Synlait’s cautious recovery pleases market
A recovering Synlait Milk continued to climb on a quiet day on the New Zealand sharemarket when the top half of the North Island was on holiday for Auckland’s Anniversary.
Monday, January 27th 2025, 7:05PM
by BusinessDesk
After a down-day on Wall Street, the S&P/NZX 50 Index slid from the opening but perked up mid-afternoon to close at 12,999.72, down 24.98 points or 0.19%. The index reached an intraday low of 12,937.35.
Just 17.99 million shares worth $41.69 million changed hands. Jeremy Sullivan, investment adviser with Hamilton Hindin Greene, said “with our largest city on holiday, the market had reduced volumes and not a lot could be read into some of the moves”.
Trading in Synlait Milk continued to improve – 1.07m shares worth $601,000 – as investors reacted warmly to its improved earnings update on Friday. Synlait was up a further 8c or 16% to 58c, a rise of 35% in two trading days.
Sullivan said Synlait is showing encouraging signs with the cost-cutting working for them. The company is coming off a low base and capital raise and the market is taklng that into account.
Synlait earlier told the market it expects operating earnings (ebitda) of $58m-$63m for the six months ending January compared with $19.9m in the previous corresponding period. Synlait previously had a half-year net loss of $96.2m.
In the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.32 points to 44,424.25 points; S&P 500 decreased 0.29% to 6101.24; and Nasdaq Composite declined 0.5% to 19,954.3.
Across the Tasman, the S&P/ASX 200 Index had risen 0.36% to 8,408.9 points at 6pm NZ time.
At home, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare added 74c or 1.93% to $39.13 and increased its market capitalisation to $22.93 billion, well ahead of the next best, Meridian Energy on $15.48b. Meridian was up 8c to $5.94.
Ups and downs
Auckland International Airport was down 19c or 2.16% to $8.59; Ebos Group declined 74c or 1.99% to $36.50 on light trade worth $750,000; a2 Milk shed 11c to $6.40 and Contact Energy also eased 11c to $9.49.
Mainfreight decreased 86c to $70.26; Genesis Energy was down 5c or 2.18% to $2.24; Westpac Bank declined 64c or 1.75% to $35.96; ANZ Bank shed 35c to $33.10; and Comvita fell 3c or 3.8% to 76c, a 15-year low.
Delegat Group was down 14c or 2.81% to $4.85; Foley Wines shed 2c or 3.45% to 56c; Eroad declined 3c or 2.78% to $1.05; Investore eased 2c or 1.75% to $1.12; and Metro Performance Glass decreased 0.004c or 6.45% to 58c.
Fonterra Shareholders Fund gained 8c to $4.95; South Port NZ increased 19c or 3.41% to $5.76; Santana Minerals rose 7c or 12.73% to 62c; Ventia Services added 11c or 2.53% to $4.45; and Smartpay improved 2c or 3.77% to 55c.
Other gainers were CDL Investments up 3c or 4% to 78c; Blackpearl Group increasing 5c or 4.81% to $1.09; Green Cross Health improving 3c or 3.75% to 83c; and PGG Wrightson rising 6c or 3.66% to $1.70.
Sky TV, unchanged at $2.99, told the market it is confident in achieving migration to a new satellite by May but warned there are inherent technology and logistical risks, some of which are outside Sky’s control.
The television network has increased its operational capacity, both customer care and in-field services, to handle inquiries from a growing number of customers experiencing intermittent signal disruption in recent weeks following the decision by Optus to place the existing satellite into an inclined orbit to conserve fuel.
Manawa Energy was up 4c to $5.70. The electricity generator earlier reported that hydro production volumes of 397GWh for the December quarter were 16% lower than the previous corresponding period and 18% lower than expected.
Wholesale spot prices were lower across the period – with Benmore averaging $32/MWh and Otahuhu averaging $43/MWh.
Cancer diagnostics company Pacific Edge was unchanged at 5.8c after telling the market the date for stopping the US Medicare funding for its Cxbladder tests has been extended from February 23 to April 24.
Pacific Edge has made representations to Medicare contractor Novitas, the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the General Counsel and incoming political leadership to have the funding decision revised or withdrawn.
Sullivan said the extension has given Pacific Edge an additional two months of revenue and “maybe there’s a crack in the door that something may happen” around Medicare funding.
Being AI, up 0.005c to 30c, has settled defamation proceedings against Clare Capital, and Clare agreed to pay $150,000 on a no-admission basis.
Promisia Healthcare, up 2c or 5.13% to 41c, earlier said it has made an early repayment of the $3.82m vendor loan secured against the Christchurch Aldwins House care facility at a 21.5% discount, repaying just $3m.
| « NZ sharemarket ends week down 0.8% |
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