0309 GMT - RBC Capital Markets analyst Kaan Peker left Rio Tinto's recent North America investor tour feeling more positive on the company's Canadian aluminum assets. "After a period of cost-cutting, rationalizing assets (smelter and refineries) and intense competition from Chinese capacity expansions, the future of Rio's aluminum segment looks more constructive," he says in a note. Peker raises RBC's Ebitda margin forecasts for both Rio Tinto's aluminum and titanium dioxide businesses, citing higher production and prices, and lower costs, than previously anticipated. RBC's target on Rio Tinto rises by A$2 to A$127/share. The broker keeps a sector-perform rating. Rio Tinto is up 2.2% at A$130.26/share. (rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com; @RhiannonHoyle)

0246 GMT - Champion Iron's Bloom Lake iron-ore operations again demonstrated in the latest quarter their ability to run above nameplate capacity of 15 million metric tons per year, say Goldman Sachs analysts Paul Young and Hugo Nicolaci. The plants there can operate close to a rate of 16 million tons for periods and the miner continues to study projects that would get them to 17-18 million tons, the analysts say. Young and Nicolaci say they were impressed by Champion Iron's operating performance and project execution capabilities on a recent site visit. The analysts have a buy rating and A$7.60/share target on the stock, which is up 0.3% at A$7.325/share. (rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com; @RhiannonHoyle)

0125 GMT - Latitude's bears at Morgan Stanley are waiting on improved profitability and the resumption of dividends from the Australian credit provider. Analysts Andrei Stadnik and Richard E. Wiles acknowledge that the stock doesn't look expensive at about 11 times earnings, but want more confidence on Latitude's ability to improve return-on-equity to a percentage in the mid teens. They currently forecast 5% in 2024 and 8% in 2025. They tell clients in a note that dividends should resume in 2025, but they maintain an underweight rating amid softer margin trends. MS cuts its target price 2.1% to A$0.95. Shares are flat at A$1.15. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

0117 GMT - AMP shareholders should learn the Australian wealth manager's payout-ratio target at February's annual result announcement, Macquarie analysts write in a note. With its share buyback almost complete and no clarity yet provided on its future dividend policy, the Macquarie analysts expect AMP to outline its payout-ratio target alongside its FY 2024 results. They see AMP as fairly valued, with the stock trading at about 14 times earnings on a one-year forward basis, only marginally above its three-year average. Macquarie has a neutral rating and A$1.26 target price on the stock, which is down 1.1% at A$1.325. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

0102 GMT - Australian drinks and hotel company CEO Steve Donohue is stepping down earlier than expected, which could create some near-term volatility in the stock, Goldman Sachs analysts Lisa Deng and James Leigh tell clients in a note. No replacement is immediately apparent, with Endeavour saying it is engaging external advisors to help find a new CEO. The Goldman analysts, however, are still bullish on Endeavour, saying they believe a newly strengthened board will be able to appoint a new leader who can deal with a complex operating environment. "We continue to believe that the company's core businesses are high quality," the analysts say. Endeavour shares fell 2.5% on Friday after the announcement, but were up 0.8% in early trade today to A$5.03/share. (mike.cherney@wsj.com; @Mike_Cherney)

0054 GMT - Goldman Sachs analysts Lisa Deng and James Leigh don't seem too worried about an inquiry into the supermarkets industry by Australia's competition regulator, which released an interim report at the end of last week. Deng and Leigh tell clients in a note that earnings and valuation risks from the inquiry and separate legal proceedings from the regulator are sufficiently priced in, with the analysts reiterating their buy call on Woolworths and neutral call on Coles. The preliminary report didn't include final recommendations, but the Goldman analysts say it outlined key issues that will be looked at more closely: price-setting practices, consumer experience, retail competition, profitability and margins, and supply chains. "None of the listed areas of further deep dive are a surprise," the Goldman analysts say. (mike.cherney@wsj.com; @Mike_Cherney)

0040 GMT - SiteMinder's bull at Citi reiterates its buy call on the expectation that the accommodation-tech provider's revenue growth are about to accelerate. Analyst Siraj Ahmed tells clients that he sees revenues from the Australia-listed company's so-called smart platform contributing 11 percentage points of growth to his forecast of 30% group revenue growth in FY 2026. He anticipates A$236 million in FY 2025 revenue, growing to A$307 million a year later. He writes that his meetings with partners, customers, competitors and consultants have been generally positive following SiteMinder's launch of its Dynamic Revenue Plus product. Citi raises its target price 9.1% to A$7.20. Shares are down 0.5% at A$6.17. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

0028 GMT - A mixed winter-crop outlook across Australia's states keep Jefferies analysts neutral on GrainCorp despite an overall positive picture. They tell clients in a note that 2024-25 crop volumes are forecast to rise 17% on year, which would make them the fifth highest on record. However, they point out that prospects aren't great in South Australia and Victoria states due to unfavorably dry conditions. Things look brighter in NSW and Queensland, with volumes forecast to hit near-record levels. Jefferies lifts its target price on the grain handler and marketer by 4.5% to A$9.30 and keeps a hold rating on the stock, which is up 1.7% at A$9.16. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

0015 GMT - REA Group's fourth proposal for Rightmove may still be insufficiently attractive to draw engagement from the U.K. property platform's board, E&P analyst Entcho Raykovski says. The Australian company's move to raise the implied value of its proposal by 1.4% shows restraint but a further increase may be needed to secure talks and get a deal, he tells clients in a note. Raykovski writes that a transaction on the current metrics would be 8-9% EPS accretive on a pro-forma basis. Much lower than that would leave limited room for error, he adds. E&P has a neutral rating and A$184.60 target price on the stock, which is down 1.0% at A$197.93. REA is controlled by News Corp, which owns Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires