Company Interview / Market Update | NAB, JB Hi-Fi, Temple & Webster, Aurizon, Nine Entertainment, Nuix, Macquarie

NAB (ASX: NAB) has reported a 1% jump in half-yearly profits to $3.6 billion .. It will pay an 85¢ per share interim dividend. The lender says credit impairment charges fell, while competition in home lending and business banking had compressed its margins. CEO Andrew Irvine says escalating global trade tensions “are a key source of uncertainty” and NAB would maintain conservative balance sheet settings.

ASIC has pulled up Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG) for "ineffective supervision" of its trading desk... The corporate watchdog says Macquarie needs to appoint an independent review of its derivative trading business and improve compliance...It has identified nine areas of concerns. Macquarie has responded saying it will work constructively with ASIC on these remediation activities.

JB Hi-Fi (ASX: JBH) has reported 6.5% sales in third quarter total Australia sales growth. Comparable sales rose 6% in the period while total sales in New Zealand rose by 17.5%. Sales at the Good Guys were up 4.6% in the quarter.

Meanwhile - Temple & Webster (ASX: TPW) has posted an 18% rise in first half revenue -- while revenue since March is up 23%. CEO Mark Coulter says to date - the US China tariff war has been a net positive for the business with forward inbound shipping rates down 20%.

And Aurizon Holdings (ASX: AZJ) is looking to potentially cut 200 full-time job roles across its business. The rail freight operator had flagged in its half-year results in February that it would implement "additional efficiency improvements" during the current calendar year after missing market expectations with a $205 million net profit.

Nine Entertainment (ASX: NEC) is expecting further cost cuts of between $10 to $20 million throughout FY25. Total advertising for the March quarter increased by almost 8%. Nine says the Federal election did bring some money into the advertising market in March and April -- but that the current economic and market uncertainty is impacting the outlook for the remainder of the financial year.

Software company Nuix (ASX: NXL) has withdrawn its full-year guidance. for revenue growth and underlying cash flow as customers hold off committing to new IT contracts. Nuix has previously warned its annualised contract value -- which measures the yearly worth of its contracts -- would come in at the lower end of its guidance range of 11-16%.