The Sigma Healthcare Ltd (ASX: SIG) share price is in focus today after revealing Chemist Warehouse branded stores have grown Australian sales by 12.1% and international sales by 30.2% since July.

What did Sigma Healthcare report?

• Australian Chemist Warehouse branded store sales up 12.1% (1 July – 16 October 2026)
• Australian like-for-like sales increased 9.8%
• International Chemist Warehouse sales rose 30.2% (constant currency, 1 July – 30 September 2026)
• International like-for-like sales up 15.8%
• On track to open 14 Chemist Warehouse stores and 42 Amcal and Discount Drug Stores in Australia first half FY27
• Global pharmacy network approaching 1,000 stores

What else do investors need to know?

Chemist Warehouse stores continue to show solid momentum, despite some softness in discretionary categories like ladies’ fragrances and supplements as shoppers respond to cost-of-living pressures. Less discretionary categories—including healthcare, beauty, and GLP-1 supporting products—performed strongly.

Sigma is making steady progress on expanding its global footprint. In addition to the planned store openings in Australia, another 19 international stores are scheduled to be onboarded in the first half of FY27. The group continues to focus on operational efficiencies, while revitalising the Amcal and Discount Drug Stores banners to support domestic growth.

What did Sigma Healthcare management say?

Our business model is very defensive and resilient. Chemist Warehouse, with the breadth and depth of its discount offer, provides increased opportunities through the cycle. We have a clear plan, strong momentum and significant opportunities still ahead. Our job is to keep executing on our strategy, and to turn that execution into sustainable value for shareholders.

What’s next for Sigma Healthcare?

Managing Director and CEO Vikesh Ramsunder said:

Sigma expects Chemist Warehouse branded stores to continue posting double-digit sales growth over the remainder of the half, helped by the upcoming Christmas trading period. The company also anticipates the introduction of oral GLP-1 products in the second half of FY27, aiming to further drive patient access and store sales.

With just under 10% market share of Australia’s pharmacy licences, Sigma sees substantial room to grow its network of Chemist Warehouse branded stores, alongside the ongoing revitalisation of Amcal and Discount Drug Stores. The company’s disciplined growth agenda and strong current momentum signal continued focus on sustainable shareholder value.

Sigma Healthcare share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Sigma shares have declined 10%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has fallen 3% over the same period.

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The post Sigma Healthcare provides Chemist Warehouse sales update appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The NEXTDC Ltd (ASX: NST) share price is in focus today after the company revised its FY27 guidance due to delays in increasing grid supply at its M3 Melbourne data centre. FY27 net revenue guidance has been cut to A$475–500 million, down from A$615–640 million, with underlying EBITDA also reduced.

What did NEXTDC report?

• FY27 net revenue guidance lowered to A$475–500 million, previously A$615–640 million
• FY27 underlying EBITDA guidance revised to A$245–265 million, from A$385–410 million
• FY27 capital expenditure guidance now A$4,500–5,000 million, reduced from A$5,250–5,750 million
• Liquidity at 30 September 2026: A$8,675 million (cash and undrawn facilities)
• Company remains in compliance with all financial covenants

What else do investors need to know?

Delays in electricity works by Jemena have pushed back the delivery and billing of contracted capacity at M3 Melbourne to FY28. This means revenue and earnings previously expected from these contracts are now excluded from NEXTDC’s FY27 outlook.

Construction of the M3 data halls is continuing, and the company remains engaged with both the affected customer and the community. Planning decisions on further M3 development (Stages 6 and 7) are now expected only after the Victorian State election in November 2026.

NEXTDC is reviewing its capital expenditure program, pausing new developments not backed by customer contracts, and considering the sale of development sites that aren’t needed soon.

What did NEXTDC management say?

CEO and Managing Director Craig Scroggie said:

Jemena has suspended parts of the network works required for the next increase in grid supply to M3 Melbourne. Jemena has attributed the suspension to community and stakeholder opposition to the works and to the absence of local council consent pending further consultation. On Jemena’s current indicative estimate, we expect that increase during FY28.

