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Busy Day for Aussie Companies as Earnings, Acquisitions, and Buybacks Dominate the News

It's been a flurry of activity in the Australian markets today, with several major companies making key announcements.

Collins Foods Delivers Record Revenues and Improved Margins

Collins Foods Limited (ASX: CKF) reported a strong set of results for the first half of FY26, with record revenues of $750.3 million, up 6.6%. The company's core Australian KFC business and European operations both delivered earnings growth, with underlying EBITDA increasing 11.0% to $113.9 million. Underlying net profit after tax was up 29.5% to $30.8 million, and the company declared an interim dividend of 13.0 cents per share. Collins Foods remains focused on operational excellence, brand modernization, and profitable network expansion, particularly in Germany.

AVA Risk Group Secures Major Supply and Co-Development Deal

AVA Risk Group's BQT division has entered a five-year supply and co-development agreement with UniKey Technologies, a leading U.S. mobile-credential and smart-access technology company. Under the agreement, BQT and UniKey will co-develop a new range of NFC/BLE access control readers, which is expected to generate $4.6 million in revenue for BQT. This positions BQT as a key hardware partner for UniKey, accelerating AVA's strategic objective of expanding its product portfolio into next-generation access control solutions.

Verbrec Completes Acquisition of Alliance Automation

Verbrec Limited (ASX: VBC) has completed the acquisition of Alliance Automation Pty Ltd, a major provider of digital transformation and automation services. The transaction significantly enhances Verbrec's digital capability and is expected to add $60 million in annualized revenue, with a combined team of approximately 700 members across 18 locations. This strategic move strengthens Verbrec's position in the market and expands its service offerings to better serve clients across the energy, infrastructure, and mining industries.

Austin Engineering Announces On-Market Buyback

In other news, Austin Engineering Ltd (ASX: ANG) has announced the commencement of an on-market buyback of its ordinary shares. The buyback period will run from 2 December 2025 to 9 October 2026, although the company has not specified the total number of shares to be bought back.

Finally, VBX Limited provided an update on its Wuudagu bauxite project in Western Australia, reporting positive infill drilling results that support an increase in the confidence of the resource estimate ahead of the Wuudagu Definitive Feasibility Study.

It's been a busy day for Australian companies, with a mix of strong financial results, strategic acquisitions, and capital management initiatives. Investors will be closely watching these developments as the end of the year approaches.