Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/brett-blundy-clears-hurdle-for-700m-hanes-retail-purchase The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission approved Brett Blundy’s Singapore-based BBFIT Investments to purchase Bonds, Bras N Things, and Berlei from US giant Hanes. The transaction value is set at $700 million, with a target completion date set for Christmas. The acquisition aims to expand the retail portfolio of brands that also includes Sheridan and Playtex. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced that BBFIT Investments may proceed with the $700 million acquisition of three major apparel brands from Hanes. The regulatory clearance was granted despite the buyer holding existing investments in discount chain Best & Less and lingerie label Léays. The c

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/new-hope-to-acquire-malabar-in-1-8-billion-deal New Hope Corporation has agreed to acquire all remaining shares in Malabar Resources through a binding scheme implementation deed. The transaction values 100% of Malabar at approximately $1.8 billion on an equity value basis. The deal combines operations to form an ASX-listed coal producer targeting roughly 19 million tonnes of annual saleable production. New Hope Corporation (ASX:NHC) has agreed to acquire all remaining shares in Malabar Resources in a transaction that values Malabar at approximately $1.8 billion. The transaction combines two key Australian energy assets, creating a combined entity with a pro forma market capitalisation of approximately $6.3 billion. New Hope CEO Rob Bishop sai

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/nordic-resources-expands-finnish-portfolio-with-jukulainen-acquisition The company added its fourth gold asset in central Finland's Middle Ostrobothnia Gold Belt. Rock chip samples yielded up to 43.7 g/t Au across a 4km prospective shear zone. Total regional resources stand at 55.2Mt at 1.09g/t AuEq for 1.93Moz AuEq across three neighbouring deposits. Nordic Resources (ASX:NNL) acquired the Jukulainen Gold Project in central Finland to expand its district-scale exploration strategy. The addition builds on the company's regional footprint near its flagship Kopsa gold-copper asset. The company stated that the transaction is expected to position the business as a district-scale gold producer in the Middle Ostrobothnia Gold Belt. Assay results fr

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/woodside-energy-pauses-12-5b-scarborough-project-after-protest Greenpeace activists occupied a floating production unit for the $12.5 billion Scarborough natural gas project off Western Australia after scaling the platform on Saturday. Woodside shares and market trading figures were not immediately detailed following the temporary suspension of pre-commissioning activities. The protest aims to halt gas developments and protect Scott Reef, while the company stated that operations remain safely paused. Woodside Energy (ASX:WDS) reported that operations at a floating production unit for its $12.5 billion Scarborough natural gas project remained paused Oct. 19 following a Greenpeace protest. Environmental activists scaled the 70,000 metric tonne

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/deloitte-australia-cuts-170-jobs-amid-outsourcing-shift Deloitte cut about 170 Australian jobs while planning to hire more than 500 professionals for its outsourcing division. The firm generated $2.55 billion in revenue during the 2025–26 period as tax, legal, and technology work offset advisory declines. The company stated that the strategy aims to triple its managed services division to reach $1 billion in revenue by 2030. Deloitte has axed about 170 Australian jobs while planning to hire more than 500 professionals for its outsourcing division. The redundancies represent about 2% of the firm's roughly 11,000 non-partner workforce across Australia. A spokeswoman for the firm stated that the move was due to a sustained shift in client demand

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/amplitude-energy-posts-record-revenue-of-83-3m Amplitude Energy achieved group production of 7.51 petajoules equivalen and revenue of $83.3 million for Q1 FY27. Shares rose $0.035 to trade at $1.80 following the operational update. The company reached final investment decision on its East Coast Supply Project and executed new drilling programs. Amplitude Energy (ASX:AEL) achieved a quarterly production record of 7.51 PJe while generating $83.3 million in revenue. Revenue increased 18% compared to Q4 FY26, driven by higher production and an increase in the average realised gas price to $10.69 per gigajoule. "Amplitude Energy made an excellent start to FY27, posting new quarterly production and revenue records and hitting a number of key milest

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/wesfarmers-loses-four-lucrative-priceline-stores-to-chemist-warehouse Chemist Warehouse is set to secure four profitable Priceline pharmacy locations in Queensland and Victoria following the administration of key franchisee Infinity Pharmacy. Wesfarmers  shares were trading unchanged at $79.40 following the reports. The company stated that the network changes stem from lease decisions made by landlords during the administration process. Wesfarmers (ASX:WES) is reportedly set to lose four profitable Priceline pharmacy leases and about $25 million in annual sales to rival Chemist Warehouse after the administration of franchisee Infinity Pharmacy. The pharmacy group acquired the Priceline chain in 2022 through Australian Pharmaceutical Indu

