Hummgroup, AMP and COG delivered the week’s biggest share price moves, while investors weighed business exits, weaker profits and changing growth plans.
Macquarie posted a major profit rise, but NAB and Westpac faced higher loan-loss charges.
- Hummgroup rose 15.66% after deciding to sell or close its loss-making Canadian business.
- AMP fell 12.60% after a sharp intraday move and pointed to weaker earnings from its Chinese pension investment.
- COG Financial Services dropped 10.23% despite a 53% rise in quarterly EBITDA.
- Macquarie’s first-half profit rose 50% as commodities trading activity increased.
- Euroz Hartleys will return much of its A$145 million Capital Markets sale proceeds to shareholders.
Hummgroup (ASX:HUM) led the week with a 15.66% rise after deciding to sell or close its loss-making Canadian business. AMP (ASX:AMP) fell 12.60% after its shares dropped from $2.51 to $2.22 during the day. COG Financial Services (ASX:COG) lost 10.23%, even though quarterly earnings rose strongly.
Large moves, mixed reasons
Hummgroup’s first-quarter volumes rose 13.7% to A$957.7 million. Costs also fell compared with revenue. Investors appeared to welcome the plan to remove Canada, where the business has been losing money. The shares opened again at $0.43 after a trading gap and then moved 11.63% higher, showing that buying continued after the initial move.
AMP said it knew of no secret information behind its price fall. It pointed instead to lower third-quarter profit at China Life Pension Company, in which AMP owns 19.99%. The company kept its guidance for a 12% to 15% annual return from partnerships. The price move still shows that investors wanted clearer news about the source of future earnings.
COG reported a 53% increase in EBITDA to shareholders, helped by a 128% rise in salary packaging earnings. More customers also took novated leases, which allow workers to pay for a car through their salary. The share price fell despite those figures, suggesting investors may have questioned the quality of the quarter, its acquisition effects or the company’s ability to repeat the growth.
Banks face higher loan costs
Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) delivered the strongest large-company result. Profit rose 50% to A$2.478 billion, led by an 83% increase in Commodities and Global Markets. The division benefited from greater trading activity. Macquarie also raised its interim dividend to A$3.25 per share. Greg Ward will replace Shemara Wikramanayake as chief executive from 7 November.
National Australia Bank (ASX:NAB) moved in the other direction. Full-year profit fell 9.1% to A$6.143 billion. Charges for expected loan losses rose 85.7% to A$1.547 billion, while a A$1.347 billion software write-down also reduced profit. The bank held its dividend at 170 cents per share. Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX:WBC) also kept its final dividend at 77 cents, but its loan-loss charges doubled to A$864 million.
Deals reshape financial services
Euroz Hartleys (ASX:EZL) completed the A$145 million sale of its Capital Markets business to BMO Financial Group. It will now focus on private wealth and expects to return the after-tax proceeds through a fully franked special dividend and an equal return of capital. That means shareholders may receive both cash and tax credits attached to the company’s tax payments.
Count Group (ASX:CUP) completed a A$25 million share placement to help buy 75% of Skybridge Financial. Skybridge has A$1.4 billion in funds under advice and produced A$29.0 million in revenue in FY2026. Count expects the deal to lift profit per share by a mid-to-high single-digit percentage in FY2027 before savings from combining the businesses. The transaction still needs clearance from the competition regulator.
Elsewhere, Pioneer Credit (ASX:PNC) bought a A$14.4 million debt portfolio with a face value of about A$206 million under a new three-year bank agreement. Collections will not begin until February 2027, and the bank has not promised further sales. The shares opened again at $0.625 before moving 4% higher, showing some continued buying after the initial gap.
Capital returns and portfolio changes
Global Masters Fund (ASX:GFL) will pay its first dividend: a fully franked special distribution of 15 cents per share. The payment comes from taxable capital gains and is not intended to become a regular dividend. The shares reopened at $2.93 and then gained 4.78%, indicating that the initial price jump held after trading resumed.
Clime Capital (ASX:CAM) received A$8.5 million after refinancing an industrial property loan. The deal should produce an A$1.5 million FY2027 gain and removes one large loan from the group’s unlisted investment pool. Gryphon Capital Income Trust (ASX:GCI) opened a unit purchase plan that could raise up to A$407.45 million, although the offer is not underwritten and applications may be reduced.
QuickFee (ASX:QFE) kept its FY2027 earnings target at A$4.5 million to A$5.0 million as US loan originations rose 15%. Australian transaction values fell 4%, while the net interest margin narrowed. Marlin Global (NZX:MLN) is tightening its investment limits after a 6.3% portfolio fall in FY2026 against a 30.5% benchmark gain. Its first-quarter return was better, but the recovery is still at an early stage.
Bottom Line?
The next major tests will be Count’s competition clearance for Skybridge, Euroz Hartleys’ special dividend and capital return, and the timing and cost of hummgroup’s Canadian exit. Bank investors will also watch whether higher loan-loss charges continue while dividends remain steady.
Questions in the middle?
- How much cash will Euroz Hartleys return to shareholders, and when will the payment occur?
- Will hummgroup complete a sale of Canada, or will it need to fund an orderly closure?
- Can Macquarie maintain its strong commodities trading result while NAB and Westpac face higher loan-loss charges?
Sources
This wrap draws on announcements from 13 companies. For the full story and each verified source, see the company's own article:
ASX:AMP, ASX:CAM, ASX:COG, ASX:CUP, ASX:EZL, ASX:GCI, ASX:GFL, ASX:HUM, ASX:MQG, ASX:NAB, ASX:PNC, ASX:QFE, ASX:WBC