BRIEFS

Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi improved their joint takeover offer for Rio’s Hunter Valley subsidiary Coal & Allied to $125 per share and included a special $8 dividend for the roughly 14% of C&A they do not already own.

An improved offer at $125 a share plus an $8 special dividend increases the immediate cash value for Coal & Allied shareholders who accept the deal. For investors, that means a clearer short‑term exit price and extra cash from the special dividend, though individual tax and timing considerations still apply.

John Kinghorn will not stand for re‑election to the RHG board after selling his remaining stake in the business. RHG reported a full‑year net profit of $74 million, down 21%, and paid a fully franked dividend.

Woolworths plans to launch a bundle of insurance products including life and pet insurance. The move reflects expansion into financial services, driven by Woolworths’ research suggesting many families may be underinsured, and could diversify the supermarket giant’s revenue streams.

Gold miner Ramelius Resources tripled its full‑year net profit to $62.4 million, a result the company attributed to higher gold prices and increased production during the year.

The Challenger Infrastructure Fund posted a full‑year net loss of $808,000, an improvement from the prior year’s much larger loss of $210.7 million. CIF said part of the previous results was affected by the strengthening Australian dollar.

Spark Infrastructure reported an 83% drop in first‑half profit to $8.9 million but said it expects a stronger second half. The group declared a first‑half distribution of 4.75 per security and indicated it expects a better full‑year outcome.

Russell Scrimshaw stepped down from Fortescue Metals’ board to focus on other projects. His replacement on the board is Herbert “Bud” Scruggs.