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/ampol-lytton-refiner-margin-reaches-us-23-92 Ampol reported stronger third-quarter earnings driven by high refining margins and growth in convenience retail sales. The group's Lytton refiner margin reached US$23.92 per barrel, while total sales volumes grew to 6.25 billion litres. Earnings benefited from operational supply chain optimisation and ongoing integration of the acquired EG Australia convenience network. Ampol (ASX:ALD) recorded earnings growth in the third quarter of 2026 as strong refining margins and convenience retail expanded earnings. The group's Lytton refiner margin rose to US$23.92 per barrel in the September quarter, up from US$10.64 per barrel in the prior corresponding period. The company stated that management took a pr

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/bendigo-bank-reports-q1-fy27-cash-earnings-increase Bendigo Bank recorded an 18.5% rise in first-quarter cash earnings to $112.7 million. The bank's statutory net profit fell 8.6% to $66.0 million during the quarter. Growth was driven by strong expansion in customer deposits and residential lending. Bendigo Bank (ASX:BEN) achieved an 18.5% increase in first-quarter cash earnings after tax to $112.7 million. The quarterly outcome showed a strong improvement over the second-half FY26 quarterly average of $95.1 million. Statutory net profit after tax declined 8.6% to $66 million compared to the second-half FY26 quarterly average of $72.2 million. Following the announcement, the Bendigo Bank share price was down at $10.55. The bank reported the n

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/challenger-receives-buyout-offer-worth-11-80-per-share Challenger received a non-binding acquisition offer to purchase all remaining ordinary shares. The cash offer of $11.80 per share represents a 17.7% premium over the one-month volume-weighted average price of $10.03. TAL Dai-ichi Life Australia aims to expand its ownership from 20.5% to 100% via a scheme of arrangement. Challenger (ASX:CGF) has received a non-binding indicative takeover proposal from TAL Dai-ichi Life Australia to acquire the remaining 79.5% of ordinary shares it does not already own at $11.80 per share. The proposed acquisition price of $11.80 per share represents a 17.7% premium compared to the company's one-month volume-weighted average price of $10.03. The company sta

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/mcpherson-s-ceo-steps-down-after-three-years McPherson's Managing Director and CEO, Brett Charlton, announced his decision to step down after leading the business for over three years. Shares in McPherson’s remained unchanged at $0.137 following the leadership transition announcement. The board has immediately initiated an executive search to appoint a successor while Charlton serves his six-month notice period. McPherson's (ASX:MCP) announced on Oct. 19 that Managing Director and CEO Brett Charlton will step down after leading the company for more than three years. This leadership transition follows a challenging period for the group, which recently reported full-year revenue of $118.30 million alongside non-cash impairment charges. "I would

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/fleetpartners-group-agrees-to-1-13b-buyout-deal FleetPartners Group enters into a binding scheme implementation deed with SG Fleet Management to be acquired for $5.30 per share in cash. The cash offer values the company’s equity at approximately $1.13 billion. The FleetPartners board unanimously recommended the proposal, as it delivers immediate cash value and allows shareholders to benefit from franking credits attached to potential final and special dividends. FleetPartners Group (ASX:FPR) has entered into a binding scheme implementation deed to be acquired by SG Fleet Management in an all-cash deal valuing the business at approximately $1.13 billion. The proposed acquisition offer of $5.30 per share represents an 87.3% premium to FleetPart

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/australia/cleanaway-waste-management-accepts-9-3b-eqt-takeover-offer Cleanaway Waste Management has signed a scheme implementation deed for a proposed acquisition by EQT Infrastructure valued at $9.3 billion. Shareholders would receive $3.095 in cash per share, representing a 32.1% premium to the pre-proposal closing price. The Cleanaway board unanimously recommended the offer in the absence of a superior proposal. Cleanaway Waste Management (ASX:CWY) has agreed to an $9.3 billion takeover by EQT Infrastructure under a binding scheme implementation deed. Shareholders would receive $3.095 in cash per share, representing a 32.1% premium to the pre-proposal closing price as of Aug 12. Cleanaway stated that the board unanimously recommended shareholders vo

