Coles Group (ASX:COL) has delivered $45.6 billion in FY26 sales, with profit excluding significant items rising 13.7% to $1.255 billion, as its Supermarkets business gained market share, delivering double-digit earnings growth.

🛒 Sales continue to grow: Group sales revenue increased 2.8% to $45.58 billion, led by a 3.7% increase in Supermarkets sales to $41.5 billion. Coles also reported market share gains in Supermarkets during the year.
📈 Underlying profit rises: Profit excluding significant items increased 13.7% to $1.255 billion, while Group EBIT excluding significant items rose 9.9% to $2.322 billion. Supermarkets EBIT increased 12.2%, supported by sales growth and cost control.
⚖️ Underpayment provision weighs on statutory result: Coles recorded a $235 million significant item, or $165 million after tax, after the Federal Court ruled on proceedings brought by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Statutory profit was $1.09 billion, a modest 1.0% increase on FY25.

‘FY26 was another year of consistently strong performance for Coles, with above-market sales and strong earnings growth’ – Leah Weckert, Coles Group Managing Director & CEO

EBR Systems (ASX:EBR) is advancing cardiac resynchronisation therapy with the world`s only leadless pacing technology designed for heart failure patients. As EBR expands commercial adoption of the WiSE CRT System, the company continues to refine the implant procedure through innovations such as the optional WiSE Coupler, developed to support electrode implantation. Mark Hirotsuka, Senior Director of Research & Development at EBR Systems, joins The Stock Network`s Lel Smits to discuss why the Coupler was developed, what the Coupler is, and how user feedback helped shape rollout as adoption of the WiSE CRT System expands.

🫀 Why the Coupler was developed
🩺 Benefits of the WiSE Coupler
⚕️ User feedback impact on Coupler

Woolworths Group (ASX:WOW) has reported a significant improvement at BIG W, with the discount department store returning to profitability in FY26 despite modest sales growth.

🛍️ BIG W turns profitable: BIG W sales increased 0.9% to $4.72 billion, while EBIT reached $64 million, compared with a loss of $33 million in the prior year. The result represents a $97 million improvement in EBIT.
📈 Margins drive the turnaround: EBITDA increased 28.1% to $234 million as gross margin improved by 152 bp to 31.4%. A higher proportion of products were sold at full price, with less clearance activity and fewer promotions.
💻 Online sales continue to grow: BIG W online sales increased 11.5% in FY26, highlighting continued growth in its digital channel alongside the broader improvement in profitability.
‘Our focus on the retail fundamentals has continued to see an improvement in performance and shareholder returns during the year. We remained committed to delivering long-term sustainable growth through a focus on our customers and leveraging our considerable competitive strengths.’ – Scott Perkins, Woolworths Group Chair

Which Aussie company is selling to both sides of the global AI arms race? - That`s Appen (ASX:APX). Before an AI model can learn anything, humans have to label and organise the training data. Appen does that using a crowd of over one million contractors across 500 languages and its latest results just revealed something surprising.

Its Chinese business surged 80 per cent over the last six months while its Western business shrank 27 per cent, and operated at a loss. That means China is now nearly two-thirds of Appen`s revenue, and the only part making money.

While US and Chinese tech giants fight over chips and models, an Aussie company is quietly supplying the raw training data to both sides.

#china #us #tech #AI #stocks

Metals Australia (ASX:MLS) is gaining attention following new research from Arrowhead, which has assessed the company’s share fair value with Lac Carheil and its broader project portfolio underpinning the valuation. CEO Paul Ferguson joins The Stock Network’s Lel Smits to discuss Arrowhead’s research, the valuation attributed to Lac Carheil and how the company’s broader portfolio, including Manindi, could contribute to future value.

📊 Responding to Arrowhead’s valuation
🇨🇦 Unlocking Lac Carheil’s value proposition
💰 Building value across the broader portfolio

Acusensus (ASX:ACE) secures its first Victorian Government contract. Under the terms of the contract, which is valued at $1.7 million, see the company design, supply and install two fixed road-safety camera systems on a Victorian freeway.

🚦 First Victorian contract: The two-year agreement with the Victorian Government is valued at approximately $1.7 million excluding GST. The systems are expected to be installed by mid-2027 and will be used at two freeway test sites.
🤖 AI-powered enforcement: The infrastructure will allow Acusensus technology to be tested for instantaneous and average-speed enforcement. The sites are for testing and evaluation only and will not issue infringements under the agreement.
📈 Longer-term opportunity: The initial contract can be extended by the Victorian Government on up to four further occasions of two years each, creating a potential total term of up to 10 years. Acusensus says the agreement provides an opportunity to build its relationship with the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety.

“We look forward to growing our relationship with the Department of Justice and Community Safety over time and to a future in which we are contributing to saving lives with our advanced technologies on Victorian roads.” – Alexander Jannink, Acusensus Founder and Managing Director

GoldArc Resources (ASX:GA8) is rapidly consolidating its position across Western Australia’s prolific Leonora and Kookynie districts, with drilling extending gold anomalies and high-grade results continuing to emerge across its portfolio. Ahead of presenting at @sydneyminingclub GoldArc Resources Managing Director Paul Stephen joins The Stock Network’s Lel Smits to discuss the company’s growing Leonora South Hub, recent exploration success at Leonora North and Mt Stirling Well, and how its mining partnership model could help turn discoveries into production and fund further exploration.

🪓 Building the Leonora South Hub in WA
⚒️ From discovery to production

📍 Hinchcliff House, Sydney, NSW
📅 Wednesday, 2 September 2026
⏰ 12PM

DXN (ASX: DXN) has attained its highest-ever contracted backlog of $40.9 million in early FY27, supported by recent AI high-performance computing (HPC) contract wins and a growing pipeline of modular data centre projects across Australia and Asia-Pacific.

🏗️ Record backlog: DXN’s backlog has increased from $23.5 million as at 30 June 2026 to $40.9 million as at 30 August 2026, following further contract wins across AI infrastructure, aviation and transport.
🤖 AI demand accelerates: DXN’s maiden AI HPC contract, worth approximately $8.8 million, was signed in June 2026 for a 1.36MW modular AI HPC data centre.
🌏 Scaling for growth: While DXN’s FY26 revenue figure of $10.1 million was down 33% on the prior year number on the back of customer-side project deferrals, activity levels increased materially in the second half.

“Our near-term priority is the successful delivery and commissioning of the AI HPC pilot, the key catalyst for converting our indicative US$200 million-plus follow-on opportunity into contracted work.” – Shalini Lagrutta, DXN Managing Director