Austal

Hanwha Group has submitted a preliminary, non-binding offer of $1.05–$1.20 billion for Austal USA, which builds ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. Austal excluded its Australian and Asian units as well as its publicly traded shares from the offer and gave Hanwha four weeks for due diligence and a final bid. Austal shares then rose sharply, while the US business accounted for about 90% of pre-tax profit in 2025 but is expected to report an EBIT loss in 2026. » Plus sur de.investing.com

The Austal share climbed 13.3% to A$4.35 after Hanwha Defence USA submitted an indicative takeover offer for Austal USA valuing the business at US$1.05–1.20bn on a cash- and debt-free basis. The offer excludes the listed Austal shares and the Australasian operations; Hanwha was given four weeks of due diligence with no guarantee of a deal. Austal simultaneously warned of a group EBIT loss for FY26 of around A$113m, entirely due to provisions at Austal USA, while the Australasian business is expected to deliver EBIT of about A$62m; cash stood at A$312m on June 30 and A$366m on July 31, 2026. » Plus sur de.investing.com

Austal raised revenue in H1 FY2026 by 34.4% to A$1.1bn and recorded a record order backlog of A$17.7bn, while EBIT increased to A$60.3m and net profit to A$30.5m. Management revised the full-year guidance after a forecasting error and pointed to margin strain from two loss-making US contracts, leaving the EBIT margin at 5.4%, well below the target. The net cash position fell 47% to A$241.4m and operating cash flow swung to -A$62.9m, weighed down by investments in capacity expansions and delayed customer payments. Investor reaction drove the share price down by about 9%; investments in plant expansions and digital initiatives are expected to improve efficiency and margins over the medium term. » Plus sur de.investing.com