impact of the sale is modest, and the

ANZ Banking Group

Core

medium

Hold

The Pivot Toward Wealth Management and Insurance ANZ (ASX: ANZ) CEO Nuno Matos is steering the bank away from heavy reliance on home lending and toward wealth management, insurance and business banking. Planned government tax changes from July 2027, including tighter rules for property investors, are expected to slow mortgage market growth from around 8-9% to 5-6% annually. In response, ANZ is rebuilding its presence in financial advice and insurance products, areas it largely exited a decade ago. Thousands of managers are also having their bonuses tied

QBE Insurance

Core

medium

Buy

Australia’s Most Valuable Insurance Brand QBE (ASX: QBE) continues to build on a strong annual result, where the global insurer achieved the highest return on equity in over a decade at 18.2%. Premium rates remain ahead of claims inflation across most business lines. Catastrophe claims for early 2026 are tracking well below internal budgets, and QBE has retained its position as Australia’s most valuable insurance brand. Global operations across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific provide diversification that reduces reliance on any single market. The earnings quality

Northern Star

Speculative

high

Hold

Sitting on a Gold Mine Northern Star (ASX: NST) has reported a 26% increase in its total gold resource estimate to 88.9 million ounces and a 27% rise in confirmed mineable reserves to 28.4 million ounces, driven by strong results at its flagship Western Australian operations and a newly acquired Pilbara deposit. Shares jumped 8% on the announcement. However, activist investor Elliott Management has built a stake of around 4%, pushing for strategic changes including a possible sale. The board has

Praemium

Core

medium

Hold

Going AI Praemium (ASX: PPS) is in the middle of replacing its core operating platform with a new system built using AI capabilities acquired through the purchase of technology firm Technotia. The technology team has been cut from over 140 staff to around 40, targeting A$9 million in annual salary savings. Meanwhile, a customer launch is planned for later in 2026, with migration running through the rest of the year. In our last tech update on the 23rd of April, we noted that “Praemium continued to consolidate constructively above the primary uptrend,

BHP

Core

medium

Buy

A New Escondida Every Year BHP (ASX: BHP) eased about −7.5% from its all-time high in early June to around A$60.20 at the time of writing, as iron ore slipped back toward US$100/t and a broad commodity sell-off took some heat out of the diversified miners. We read the dip not as a top but as a buying opportunity in a stock whose earnings base has quietly changed shape, with a structural engine still underneath the re-rate. That engine is copper. In

Woodside Energy

Core

medium

Hold

Keeping the Country Running? Woodside Energy’s (ASX: WDS) flagship Scarborough gas project off Western Australia is 96% complete and on track to ship its first cargo in late 2026. A separate project in Louisiana, USA, is 31% complete with first shipments expected in 2029. Disruption to roughly 20% of global liquefied natural gas supplies following the Middle East conflict has tightened the market, providing a genuine pricing tailwind. In our last tech update on the 30th of April, we noted that “In terms of the big

Ansell

Core

medium

Hold

What the Sell-Off Bought Ansell’s first-half numbers were strong. EBIT up 15% on flat sales, margins among the highest in recent years, cash conversion at 112%, and full-year guidance held. The stock has fallen roughly 25% from its November peak anyway. Three things have weighed on the shares, but don’t change the long-term story. In February, Neil Salmon handed over to incoming CEO Nathalie Ahlström on results day itself, a transition that was telegraphed and orderly. However, in April, CFO Brian

Downer EDI

Speculative

high

Buy

Nine Years of Revenue Locked In Downer EDI (ASX: DOW) has secured a $310 million contract to maintain key Sydney toll roads for up to nine years from July 2026. This builds on existing work in Melbourne and extends a long-standing relationship with one of Australia’s most demanding infrastructure owners. The company manages over 50,000 kilometres of road networks across Australia and New Zealand. The business is steadily shifting away from riskier construction projects toward lower-risk, long-dated maintenance and services work, supporting more

