Daily Roundup

Dicker Data is making a bold move into South-East Asia. The tech distributor has agreed to acquire Sektor Group for NZD$138 million, gaining operational footholds in Thailand and Malaysia. Sektor, which generated NZD$440 million in gross revenue over the past year, specializes in point-of-sale, enterprise mobility, cybersecurity, and physical security technologies. The deal should wrap up by late October 2026 and is expected to be earnings accretive in FY26, with post-integration EBITDA targeted between NZD$28-32 million. The acquisition was flagged earlier this week when Dicker Data halted trading to announce the material deal.

Over in infrastructure, SKS Technologies is riding momentum on its Melbourne data centre project. The company has secured an additional $38 million in contracts for the MEL2 facility, bringing the total project value to $66 million. The fresh work includes inground services and cold shell works, and CEO Matthew Jinks highlighted the company's track record delivering complex infrastructure. With $270 million now on the books and a robust pipeline backed by returning clients, SKS is well positioned for sustained growth.

Tower, the Kiwi insurer, delivered some welcome news with upgraded FY26 guidance. The company now expects underlying net profit after tax between $69 million and $79 million, up from its previous $55-65 million range. The uplift comes down to a $45 million large event allowance that wasn't fully tapped—only $25 million in large event claims materialized. Customer numbers grew 8% to 345,000, driven by strength in New Zealand home insurance and new partnerships, while gross written premium growth came in at 3%, in line with expectations. Full results arrive on 26 November.

Activeport is making inroads in India. The network orchestration software company has landed a $1 million-plus stage-one contract with Microscan Infocommtech, Mumbai's largest independent fibre operator. Activeport's platform will power Microscan's new pan-India Network-as-a-Service offering, connecting over 1,800 kilometres of fibre across major data centres and enterprise buildings. The deal positions Activeport to tap into explosive growth in AI-driven connectivity trading and API-based services, with both parties eyeing a second stage incorporating additional network-security products.

Finally, Astral Resources has cleared a hurdle for its Mandilla Gold Project. The company acquired 100% of Estrella Resources' Spargoville Nickel Rights for $3 million in Astral shares, eliminating a potential third-party obstacle to project development. The transaction, valued at 20 million consideration shares at $0.15 each, is expected to complete by 12 October.