0314 GMT - Outdoor advertiser oOh!media's cost cuts give Jefferies analyst John Campbell greater confidence the Australian company will deliver on fiscal 2025 earnings expectations. Campbell tells clients in a note that the A$15 million in permanent cost reductions offer some comfort on the earnings outlook given what he sees as risk around oOh!media's current contract with Auckland Transport. The company announced the cuts in response to poor trading conditions and Campbell sees consumers staying cautious until local interest rates start falling. Jefferies has a buy rating and A$1.75 target price on the stock, which is down 1.3% at A$1.16. ([email protected])

0126 GMT - Endeavour Group's annual earnings are likely to be hit by as much as 1.5% by the recent strike at Woolworths distribution centers, Goldman Sachs analysts warn. This worst-case estimate, based on an eventual total of A$50 million in lost sales, would reduce annual earnings before interest and tax by A$15 million. They tell clients in a note that the Ebit impact could be as low as A$6 million if Endeavour limits the adverse sales impact to the A$25 million already disclosed by the company. They acknowledge that the situation is evolving and make no changes to their earnings forecasts. GS maintains a buy rating and a target price of A$5.50 on the stock. Shares are 0.5% lower at A$4.26. ([email protected])

0125 GMT - Sigma Healthcare gets a new bear at Jefferies as its merger with privately owned Chemist Warehouse moves slowly toward the finish line. Analyst David Stanton tells clients in a note that, following the latest update from Australia's competition regulator, he now expects the merger to complete by the end of February. He had previously been eyeing the end of this month. Jefferies raises its fiscal 2025 forecasts for Chemist Warehouse sales and margins, supporting a 16% rise in its target price for Sigma shares to A$1.85. However, the stock's recent advance leads the investment bank to cut its recommendation to underperform from hold. Shares are down 1.95% at A$2.765. ([email protected])

0040 GMT - National Australia Bank's sale of its remaining stake in MLC Life Insurance is unlikely to have any impact on key investment decisions at the lender, Morgan Stanley analyst Richard E. Wiles says. He writes in a note that the A$500 million sale of the 20% stake to Japan's Nippon Life is consistent with NAB's strategy and will have no material impact on cash earnings. Wiles reckons that the sale will lift NAB's CET 1 capital ratio to a pro-forma 12.3%, implying A$3.4 billion of excess capital. He assumes that NAB will dedicate A$3 billion of this to further share buybacks. MS has an overweight rating and an A$38.40 target price on the stock, which is up 0.1% at A$37.64. ([email protected])

0024 GMT - Peter Warren Automotive's weaker-than-expected profit guidance illustrates the demand-driven pressure being felt by all Australian vehicle dealers, Jefferies analysts say. The ASX-listed guidance for a first-half pre-tax profit of A$6 million-A$8 million compares with Jefferies's prior forecast of A$14 million, with oversupply and weak demand weighing on margins. The near-term future for Australia's vehicle dealers looks wholly dependent on when the country's central bank cuts interest rates, they say. The only positive thought among the Jefferies crew is that tough conditions could lead to acquisition opportunities. Jefferies has a last-published buy rating and A$1.95 target price on the stock, which is down 12% at A$1.48. ([email protected])

0006 GMT - Beach Energy's share selloff leaves the stock looking fairly valued to Citi analyst James Byrne, who raises his recommendation to neutral from sell. Byrne tells clients in a note that his recent site visit to Beach's Waitsia onshore gas project has left him feeling more positive. Capital-expenditure contingencies have not been utilized to the extent that he had feared, and his capex estimate is now less onerous than previously forecast. He warns that Beach still has to contend with oil-price weakness and execution risks and continues to see the investment case as difficult. Citi raises its target price 9.1% to A$1.20. Shares are up 8.2% at A$1.315. ([email protected])

2334 GMT - Wider adoption of Pro Medicus's medical-imaging tech looks inevitable to its bulls at Goldman Sachs. Calling Pro Medicus one of Australia's best global growth companies, GS analysts write in a note that they expect a strong increase in the cadence and value of contract wins over time. Adoption is a matter of when, not if, they reckon. The analysts think that there is potential for material upside from outsized contracts worth more than A$100 million, but they acknowledge that visibility here is limited in terms of both size and timing. GS lifts its target price 26% to A$278.00 and keeps a buy rating on the stock. Shares are up 3.7% at A$256.29. ([email protected])

(END) Dow Jones Newswires