We have taken the affected M3 contracts out of FY27 guidance until we can reliably estimate their contribution. The August guidance included approximately A$140 million of each of net revenue and Underlying EBITDA from those contracts. The timing and scale of their contribution remain uncertain.

With M3 revenue deferred, we have paused projects not backed by customer contracts and put that capital behind the capacity our customers have already contracted. We have approximately A$8.7 billion of liquidity at 30 September 2026 and we are in compliance with our covenants.

What’s next for NEXTDC?

NEXTDC plans to update the market after a detailed review of its capital expenditure, with further announcements expected by the Annual General Meeting on 20 November 2026. The Board is also looking at ways to recycle capital, including possibly selling some development sites.

The company says its focus will be on delivering capacity for existing customer contracts and further community and stakeholder engagement around the M3 Melbourne site, especially as it works through planning and grid supply challenges.

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The post NEXTDC slashes FY27 guidance after M3 Melbourne power delay appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

The SEEK Ltd (ASX: SEK) share price is in focus today after the company provided an update on its SEEK Growth Fund, with new arrangements aimed at boosting liquidity for investors and reducing SEEK’s stake in the Fund over time.

What did SEEK report?

• The SEEK Growth Fund enters Stage 2 from 1 November 2026 with revised terms approved by unitholders.
• Investments have been classified into Core Assets (valued at $1.25 billion) and Non-Core Assets ($499 million as of September 2026).
• New incentive arrangements mean the Fund Manager’s carried interest is only payable if at least $840 million of liquidity is made available to investors, including approximately $700 million for SEEK.
• Total management fees paid by SEEK to the Manager will drop to around $17 million per year, with $5 million in fees on SEEK-managed assets now removed.
• Since 2021, the Fund has delivered a 12% return on investment, with distributions representing 13% of invested capital.

What else do investors need to know?

Stage 2’s arrangements focus on maximising long-term value and providing substantial liquidity to SEEK and other Fund investors, mainly through potential near-term sales of assets valued at over $1 billion. The revised structure also aims for a disciplined approach, incentivising the Manager to deliver liquidity by setting a clear threshold tied to carried interest payouts.

SEEK will not contribute further capital to the Fund, aligning with its wider goal of gradually reducing its current 83.8% stake. The company also highlighted that future management fees are benchmarked to market rates, providing cost savings compared to the Fund’s earlier phase.

What did SEEK management say?

CEO and Managing Director Ian Narev said:

Our priority is, and has always been, to maximise the value of our investment in the Fund and receive liquidity over time. Since the Fund was established, it has delivered a 12% return on investment, with distributions representing 13% of invested capital, despite challenging macro conditions and valuation pressure across the sector. This performance has been underpinned by revenue growth across the portfolio, particularly among the HR SaaS investments. SEEK and the Fund remain fully aligned on these objectives, and we are confident the revised arrangements provide a pathway to near-term liquidity. Linking the Fund Manager’s incentives to returning capital to investors and establishing a clear liquidity threshold for carried interest, supports a disciplined approach to realising value for all investors. We believe this provides an enhanced framework to pursue strong investment outcomes while delivering meaningful liquidity to SEEK.

What’s next for SEEK?

Looking ahead, SEEK’s focus is on supporting and realising value from its Core Assets, which remain central to the Fund’s strategy of generating returns above 20% per annum. With no further capital injections planned, SEEK expects its ownership in the Fund to decline progressively as asset sales occur.

The company will keep evaluating its stake and participating in the evolving Fund arrangements, while continuing to manage key assets directly, including Zhaopin and JobAdder. Governance arrangements for the Fund remain unchanged.

SEEK share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months, Seek shares have declined 54%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), which has declined 3% over the same period.

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The post SEEK updates Growth Fund with new liquidity and fee arrangements appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.