0337 GMT - The wording of Accent Group's soft trading update suggests to Morgans analyst Emily Porter that the footwear retailer's athlete-focused brands are still performing. Porter downgrades her recommendation on the stock to hold from accumulate, and says that promotional activity is weighing on gross margins. The Australian company's call out to its "lifestyle footwear" segment indicates to Porter that the weakness is at stores such as Hype, Platypus and Vans. She thinks that other operations, such as Hoka and The Athletes Foot, are continuing to perform. Morgans lowers its target price by 7.5% to A$1.85. Shares are up 0.2% at A$1.3625. ([email protected])

0135 GMT - Another leg higher for shares of miners including Anglo American and Freeport mostly depends on commodity prices rising, according to Jefferies analyst Christopher LaFemina. "That is fine," he says in a note, "but it can be a short-term problem as geopolitical risks escalate...again." LaFemina cautions to prepare for some volatility in mining stocks. In Sydney, BHP and Rio Tinto are up 0.5% and 1.2%, respectively. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

0115 GMT - Dundee's roughly US$1.3 billion takeover deal with Adriatic Metals looks good for Adriatic shareholders, say Canaccord Genuity analysts Paul Howard and Alex Bedwany. The cash-and-scrip deal is only an 11% premium to Adriatic's last closing price before the deal was announced, the analysts note. Yet it is a 51% premium to where the stock traded before Adriatic confirmed it was in talks with Dundee. It is a "strong premium if looking at the whole picture," the analysts say. They reiterate Canaccord's hold rating and A$5.50 target on Adriatic. The stock is up 9.4% at A$5.47. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

0105 GMT - Macquarie analysts are waiting for market expectations on Collins Foods to be reset before they think about becoming more positive on the Australian fast-food operator. They tell clients in a note that shares in Collins, which operates brands including KFC, are starting to look more compelling following a recent pull-back. However, the Macquarie analysts are waiting on observers elsewhere to adjust forecasts before they consider engaging further. Macquarie has already factored in Collins's impending wage increases and subdued short-term sales growth. Macquarie keeps a neutral rating and A$8.20 target price on the stock which is flat at A$7.44. ([email protected])

0104 GMT - Close The Loop's challenges in its U.S. computer refurbishment business have put its balance sheet in the spotlight. Shaw & Partners expects FY 2025 net debt at 3.6x Ebitda. According to analyst Larry Gandler, Close The Loop's 2H free cash flow is likely to be negative. That reflects weak operational performance, expenditure on its Mexicali plant, and lease payments. "We do not know the exact nature of Close The Loop's debt covenants associated with its US$40 million senior secured term loan," Shaw says. "It's possible Close The Loop may need to issue equity to satisfy its debt covenants." Shaw retains a hold call on the stock. ([email protected]; @dwinningWSJ)

0057 GMT - Nufarm is reviewing its Seed Technologies business and Bell Potter thinks a sale would be a material catalyst for the stock. It thinks a breakup could realize between A$3.73/share and A$5.16/share in value. Analyst Jonathan Snape says that assessment is based on multiples that he considers to be conservative. "An exit from Seeds would likely highlight a crop protection business trading at a 25-50% discount to peers," Bell Potter says. It has a buy call and A$3.45/share price target on Nufarm, which is up 4.5% at A$2.34. ([email protected]; @dwinningWSJ)

2325 GMT - Zip's bull at Ord Minnett reckons that the Australian installment-payments provider is in a great place after its second guidance upgrade in less than three months. Analyst Phillip Chippindale is particularly positive on the fact that Zip is improving its U.S. momentum despite a challenging macro environment. He tells clients in a note that a further boost is coming from interest-rate cuts. Ord Minnett raises its target price 13% to A$3.40 and keeps a buy rating on the stock. Shares are at A$2.67 ahead of the open. ([email protected])

2237 GMT - The Israel-Iran conflict is escalating and could lead to higher Singapore refining margins if Iran's oil exports get disrupted, RBC Capital Markets says. Ampol stands to benefit the most if Australian refining margins rise in step, according to analyst Gordon Ramsay. Ampol's next major turnaround of its Lytton refinery isn't planned until 1H of 2026. "Therefore the improved Lytton refinery operational performance should allow Ampol to capture the full benefit from higher Singapore refiner margins," RBC says. It has a Sector Perform call on Ampol and A$29.00/share price target. Ampol ended last week at A$25.81. ([email protected]; @dwinningWSJ)

2220 GMT - Ord Minnett is confident about its buy call on Regis Healthcare ahead of key reforms to accommodation funding on Nov. 1. It expects these reforms to be a material driver of Regis's medium-term earnings. Central to this is room pricing, known to investors as RAD, says analyst Tom Godfrey. "We note that the company's latest advertised prices have increased 19% since December," to now stand at A$638,000, says Ord Minnett. This is well ahead of its estimates. Ord Minnett says this can raise Regis's RAD funding to A$2.2 billion, from A$1.7 billion. ([email protected]; @dwinningWSJ)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires