The S&P/ASX 200 (ASX: XJO) moved further from a record close as a weak global lead and a bevvy of early earnings updates sent the market 0.7% lower on Tuesday.
The only highlight was the telecommunications sector, which added 0.2% with IT and healthcare falling over 1% each as valuation concerns linger.
Challenger share price smashed
Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF), which provides annuities and distributes a series of investment funds, fell by over 15% after management downgraded earnings guidance to the lower end of their $390 to $440 million range.
The group cited an unexpected decline in credit spreads as a key influence, with the returns on its statutory fund falling compared to the fixed-rate annuity payments it is contracted to make.
Despite the short term weakness, the company reported it had reached $100 billion in assets and delivered a record 9.2% growth in its Life book for the quarter.
Latitude finally goes public
Consumer lending group Latitude Financial (ASX: LFS) finally listed on the ASX, a slimmed-down version of the company it was 18 months ago. The company closed at $2.70 after listing at $2.60 on a $2.6 billion valuation.
A recent pivot into BNPL has supported customer growth and complements the company’s core personal lending, credit card and car loan divisions.
See: When and why do companies go public?
Afterpay continues to roll
Afterpay Ltd (ASX: APT) has flagged a potential US listing as the group’s overseas operations finally exceed its Australian income. Management reported a 104% increase in sales to $5.2 billion for the quarter, with US sales, up 211% and UK sales up 277%, key drivers of the strength.
Active customers increased by 75% to 14.6 million with active merchants also hitting 85,800, a 77% gain on this time last year; evidencing the exceptional growth this company is achieving. Shares fell 0.8% on the news in what was a down day for tech shares.
Featured video: SaaS valuation explained
Hub24’s record inflows
Investment platform Hub24 Ltd (ASX: HUB) delivered record inflows of $1.9 billon, up 41% on 2020 levels with the company reaching assets of $51.4 billion. The HUB share price finished 2.6% lower.
Rio’s best start to a year
Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) has recorded its strongest start to the year since 2018, shipping 77.8 million tonnes of iron ore in the first three months, amid calls that the iron ore price could hit US$200 per tonne on weaker Brazilian output.
Temple & Webster continues to fire
Popular online furniture outlet Temple & Webster Group Ltd (ASX: TPW) has shown no signs of slowing down, reporting a 20% increase in April sales on the back of a 112% increase in revenue on this time last year. The group now has over 750,000 active customers, with shares jumping 1.5% on the news.
Looking ahead, the ASX 200 is expected to fall when the market opens on Wednesday after another red session for US markets overnight. For all the latest, check out Rask Media’s daily US stock market report.