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/united-states/clps-fiscal-2026-revenue-growth-second-half-loss CLPS reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $172.2 million, up 4.7%, while second-half revenue increased 6.6% to $87.1 million. Second-half gross profit fell 35.1% to $11.1 million, while net loss widened to $13.2 million from $6.6 million a year earlier. CLPS plans tighter cost controls for customized IT solutions in fiscal 2027, alongside continued international expansion and digital technology development. CLPS (NASDAQ:CLPS) reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $172.2 million, up 4.7%, despite a widening second-half net loss of $13.2 million. Second-half revenue increased 6.6% to $87.1 million, while the net loss doubled from $6.6 million a year earlier and gross profit declined 35.1% to $11.1 milli

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/united-states/travelers-q3-2026-earnings-1-917-billion-profit Travelers reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $1.917 billion, or $9.04 per diluted share, compared with $1.888 billion and $8.24 per share a year earlier. Core earnings reached $1.947 billion, or $9.18 per diluted share, while underwriting income totaled $1.432 billion before taxes. Travelers returned $1.769 billion to shareholders, including $1.508 billion through share repurchases, supported by underwriting and investment income. Travelers (NYSE:TRV) reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $1.917 billion, or $9.04 per diluted share, supported by underwriting and investment earnings. Net income increased from $1.888 billion a year earlier, while core income rose to $1.947 billion fr

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/united-states/tesla-stock-rises-4-6-percent-spacex-roadster-unveiling Tesla shares rose 4.6% to $379 in premarket trading after the company unveiled a redesigned Roadster developed with Elon Musk's SpaceX. The electric sports car features rocket-style thrusters, with Tesla claiming acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in under one second. Tesla is targeting production in 2028, positioning the Roadster as a demonstration of its engineering capabilities after years of development delays. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares rose 4.6% to $379 in premarket trading after the automaker unveiled a redesigned Roadster developed with SpaceX, featuring rocket-style thrusters and a 2028 production target. The premarket increase followed a period of weaker stock performance, with

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/united-states/microsoft-uk-cma-strategic-market-status-business-software Britain's Competition and Markets Authority proposed giving Microsoft strategic market status in business software, potentially allowing new restrictions on product bundling. The investigation covers software used by around 20 million people monthly in the UK, including Microsoft 365, Teams and Copilot. Microsoft disputes the regulator's preliminary findings, while the CMA plans to decide on the designation by February 13, 2027. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) faces potential UK regulatory restrictions after the Competition and Markets Authority proposed strategic market status for its business software ecosystem on October 16, 2026. The proposal follows a May investigation into Microsoft

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/united-states/brent-crude-105-oil-prices-hormuz-tanker-attacks Brent crude traded at $105.48 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $97.40 on October 16, 2026, with both benchmarks heading toward weekly gains. U.S. crude inventories fell by 8.56 million barrels in the week ending October 9, while Strait of Hormuz oil flows declined to 11.62 million barrels per day. ING analysts said Middle East security risks were keeping a premium in oil prices, while emergency reserve releases and proposed tanker sanctions relief could affect supply. Brent crude traded at $105.48 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate at $97.40 on October 16, with both benchmarks heading for weekly gains amid tanker attacks near the Strait of Hormuz. The gains followed an 8.56 mil

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/united-states/mt-bank-q3-2026-earnings-775-million-profit M&T Bank reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $775 million and diluted earnings of $5.04 per share, down from the previous quarter. Net interest income reached $1.793 billion, while average loans and deposits increased despite a decline in the net interest margin to 3.65%. M&T repurchased 1.3 million shares for $323 million, while its estimated common equity Tier 1 capital ratio stood at 10.16%. M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB) reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $775 million and diluted earnings of $5.04 per share, reflecting lower quarterly profit despite growth in loans and deposits. Diluted earnings declined from $5.32 in the second quarter but increased from $4.82 a year earlier,

Full story: https://grafa.com/en/news/united-states/clps-fiscal-2026-revenue-growth-second-half-loss CLPS reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $172.2 million, up 4.7%, while second-half revenue increased 6.6% to $87.1 million. Second-half gross profit fell 35.1% to $11.1 million, while net loss widened to $13.2 million from $6.6 million a year earlier. CLPS plans tighter cost controls for customized IT solutions in fiscal 2027, alongside continued international expansion and digital technology development. CLPS (NASDAQ:CLPS) reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $172.2 million, up 4.7%, despite a widening second-half net loss of $13.2 million. Second-half revenue increased 6.6% to $87.1 million, while the net loss doubled from $6.6 million a year earlier and gross profit declined 35.1% to $11.1 milli