-- Consumer stocks were lower late Tuesday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) down 0.4% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) decreasing 0.1%.
In corporate news, T-Mobile's (TMUS) largest shareholder, Deutsche Telekom, is mulling a full combination with the US-based carrier in what would be the largest-ever public M&A deal, Bloomberg reported. T-Mobile shares were down 1.3%.
South32 (ASX:S32) reported a 1% increase in alumina production year-to-date to March, helped by record production in its Brazil Alumina segment, according to a Wednesday filing with the Australian bourse.Aluminium production was mostly flat during the period, as its Hillside Aluminium smelter continued to evaluate its maximum technical capacity.Sierra Gorda, a Chile-based copper mine in which South32 holds a 45% stake, delivered a record quarterly distribution of $135 million to the company.South32 said its annual production guidance remained on track for all operations, apart from Australia Manganese, where the fiscal 2026 production outlook was cut by 6% to 3,000 kilo wet metric tonnes due to elevated site water levels and heavy rainfall following Tropical Cyclone Narelle.
EBOS Group (ASX:EBO, NZE:EBO) has lowered its fiscal 2026 underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization guidance to about AU$610 million to AU$620 million, down from prior guidance of AU$615 million to AU$635 million, citing higher fuel and energy costs amid global supply disruptions and geopolitical risks, according to a Wednesday filing with the Australian and New Zealand bourses.The company said that additional costs of AU$5 million to AU$10 million are being incurred due to rising expenses in transport, logistics, and hydrocarbon-based consumables across its distribution-heavy operations in Australia and New Zealand, per the filing.The company expects that, while underlying demand remains stable, it will not be able to pass on all recent cost increases to customers this year due to essential healthcare service obligations and regulatory constraints, including community service obligation arrangements, the filing said.The company is engaging with stakeholders, including the Australian Government, on potential fuel cost recovery, but timing and outcomes remain uncertain, the filing added.
CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:EQT kicked off 2026 with a solid earnings beat, reporting adjusted EPS of $2.33 vs. $1.18, beating consensus by $0.24. The pricing environment provided significant tailwinds, with average realized prices of $5.08/Mcfe up 35% and volumes of 618 Bcfe up 8%. Growth drivers are tied to data center demand and LNG exports, with the company targeting Northern Virginia and Southeast markets for incremental data center and industrial demand. EQT guided to unchanged CY26 volume guidance of 2,275-2,375 Bcfe, though plans Q2 production cuts of 10-15 Bcfe due to recent pricing weakness with front-month Henry Hub around $2.75/Mcfe. The company plans CY 26 capex of $2.65B-$2.85B, implying 18% growth at the midpoint. Record quarterly FCF of $1.83B (up 77%) enabled further balance sheet strengthening, with net debt declining to $5.7B as EQT approaches its $5B long-term debt target. Total per-unit operating costs of $1.09/Mcfe came in below management guidance.