0340 GMT - Bapcor's lack of earnings visibility costs the auto-parts supplier a bull at Macquarie. The investment bank lowers its recommendation on the stock to neutral from outperform, telling clients in a note that the Australian company's latest trading update has hit conviction in its analyst's forecasts. Bapcor's earnings downgrade provided limited details on the business's various segments and its outlook, the note says. Macquarie cuts its target price by 35% to A$3.80 and is waiting on evidence of an operational turnaround for any stock rerating. Shares are up 0.8% at A$3.69. ([email protected])

0211 GMT - Gold miner Newmont is target to meet FY guidance following stronger-than-expected 2Q production results, says Citi analyst Alexander Hacking in a note. "1H production from core mines was 2.8 million ounces, leaving the company well on track for [its] 5.6-million-ounce guidance," given output from Nevada Gold Mines is 2H weighted, says Hacking. He also highlights Newmont's record free cash flow, boosted by strong gold prices. Citi has a buy rating on Newmont, and expects the stock to outperform, says Hacking. Newmont is up 3.3% in Sydney at A$94.92. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

0133 GMT - NextDC's bull at Citi sees positive signs for the Australian data-center operator in Google's June-quarter update. Analyst Siraj Ahmed tells clients in a note that Google called out capacity constraints even as its on-year cloud revenue growth accelerated to 32% from 28% three months earlier. The U.S. tech giant's increased capital expenditure for 2025, and probably for 2026, is seen by Ahmed as a positive demand signal for NextDC, which is expanding beyond Australia into Asia. Citi has a buy rating and A$18.35 target price on NextDC shares, which are up 0.2% at A$14.325. ([email protected])

0126 GMT - Bapcor's latest downgrade leads Citi analysts to believe that the auto-parts supplier's turnaround may take longer than investors had anticipated. Alongside weak sales, they are concerned by the unexplained exit of three directors and previously unknown issues on Bapcor's accounting practices dating back to 2021. Bapcor's share of the Australian retail market is under pressure and its trade segment is underperforming relative to peers, they write in a note. Citi cuts its target price 28% to A$3.90 and stay neutral on the stock, which is down 1.0% at A$3.625. ([email protected])

0118 GMT - OFX gets a new bull at Canaccord Genuity, where analyst Owen Humphries is increasingly confident in the rollout of the international payments provider's new client platform. Raising his recommendation to buy from hold, Humphries tells clients in a note that the migration of existing clients to the platform is accelerating and that all Australian corporate customers will be there by the end of the September quarter. Foreign-exchange activity is higher among migrated clients and retention is improving, he adds. Canaccord raises its target price 10% to A$1.10. Shares are up 0.6% at A$0.845. ([email protected])

0112 GMT - Plenti's bulls at Wilsons see the credit provider getting plenty of opportunities from Australia's home-battery subsidy program. Wilsons analysts point out that Plenti has a 24% share of renewable loan originations, indicating strong favorable exposure to the federal government's A$2.3 billion battery scheme. Many battery installers have said that July 2025 demand is about four times higher than a year earlier, the analysts add. With growth also strong in automotive and personal segments, Wilsons sees Plenti well positioned to deliver cash profit growth. Wilsons raises its target price 9.1% to A$1.44 and stays overweight on the stock, which is down 0.5% at A$0.945. ([email protected])

0057 GMT - Macquarie's first-quarter update leaves Citi analyst Thomas Strong with a sense of déjà vu. He thinks that the Australian financial giant's June-quarter earnings are soft compared with consensus forecasts, but doesn't see any reason for full-year expectations to shift materially given management's comments on the short-term outlook. The upshot is that investors are facing a familiar earnings skew toward the second half of its fiscal year, he tells clients in a note. With asset realizations a key factor in the first-quarter miss, Strong thinks that management's confidence suggests greater visibility through the remainder of fiscal 2026. Citi has a neutral rating and A$200.00 target price on the stock, which is up 0.3% at A$214.48. ([email protected])

0052 GMT - Whitehaven's 4Q run-of-mine output beats consensus expectations and translates to strong sales, Jefferies analyst Daniel Roden says in a note. The miner's realized price is 5% lower than analysts anticipated, but offset by a strong result on costs, says Roden. Net debt is also better than expected. Roden says Whitehaven's balance sheet looks resilient at a time when coal prices have been weak. "Good operational control and an improving coal market outlook enhance expectations of deleveraging and capital returns," he says. Jefferies has a buy rating and A$6.40 target on Whitehaven. The stock is down 0.1% at A$7.02, outperforming Australia's materials index, which is sharply lower.([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

0045 GMT - Treasury Wine Estates' aspiration for modest earnings growth from its luxury business in the Americas looks to be out of reach, according to Jefferies analysts. They retain a buy rating on the Australian producer, but reckon that the impact of its forced distributor switch in California will hit fiscal 2026 earnings. They now forecast a 10% decline in Americas luxury earnings for the period. The analysts tell clients in a note that they expect a hit to near-term shipments, with new distributor Breakthru likely to ramp up capability over time. Jefferies lowers its target price by 13% to A$10.00. Shares are down 1.2% at A$7.98. ([email protected])

0034 GMT - Bapcor's CEO retains the confidence of Jefferies analysts despite their concern over the largely unexplained exit of three directors from the auto-parts supplier's board. They tell clients in a note that Angus McKay is the right leader for the Australia-listed business, which has now downgraded earnings expectations five times in two years. They acknowledge the difficulty of turning around the business and the extent of the uncertainty over the outlook, but stress that they still see long-term opportunity. The stock looks very cheap to them at 13 times their FY 2026 earnings forecast. Jefferies cuts target price 17% to A$4.90 but keeps a buy rating on the stock, which is down 0.55% at A$3.64. ([email protected])

0000 GMT - Whitehaven recorded a good cost performance for FY25, says Citi analyst Paul McTaggart, after what he calls a "robust" 4Q result from the Australian coal miner. McTaggart says Whitehaven's 4Q saleable production was 9% higher than Citi expected. Cost guidance for FY26 will come next month with Whitehaven's FY fiscal results, he notes. Citi has a buy rating on the stock, with a target price of A$7.00. Whitehaven ended Thursday at A$7.03/share. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires