Qantas Will Create First Low Cost Hong Kong Airline

Qantas Airways Limited (QAN) operates domestic and international airlines under the widely known Flying Kangaroo banner.

These airline operations are complemented by extensive holiday travel activities, catering facilities for QAN services and external customers, ground handling of baggage and freight, and engineering and maintenance services. QAN offers both premium and discount airlines.

S&P/ASX 200 stock Qantas Airways announced that it will create Hong-Kong’s first low-cost carrier.

Jetstar Hong Kong will be formed with joint venture partner Eastern Airlines with the aim of cornering the fast-growing Chinese market.

The initiative comes as the airline continues of expanding outside its home country to reduce costs and position itself to tap into the growing Asian economies.

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Woolworths posts 1H FY12 profit of $966.9 million

Woolworths Limited operates supermarkets, specialty and discount department stores, liquor and electronics stores throughout Australia.  Woolworths also manufactures processed foods, exports and wholesales food and offers petrol retailing.  The Company also operates hotels, which includes pubs, food, accommodation, and gaming operations.

Blue chip supermarket giant Woolworths posted a 1H FY12 profit of $966.9 million, a 16.8% fall compared to the same period in FY11. The results missed analyst expectations.

Revenue for the period was up 5% to $29.9 billion.

CEO Grant O’Brien said that the results were sound considering subdued consumer confidence and deflationary pressures faced by the business.

The company declared an interim dividend of $0.59 per share, up from $0.57 in FY11

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Seven Group Holdings (SVW) 1H FY12 profit of $52.1 million

Seven Group Holdings (SVW) is a diversified operating and investment group listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. The operating business encompasses WesTrac, a global top five Caterpillar dealership. It also is a minority holder in Seven West media and major shareholder National Hire.

Seven Group Holdings announced a 1H FY12 profit of $52.1 million, a 57.8% fall on the previous corresponding period.  The result was better than the market expected.

Despite the fall in profit, revenue grew 29.3% to $2 billion over the same period.

The result was spoiled by $165.2 million impairment charge on the carrying value of its investment in Seven West Media.

The company will pay an interim dividend of 18 cents a share, fully franked.

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Artistocrat Leisure Limited (ALL) FY11 $66.7m profit

Aristocrat Leisure Limited manufactures and sells gaming machines in Australia and internationally.  The Company also supplies gaming systems, software, table gaming equipment and other gaming related products and services to casinos, clubs and hotels.

Industrial stock Aristocrat Leisure posted its FY11 earnings, showing a net profit of $66.1 million, a 14% fall compared to FY10.  The result was better than the market expected.

Revenue grew 11.4% to $762.7 million over the same period on a constant currency basis.

CEO Same Odell said that the company was targeting the most profitable segments, and this action drove share gains in major markets like the U.S. and Australia.

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Stocks To Buy: Ausdrill (ASL)

Ausdrill (ASL) is an international mining services group who provides specialist drilling services to the mining sector. The company’s operates mainly in Australian and Africa, but does have offices in the United Kingdom.

ASL has a five main business segments; Contract Mining Services Australia, Contract Mining Services Africa, Manufacturing, Supply and Logistics and Diamond Communication.

Over the past few years, ASL has made a conscious decision to diversify its business and offer more services then its traditional, drill, blast and exploration drilling business.

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The diversification has seen the company being able to become ‘the complete service company’ to the mining industry in both Australia and Africa.

ASL continues to able to win key contracts, with an aim to make these contracts as long-term as possible for income stability.

Projects

The company has completed a raft of acquisitions over the last few years, in line with their strategy to become ‘the complete service company’.

The last acquisition was of Connector Drilling in early 2011, with the deal increasing the company’s presence in Western Australia and in particular the growing Pilbara region.

ASL has also been able to secure key contracts from some of the biggest miners in Australia, including Fortescue and BHP Billiton.

The contracts are not all Australian-based either, with ASL winning several gold contracts in African.

As at the company’s last update, ASL had approximately $1.84 billion work in hand for FY12 onwards in the mining services business alone.

With the mining sectors growing in Australia and across Africa, ASL is in position to take advantage of this growth and build upon its already strong relationships.

Financial Position

ASL has achieved solid growth over the last few years and profits are hitting record levels.

Profit jumped 52% to a record $73.3 million in FY11, on the back of 32.3% growth in revenue to $834.6 million.

The company provided earnings guidance in December, expecting to report a first-half profit of $48-$50 million on revenue of approximately $500 million.

Leighton Holdings Ltd (ASX:LEI) offers a variety of project development and contracting services to public and private sector clients in the Asia-Pacific region. Leighton provides design management, civil engineering construction, building, mining, process engineering, telecommunications, waste management and infrastructure operation and maintenance and property development and management. Leighton is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and is a member of the S&P/ASX 200.

Leighton announced a 1H FY12 NPAT of $340 million, a 57% jump on $216.7 million a year earlier.

Revenue jumped 25% to $12.2 billion compared to the same corresponding period in FY11.

LEI said in statement that the group is confident it is positioned in the best possible markets in the world for at lead the foreseeable future.

The company also said it will pay an interim dividend of 60 cents per share.

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Downer EDI Ltd (ASX:DOW), provides engineering and infrastructure management services to the public and private rail, road, power, telecommunications, mining and resources sectors in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Pacific. Downer provides rolling stock services, drilling services for the exploration industry, mine planning and management services and highway maintenance.

Industrials stock Downer EDI today announced it has been awarded a six year magnetite mining contract with Karara Mining for provisions of services at its iron ore project in Western Australia.

The contract which commences this month has total estimated revenue of approximately $570 million over the six years.

CEO Mr Grant Fenn said the contract will enhance Downer’s exposure to the expanding iron ore sector and also increase its geographical presence in Western Australia.

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Woolworths (ASX:WOW) operates supermarkets, specialty and discount department stores, liquor and electronics stores throughout Australia. Woolworths also manufactures processed foods, exports and wholesales food and offers petrol retailing.  The Company also operates hotels which includes pubs, food, accommodation, and gaming operations.

ASX Blue chip supermarket giant Woolworths today announced 2Q sales growth of 5.1% to $14.1 billion compared to the previous corresponding quarter, this was in line with market expectations.

The 2Q sales results bought the 1H FY12 sales to $29.7 billion, a 5% increase on the previous year.

WOW also announced that it will sell its Dick Smith consumer electronics business following a strategic review that was announced in November.

Since the review the company said it has received a number of unsolicited approaches in relation to Dick Smith.

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CSG Ltd. (ASX:CSV) offers computer and other technology services. The Company offers information, technology, and communications project management and outsourced infrastructure support; applications development services; and sales of document management solutions and telecommunications services.

Small cap stock, CSG today announced that is expects NPAT for the half ending 31 December to be within the range of $9 million – $11 million, down from the $19.2 million in same half in FY11.

The company said the NPAT included a one off cost of $2.1 million in the last quarter of CY12.

CSG cited challenging trading conditions, but did expect an improved performance in the second half.

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Alesco Corporation (ASX:ALS) is small cap stock that is involved in the marketing and distribution of industrial products to the building and renovations, construction and mining, scientific and testing and automotive industries.

ALS distributes products such as cabinets and panelling, earthmoving and truck tires, garage door openers and laboratory testing equipment.

Alesco Corp today released their 1H FY12 results which showed a first half net profit of $7.2 million, in line with the market guidance provided in August 2011.

The company also reported an EBIT down 40% to $15.3 million, which included a trading loss on Parbury of $4.7 million

CEO Mr Peter Boyd said that given the market condition and earnings levels, each business generated solid cash flows and has solid growth opportunities for the future.

Alesco also announced a fully franked dividend of $0.03 per share up from $0.015 in the previous corresponding period.

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