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises

Core

medium

Hold

Labour Pain? Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (ASX: DMP) is navigating a difficult period, with same-store sales already down 2.5% across the group and the Australian and New Zealand business falling 4.7%. A new CEO is still settling in. From 1 July, award wages rise 4.75%, directly increasing labour costs across a franchise network where individual store profits are already thin at around A$103,000 per year. Cost savings of A$55 to A$70 million and digital efficiencies provide some offset. Until same-store sales show a clear recovery,

Treasury Wine Estates

Core

medium

Hold

Ascent! Treasury Wine Estates (ASX: TWE) popped higher last week after the vintner unveiled its “Ascent” transformation plan at the 2026 Investor Day, with plans to cut the wine brand portfolio from 76 to fewer than 30, focusing resources on three flagship labels and seven regional brands. Operating profit guidance of A$480m to A$490m for 2026 is flat again in 2027, with meaningful revenue growth and margin improvement not expected until 2028. Debt levels peak at roughly 2.9x earnings in 2026, and dividends have been suspended. The US business remains in

South32

Speculative

high

Hold

A Portfolio Built for the Energy Transition South32 (ASX: S32) is increasingly positioning itself around copper, zinc and silver, metals closely tied to electric vehicles, renewable energy and data centre construction. The flagship development project in Arizona, which contains large zinc and silver deposits, has seen costs rise more than 50% to US$3.3 billion, with first production now delayed to late 2028 and full output pushed to 2031. On the other hand, the broader resource has grown by 52%, extending the project’s life to 33 years.

The Lottery Corporation

Speculative

high

Buy

Funding Digital Transformation The Lottery Corporation (ASX: TLC) has cut its annual operating cost guidance by $10 million by permanently reducing staff numbers. The savings are being redirected into artificial intelligence, digital product improvements and customer experience upgrades, funding the transformation from within rather than asking shareholders for more money. Online lottery sales already represent 41.2% of total turnover and are growing. Dividends remain fully franked at 8 cents per share for the half year. The company is cycling out of

SRG Global

Core

medium

Hold

Impressive update, but not chasing Yesterday’s update from SRG Global was impressive, and the market quickly marked the stock +16% higher. A$1.85b in new contracts, FY26 EBITDA guidance upgraded to A$168m, and FY27 EBITDA guided at A$190m–200m, above the market consensus. The HOLD rating is unchanged. While the stock could see more upward momentum from liquidity flows, we don’t like the risk-to-reward in chasing the stock at these levels. The announcement itself deserves the market reaction. A$1.85b in contract wins across

Northern Star

Speculative

high

Hold

Shares Jump After Elliott Goes Public With Demands Northern Star surged (ASX: NST) and was in the spotlight after famed activist investor Elliott Investment Management built a stake worth over A$1 billion in the gold miner and publicly called for a strategic review, including a potential sale of the company. The announcement triggered a rally after a steep year-to-date fall. A new CEO is being sought, a major processing facility expansion is due for completion in early 2027, and full-year production guidance was

Orica

Core

medium

Hold

US Manufacturing Plants Now Fully Owned Orica (ASX: ORI) has resolved two significant US issues in quick succession. A long-running legal dispute was settled for US$169.5 million, removing a major source of uncertainty, and the company has taken full ownership of four US manufacturing facilities previously held in a joint venture for US$25 million plus US$48 million in assumed debt. Together, these moves are expected to deliver A$35 million in annual profit improvement once integrated. In our last tech update on the 17th of

Collins Foods

Core

medium

Buy

German Network Up by 50% Collins Foods (ASX: CKF) completed the purchase of eight KFC outlets in the Munich area of Germany on 1 June 2026 for €31.1 million. The acquisition lifts its German network to 25 restaurants across three states. The newly acquired stores are already generating higher profit margins than existing German locations. Germany has just one KFC restaurant per 1.8 million people, pointing to significant room for growth. Full-year profit growth guidance of mid-to-high teens remains intact. In our last tech

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