Optus competitor Telstra (ASX:TLS) gained just over a per cent today after a nationwide crash of Optus mobile and internet services.
Millions of personal customers and businesses were impacted by the Optus outages, including EFTPOS, banking, transport, health and emergency services.
Optus is part of Singapore Telecommunications company Singtel, which is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange and traded down nearly five per cent today. Australian-based competitor, Telstra, closed the day up 1.3 per cent.
Overall, the ASX200 finished the session in the green, up just over a quarter of a per cent.
Most sectors fared positively, while materials stocks dropped more than a per cent and energy also lost a little ground (.15 per cent down).
In the green
International fibre cement and building products company James Hardie Industries (ASX:JHX) added nearly 14 per cent on reporting its September quarterly results – its net sales rose slightly to A$1.5 billion, its adjusted EBITDA rose nine per cent to A$443 million.
For the six months to September 2023, its operating cash flow jumped 74 per cent to A$712.9 million.
James Hardie closed just shy of $47 ($46.97).
WA1 Resources (ASX:WA1) was up about 16.5 per cent on its latest assay results from exploration at the West Arunta Project in Western Australia. Results were gathered from 21 reverse circulation (RC) drill holes, spaced 100 metres apart, at the Luni carbonatite.
The results confirmed the continuity of the high-grade niobium mineralised zone between the previously reported holes spaced 200 metres apart.
WA1 has been rising rapidly since mid-last month and closed trade at $10.97 today.
Meanwhile, US-based lithium producer Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL) gained more than 2.3 per cent on its quarterly results.
Piedmont reported revenue of A$73 million on sales of more than 29 thousand dry metric tonnes of lithium concentrate.
Gross profit came in at A$37 million and adjusted net income was A$26 million. At the end of September the company held nearly A$147 million in cash and equivalents. The company said it was pleased with the results, given the spot price for lithium declined by 45 per cent during the period.
PLL closed at 44 cents.
In the red
Sky Network Television (ASX:SKT) was down more than 6.5 per cent on news it’s ended discussions around a potential takeover – by an unnamed third party.
Sky said it received an updated non-binding offer yesterday, but at a transaction value that the board deemed fell short of fair value.
SKT closed at $2.48.
Cannabis drug developer Bod Science (ASX:BOD) was down nearly 45 per cent/ on raising more than A$2 million through a placement priced at 3 cents a share – representing a nearly 50 per cent discount to the 30-day VWAP.
The funds are to build Bod’s THC flower inventory, manufacturing its “Medicabilis” soft-gel capsules, R&D and working capital. Bod’s Malaysia partner Antah Healthcare was the cornerstone investor and will now hold just under 15 per cent of the company.
However, after reporting a cashflow loss of $1.9 million last quarter, Bod’s non-executive directors will be accepting shares in lieu of cash (subject to shareholder approval) and CEO Jo Patterson and Chief Technical Officer Craig Weller will take reduced salaries until positive cashflow is achieved.
BOD Science closed at 3.1 cents.
Finally today, car leasing provider FleetPartners Group (ASX:FPR) shed nearly 2.3 per cent after a shareholder class action was filed in the Victorian Supreme Court.
FleetPartners intends to defend the statement of claim by investors who bought into the company – then named Eclipx Group – between November 2017 and March 2019.
The claimants allege the group made statements regarding its financial
performance and provided guidance around its future earnings during the period, which it allegedly withdrew, revised or restated and that this involved misleading representations and non-compliance with disclosure obligations.
Fleet Partners closed trade today at $2.56.