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Echoes of lithium boom as rare earth stocks soar

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Original article by Alex Gluyas
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 15-Oct-25

Shares in rare earths producers have rallied due to factors such as rising demand for the critical minerals and concerns over supply amid renewed trade tensions between the US and China. Lynas Rare Earths has risen by 227 per cent so far in 2025, while Australian Strategic Materials is up 272 per cent. US-based MP Materials has in turn rise by 480 per cent in the year-to-date. However, Macquarie analysts now consider shares in both Lynas and Iluka Resources to be fully priced, contending that these stocks have outpaced gains in underlying rare earths prices. The firm has an ‘outperform’ rating on Meteoric Resources, whose shares rose 17.1 per cent to $0.24 on Tuesday.

CORPORATES
LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX LYC, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC MATERIALS LIMITED – ASX ASM, MP MATERIALS CORPORATION, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, ILUKA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ILU, METEORIC RESOURCES NL – ASX MEI

Media merger to counter big tech

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 1-Oct-25

The proposed merger between Seven West Media and Southern Cross Media Group is forecast to generate annual pre-tax cost synergies of up to $30m. The merger will combine Seven’s linear TV and digital broadcast platforms with Southern Cross’s radio stations; Seven also owns print and digital newspapers. Seven West’s shareholders are expected to vote on the deal later this year or in early 2026; if approved, Southern Cross will emerge with a 50.1 per cent stake in the combined entity. Seven’s CEO Jeff Howard will take on the role in the merged group, while Seven chairman Kerry Stokes will step down in favour of Southern Cross counterpart Heith Mackay-Cruise. Southern Cross CEO John Kelly has indicated that he has also held merger talks with Nine Entertainment in recent months.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Northern Minerals bets on non-China premium

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Original article by Peter Ker, Mark Wembridge
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 17-Sep-25

Northern Minerals has released the definitive feasibility study for its Browns Range rare earths project in Western Australia. It estimates that the project will cost about $592 million and have a mine life of 11 years. Browns Range will produce rare earths such as dysprosium, terbium, neodymium and praseodymium. The latter two are currently fetching about $US70 per kilogram, but Northern Minerals says it hopes to receive about $US107/kg for the rare earths it produces at Browns Range; it adds that prices could potentially rise to around $US138/kg if the world moves to aggressively decouple from Chinese supply chains.

CORPORATES
NORTHERN MINERALS LIMITED – ASX NTU

Siblings paid to exit Murdoch media empire

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 10-Sep-25

Sources have indicated that the Murdoch family has settled the long-running dispute over future control over its media empire in a deal worth $US3.3bn ($5bn). Rupert Murdoch’s eldest son Lachlan is set to assume full control of the family’s stakes in News Corp and Fox Corporation, ending the dispute with his siblings. Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch will each receive $US1.1bn, while they have also agreed to sell all of their shares in the two companies over the next six months. The family trust that was at the centre of the legal dispute between the Murdochs will be dissolved as part of the deal.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX CORPORATION

Google inks first commercial AI news deal in Australia

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 20-Aug-25

Newswire service Australian Associated Press has secured a content deal with Google regarding the latter’s generative artificial intelligence platform. AAP’s news articles will be made available to the Gemini AI app. Nic Hopkins from Google says the deal with AAP will deliver a feed of real-time information to enhance responses in the Gemini app and will assist Australians when they look for locally relevant and up-to-date information. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Seven’s profit slumps but digital offers hope

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 17 : 13-Aug-25

Seven West Media has reported a 2024-25 statutory profit of just $17m, which is 63 per cent lower than previously. Revenue was five per cent lower at $1.4bn and underlyimg earnings were down 15 per cent to $159m, although CEO Jeff Howard notes that underlying earnings rose by six per cent in the second half. Meanwhile, the group’s 7plus digital platform recorded 26 per cent growth in revenue during 2024-25. Howard says 7plus is close to offsetting the revenue decline in Seven’s traditional broadcast TV business; he adds that although viewers will continue to switch to streaming, Seven remains committed to broadcast TV.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Australian editor to lead Murdoch’s new US tabloid

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Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 6-Aug-25

News Corporation has advised that it will launch a new Los Angeles-based masthead called the California Post in early 2026. It will be a localised version of News Corp’s popular right-wing tabloid, the New York Post. Sean Giancola, the CEO of News Corp subsidiary the New York Post Media Group, says the new masthead will offer a similar mix of "common-sense journalism", sports, celebrity and entertainment news across multiple platforms, including a daily print edition. The Herald Sun’s Sunday editor Nick Papps will be the inaugural editor-in-chief of the California Post.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEW YORK POST MEDIA GROUP

‘Let us see the audits’: Kmart faces legal battle over alleged links to Uyghur forced labour

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Original article by Jessica Yun
The Age – Page: Online : 6-Aug-25

Discount department store chain Kmart Australia is under scrutiny amid concerns that two of its clothing suppliers may used forced labour in the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang. The Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association recently filed a Federal Court application requesting information from Kmart as to whether the suppliers in question are compliant with the company’s ethical sourcing program. A Kmart spokesperson has indicated that the retailer regularly monitors its suppliers via audits, site visits and other actions,

CORPORATES
KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN UYGHUR TANGRITAGH WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Rinehart a winner in rare earths move

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 14 : 6-Aug-25

Shares in Lynas Rare Earths and Iluka Resources rose strongly on Tuesday, in response to the federal government’s plans to create a floor price for rare earths. Resources Minister Madeleine King has indicated hat the government is also open to taking equity stakes in rare earths companies, as part of its proposal to establish a critical minerals strategic reserve. Arafura Rare Earths’ CEO Darryl Cuzzubbo says an Australian floor price would disrupt China’s dominance of the rare earths sector; he adds that any strategic reserve for rare earths should be linked to a non-China controlled price index. Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has an eight per cent in Arafura and a similar stake in Lynas.

CORPORATES
LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX LYC, ILUKA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ILU, ARAFURA RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX ARU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES

Nine’s publishing to out-earn TV

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 17 : 6-Aug-25

Jarden analyst Tom Beadle recently said that the value contained within Nine Entertainment’s publishing business could potentially be the most underappreciated part of the media group. The investment bank has valued Nine’s publishing assets at $885m, ahead of streaming video platform Stan ($655m) and the broadcast division ($601m); Jarden estimates that Nine’s radio stations are worth about $25m. Looking forward, Nine’s publishing assets are forecast to generate EBITDA of $156m by 2028; this compares with expectations of $153m for the group’s television network, which is facing higher costs.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE RADIO PTY LTD, JARDEN AND COMPANY