Daily Roundup

Neuren Pharmaceuticals is riding strong momentum with its DAYBUE medication, posting a impressive 39% jump in Q3 2026 net sales compared to the same quarter last year. The company also pocketed a US$35 million milestone payment following DAYBUE's launch in Germany, signaling real traction in European markets. With partner Acadia Pharmaceuticals also boosting its global guidance for the drug, Neuren has upgraded its full-year 2026 forecast to US$91-93 million in total trofinetide income. The pharmaceutical company is clearly benefiting from strong uptake and sees continued growth ahead as it pursues additional European launches.

In the wealth and accounting space, Count Limited is making a significant expansion move by acquiring a 75% stake in Skybridge Financial. The deal brings with it 82 accountants, 13 financial advisers, and a hefty US$1.4 billion in Funds Under Advice—a meaningful boost to Count's integrated platform ambitions. The acquisition is expected to close in Q3 FY2027 and deliver mid to high single-digit earnings per share accretion. Count is funding the deal through a $25 million institutional placement alongside existing cash reserves and debt facilities, with some consideration paid in scrip. The company sees this as a strategic building block for Australia's leading integrated wealth and accounting platform.

REA Group delivered a solid quarter, with Q1 FY27 revenue climbing 11% to $450 million and EBITDA excluding associates rising 12% to $294 million. The real estate platform benefited from strong controllable yield growth in its core residential business and saw engagement metrics improve meaningfully—active members jumped 9% while property tracking by owners climbed 13%. Looking ahead, REA expects low single-digit declines in national buy listings for the full year but remains confident in operational margin expansion and low double-digit yield growth.

Eagers Automotive is weathering industry headwinds better than most, expecting record revenue of $17.3-17.5 billion for 2026—a jump of at least 30% from the prior year. While the third quarter felt the pinch from elevated interest rates, inflation, and higher fuel prices, the automotive retailer has stayed resilient. Its CanadaOne Auto division actually outperformed expectations and is showing significant expansion potential in North America. Eagers anticipates an underlying return on sales of 2.8%-3.0%, positioning itself to significantly outperform the broader industry despite challenging conditions.

St Barbara Limited has successfully fired up ore processing at its Touquoy Restart Project, with operations commencing on November 3. The company expects to reach full capacity by end-December 2026, with first gold production arriving in January 2027. For FY27, St Barbara is guiding for 17,000-21,000 ounces of gold production at all-in sustaining costs of A$2,070-2,560 per ounce. Growth capital expenditure is anticipated at A$40-50 million, while Touquoy reclamation costs are expected to run A$24-30 million. The restart marks a significant milestone for both the company and Nova Scotia.