BRIEFS

APN News & Media posted a $455.8 million net loss for the year to December driven largely by large impairment charges and corporate turmoil. The result included a $151 million impairment on top of a $485 million impairment announced in August, and the company also lost a chief executive, chairman and three board members in the week of the report. For investors, the headline loss highlights balance-sheet write‑downs and management instability that warrant close attention.

APN recorded a further $151 million impairment charge in the year to December on top of a prior $485 million impairment announced in August. Impairments reduce the carrying value of assets and can signal that parts of the business—here newspaper assets—are worth less than previously thought, which affects reported profit and can influence future returns for shareholders.

Iluka Resources saw net profit fall 33% to $363.2 million from a record $541.8 million the prior year. The company said it expects a slow recovery in the mineral sands industry and that the rebound won’t come quickly enough to avoid axing about 200 jobs; production is being reduced, with output set to halve again to about 420,000 tonnes this year.

Iluka’s planned production cut to roughly 420,000 tonnes indicates weaker near‑term supply and revenue from its mineral sands operations. The company said it expects the industry to recover eventually, but the timing is uncertain—so investors should be prepared for continued pressure on earnings until volumes and market conditions improve.

Tatts Group reported that its online operations are growing strongly, but its net profit for the six months to December fell 23.1% to $128.3 million. The result was hit by the end of its poker‑machine operations in August when its Victorian licence expired, which weighed on overall profitability despite online growth.

Bega Cheese reported a strong first half: net profit rose 13.6% to $15.9 million for the six months to December, and sales increased 9.6% to $491.3 million. The dairy co‑operative said it is well placed to meet demand for its products from Asia and the Middle East, signalling positive exposure to export markets.

Retail Food Group reported a flat first‑half statutory profit of $14.6 million, with revenue up 21.2% to $460 million. Excluding one‑off items such as corporate restructuring and redundancy costs, underlying profits were 13.3% higher at a record $27.9 million, and the company remains optimistic about growth across brands including Donut King, Michel's Patisserie and Brumby's.

The updates show a mixed picture across sectors: media (APN) is dealing with large impairments and management turnover; mineral sands (Iluka) faces weaker volumes and job cuts; gambling (Tatts) has strong online growth but lost earnings from licence changes; food manufacturers and franchisors (Bega, RFG) reported solid sales growth and resilience. For investors, it’s useful to look past headline profits to underlying earnings, watch for one‑off items and impairments, and consider sector‑specific trends such as export demand and online growth mentioned in the reports.