Reporting Season Round-Up: Pilbara Minerals posts 1,000% earnings jump, Allkem and MinRes miss

Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS): Huge earnings, maiden dividend 

Reports first-half FY23:

• Production of 309,255 dry metric tonnes of spodumene, up 83%

• Shipments of 286,876 dmt of spodumene, up 68%

• Sales revenue of $2.18bn, up 647%: In-line with $2.20bn expected

• Statutory net profit of $1.24bn, up 989%

• Cash balance of $2.23bn compared to $591.7m a year ago

• Inaugural dividend of 11 cents per share 

FY23 guidance:

• Spodumene production upgraded to 600-620,000 dry metric tonnes, up from 540-580,000 dmt

• Unit operating cost of $580-610 dmt, down from previous guidance of $635-700 dmt

Allkem (ASX: AKE): NPAT and revenue both miss expectations, but earnings smash year on year

Reports H1:

• NPAT of US$222.5m vs. expectations of US$249.7m

• Revenue of US$557.9m vs. expectations of US$573.7m

• EBITDAIX of US$401.5m vs. US$97.8m in 1HFY22

• Discontinued operations cost of -US$3.2m in the period

• Final continuous operations profit of US$219.23m

Ardent Leisure Group (ASX: ALG) swings to profit

Reports H1:

• H1 NPAT (cont ops) $20m, swinging from last year’s $20.2m loss

• Operating Revenue $43.7m, up 136% from last year’s $18.5m

• EBITDA (cont ops, ex-items) $0.3m, up from last year’s ($16.4m)

From management:

Group is well capitalised to fund its recovery and future investments, which include over $50m of new and upgraded rides and attractions

Austal (ASX: ASB) posts a $7m loss, 4c dividend

Reports H1:

• Loss of -$2m in EBITDA vs. EBITDA of $71.1m in 1HFY22

• NPAT loss of -$7m vs. profit of $45.1m in 1HFY22

• Orders currently stand at $6.9m

• Dividend of 4c (100% franked)

Outlook and guidance:

• EBIT taret of $58m reaffirmed despite loss

• "Continues to see potential upside from major shipbuilding opportunities"

• Strong pipeline of orders in short-to-medium-term

• "Well on track to achieve strategic growth target of A$500m annual support revenue by FY27"

Jumbo Interactive (ASX: JIN) posts profit growth and boost dividend

Reports H1:

• Underlying NPAT A$18.2, up 8% on last year’s $16.8m

• Revenue $62.4m, up 18% on last year’s $52.8m

• EBITDA A$30.2M, up 7% on last year’s $28.2m

• TTV $417m

• Interim DPS A$0.239 (+4.5% pcp), fully franked; record 3-Mar; payable 17-Mar

• Div payout ratio 84.2% – at top end targeted 65-85% range.

FY23 Outlook:

• Reaffirms FY23 Outlook

• Underlying operating cost growth excluding Lottery Retailing marketing costs is anticipated to moderate with Jumbo targeting an increase of 16-18%

• Underlying EBITDA margin is anticipated to be at the upper end of the original range of 48-50%a

Brambles (ASX: BXB): Brambles boosts its full-year guidance, posts 12c dividend

Reports H1:

• Underlying NPAT of $334.5m vs. expectations of $321.9m

• Revenue of $2.93b mostly in line with expectations of $2.91bn

• Underlying profit of $548m vs. expectations of $511.4m

• Interim 12c dividend payable 13th of April

• CFO Nessa O'Sullivan retiring

Outlook and guidance:

• Sales revenue +12-14% vs. FY22

• Underlying profit of +15-18% vs. FY22

• Free cash flow after dividends to improve over FY22 "but remain a net outflow"

• Dividend payout ratio of 45-60%

Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) profit grows but misses expectations

Reports H1:

• H1 underlying NPAT $388.6m against expectations of $465m

• Revenue $2.35bn against expectations of $2.41bn

• Adjusted EBITDA $939m (up 503% from last year) against expectations of $990m

• Interim dividend $1.20 (fully franked); record 10-Mar, payment 30-Mar

• MinRes achieved record lithium earnings from the conversion of Mt Marion and Wodinga spodumene concentrate into battery chemicals.

Link Administration (ASX: LNK): Soft earnings, full-year to track towards lower end of guidance

Reports first-half FY23:

• Revenue of $592.2m, up 0.2%

• Operating EBITDA of $128.3m, up 7.8%

• Operating NPATA (ex-Pexa) of $38.2m, up 4.9%

• Revenue and NPATA both missed analyst expectations

• Statutory NPAT of -$410.1m

• Dividend of 4.5 cents per share, up 50%

Guidance:

• Reaffirmed FY23 revenue guidance of $1.19-1.22bn

• Expects full-year result to track towards lower end of guidance