☕️Bad Debt, No Cap

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New York private markets behemoth Apollo Global Management's local strategic partner MaxCap Group has said its business is strong and momentum is accelerating despite record a sharp profit decline off the back of surging bad debt expenses.

Documents filed with the corporate regulator viewed by Capital Brief show MaxCap generated $75.7 million in revenue last financial year, up about 3% from a year earlier, while it eked out a $75,971 bottom line profit, down from $17 million a year earlier.

The company's bad debt expenses surged to $21.8 million from $597,782 a year earlier, the accounts show. MaxCap said its “underlying business fundamental remain strong” and that “momentum is accelerating” in a statement.

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Market movers

Shares in Lynas Rare Earths slumped over 8% on Monday, the worst performance on the ASX 200, after the White House confirmed China had effectively suspended parts of its export restrictions on rare earths. The move also weighed on other producers, such as Iluka Resources (down 4.2%) and Arafura Rare Earths (3.5% lower).

The quick sync

• Brighte gets $40m from CEFC to cut loan rates as battery uptake soars. (Capital Brief)

• WIN Corp reported an $8.6m loss as it began winding down its transmission network under Gordon’s strategy shift. (Capital Brief)

• Mastercard wants Apple Pay, Amex and BNPL regulated equally as Australia’s payments review stirs division. (Capital Brief)

• Westpac to grow margins via investor loans and in-house sales, not mortgage share. (Capital Brief)

• Major High Court rulings this month will test the limits of foreign immunity, political accountability and detention powers. (Capital Brief)

Trading floor

M&A

• Westpac sells $21b RAMS loans to KKR-led group as profit slips 1% amid rising costs. (Capital Brief)

• Domino’s sells printing unit to IVE for $13.5m with little effect on earnings. (Capital Brief)

• DroneShield wins $25m Latin American defence deal, lifting shares 5%. (Capital Brief)

• Lendlease in talks to sell Keyton stake to Scape after other bidders exit. (AFR)

• Microsoft signs USD9.7b deal with IREN for AI cloud capacity, cementing IREN’s pivot from crypto to AI infrastructure. (Capital Brief)

• Palliser pushes Rio Tinto to unify listings and counterbid for Teck Resources to fast-track copper expansion. (Capital Brief)

• Macquarie flags IDP Education, Domino’s, IPH, and Reece as top takeover targets amid rising private equity dealmaking. (The Australian)

• Kimberly-Clark to buy Kenvue for USD40b, forming a major consumer health products group. (Capital Brief)

• AWS signs USD38b, seven-year deal to supply OpenAI with Nvidia GPUs for AI model training. (Capital Brief)

• Animoca Brands to list on Nasdaq via reverse merger with Currenc Group, regaining public status after ASX delisting. (Capital Brief)

Capital Markets

• Government unveils Guarantee of Origin scheme to certify clean energy products like green hydrogen. (Capital Brief)

• Pet Circle’s losses widen to $36.9m amid rising costs and lower revenue. (AFR)

• Australia Post taps Bain & Co for major restructure amid falling letter use. (AFR)

• Vulcan Energy wins final permit for German lithium plant powering 500,000 EVs a year. (Capital Brief)

• NRG Energy markets Rio Tinto’s Gladstone coal power station amid early closure plans. (AFR)

• Metrics Credit Holdings’ profit dipped to $19m as acquisitions doubled investment value and boosted assets under management to $30bn. (The Australian)

• Ticketek lent $310m to its Singaporean parent despite $160m loss. (AFR)

• HealthCo says Healthscope has cleared all rent, boosting cash ahead of possible tenant changes. (Capital Brief)

• Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty Primary Metals Australia enters administration before liquidation hearing. (AFR)

• Optus defends CEO Stephen Rue amid Senate backlash over deadly triple-zero outage and delayed government notification. (Capital Brief)

• SafetyCulture bets on AI for growth after $49m loss. (AFR)

• ResMed to double US output with new Indianapolis plant by 2027. (AFR)

• Westpac’s Anthony Miller must balance growth with costs from the $1b-a-year UNITE tech transformation. (Capital Brief)

• APA Group plans $200m expansion of Victorian gas pipeline to boost supply and cut LNG reliance. (AFR)

• Macquarie Capital’s quants back Half Yours to win the 2025 Melbourne Cup. (AFR)

• Microsoft to invest USD8b in UAE for cloud, AI infrastructure, and Nvidia chip rollout. (Capital Brief)

• Airwallex targets $3b revenue amid rapid global growth, delaying IPO plans. (AFR)

• Brighte gains $40m CEFC funding to expand discounted green loans amid record household battery boom. (Capital Brief)

• Gilmour Space nears $150m raise amid $22.4m loss and funding reliance. (AFR)

• MaxCap profit plunges amid $21.8m bad debt spike, but firm says growth momentum remains strong. (Capital Brief)

• Grow Inc’s $250m valuation faces doubts after $90m annual loss. (AFR)

• WIN Corp posts $8.6m loss after $13.1m transmitter shutdown costs. (Capital Brief)

• Mastercard calls on RBA to regulate Amex and Apple equally, citing Australia as a global regulatory trendsetter. (Capital Brief)

VC 

• Scalare Partners launches AI startup platform The Founders Union to link founders with curated growth and funding support. (Startup Daily)

• Sydney-based form-building startup Paperform launches Stepper, an AI-native tool that automates small business workflows with plain-English commands and modular design. (Startup Daily)

People moves

• Magellan sees seven board resignations, appoints new executives and compliance team. (Capital Brief)

• IAG’s search for new NZ head sparks CEO succession talk as Amanda Whiting eyes return to Australia. (AFR)

• Metcash CFO Deepa Sita faces bullying claims amid bonus dispute lawsuit. (AFR)

• ASX appoints ex-RBA chief Philip Lowe to lead new corporate governance advisory group. (Capital Brief)

The watercooler