0057 GMT - Australian workforce management provider PeopleIN gets a new bull at Canaccord Genuity, where analyst Warren Jeffries sees potential for inorganic expansion and a boost from construction activity. Initiating coverage of the stock with a buy rating, Jeffries tells clients in a note that PeopleIN's large exposure to Queensland state bodes well. He points to an A$116.8 billion infrastructure program there and construction for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. Construction and community services are the key sectors for PeopleIN, which Jeffries says has a multiyear opportunity starting in 2H of fiscal 2026. Its balance sheet also provides capacity for acquisitions, he adds. Canaccord Genuity places a A$1.45 target price on the stock, which is up 2.6% at A$0.8875. ([email protected])

0050 GMT - Catapult Sports gets a new bull at Bell Potter amid expectations that the athletic-tech provider will reiterate its annual guidance. Analyst Chris Savage raises his rating on the stock to buy from hold after the stock cooled over recent weeks. He makes no changes to his forecasts or target price. Savage tells clients in a note that he expects a fiscal 1H result in line with Catapult's recent healthy trading update, and for a reiteration of guidance for strong growth in annualized contract value, improved margins, and higher free cash flow over the full year. Bell Potter has a A$7.50 target price on the stock, which is up 0.6% at A$6.42. ([email protected])

0015 GMT - Breville management's comments on the small-appliance maker's recent trading are seen by its bull at E&P as supporting his 1H expectations. Analyst Olivier Coulon cautions that the remainder of the calendar year is responsible for about 40% of Breville's annual sales, but nonetheless likes the Australian company's comments on positive trends and consumer resilience. He tells clients in a note that the update could help support a bounce in the stock, which has meaningfully underperformed Australia's major indices since August. E&P has a last-published positive recommendation and A$41.19 target price on the stock, which is up 5.5% at A$31.06. ([email protected])

2243 GMT - National Australia Bank's failure to lift its final dividend disappoints its bears at Jarden. Analysts there say that the decline in the lender's CET1 ratio to 11.70% from 12.35% a year earlier leaves it looking light on highest-quality capital. Bearing that in mind, they tell clients in a note that a dividend of A$0.85--the same amount declared by the bank a year ago--is disappointing. They had wanted to see a A$0.86 dividend. Overall, they think NAB is struggling to justify its lofty valuation of 20 times earnings. Jarden has an underweight recommendation and A$29.00 target price on the stock, which is at A$44.53 ahead of the open. ([email protected])

0513 GMT - Citi turns bullish on building materials supplier James Hardie, but acknowledges it is doing so with caution. "While it may be early," James Hardie appears to be tracking ahead of FY 2026 earnings guidance, says analyst Samuel Seow. Earnings estimates for FY 2027 also look achievable even "without an uptick in the macro," he says. Meantime, Seow says the bank is cautiously optimistic on the housing market outlook. "As a result, on balance we think risks are manageable and the stock can outperform." Citi upgrades the stock to buy from neutral. It raises its target to A$36.50 from A$33.00. James Hardie is down 3.5% at A$29.41. ([email protected]; @RhiannonHoyle)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires