Hot Stocks: Domino’s Pizza, New Hope, EOS, Lendlease

The Australian sharemarket is poised to open slightly weaker on Monday, with ASX futures down 7 points, potentially marking a pause in its recent rally. The S&P/ASX 200 closed last week at a three-month high, now sitting just 2.5% below its February record, but global uncertainties may temper further gains. In the US, markets stumbled in after-hours trading on Friday after Moody’s unexpectedly downgraded the country’s credit rating from AAA to Aa1, citing unsustainable federal debt levels and higher interest costs. The move followed the announcement of a tax bill from President Trump that includes permanent cuts and a US$4 trillion debt ceiling increase. Bond yields surged, and futures for major US indices fell.

Still, Wall Street ended the week with strong gains, driven by easing trade tensions with China and robust performance from tech stocks. The S&P 500 rose 5%, the Nasdaq jumped over 6%, and the Dow added 3%, with Nvidia, Meta, and Apple leading the charge. Locally, investors are focused on the Reserve Bank of Australia’s rate decision on Tuesday, with markets overwhelmingly expecting a 25-basis-point cut to 3.85%. Meanwhile, China is set to release key economic data, which could show signs of softening industrial output and consumer activity, and commodity prices cooled as Russia and Ukraine resumed direct peace talks, easing short-term geopolitical tensions.

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (ASX:DMP) ANZ CEO Kerri Hayman will step down in August 2025 after a 37-year career with Domino’s. She will remain through the transition to support the company’s new “Recipe for Growth” strategy. Greg Steenson, a decorated former franchisee and current Head of Operations, has been appointed COO for Australia. The company has initiated an international search for a new CEO.

Lendlease (ASX:LLC) announced a 50/50 joint venture with the UK’s Crown Estate involving six UK development projects. This will release over $300m in capital and reduce future funding needs by half. The JV may yield up to $24bn in development value, including 26,000 homes and 900,000m² of commercial space. Separately, Lendlease secured a $1.2bn Australian office investment mandate from South Korea’s NPS.

New Hope Corporation (ASX:NHC) has reported quarterly EBITDA of $155.2m, down 27% due to lower coal prices. Despite this, coal sales rose 3% QoQ and 33% YoY. Rail constraints continue to impact the New Acland Mine, prompting a downward revision of FY25 production guidance. The company continues to execute its $100m buyback, with $5m already deployed.

Electro Optic Systems (ASX:EOS) has secured a €31m (~A$53m) order for its “Slinger” naval-configured Counter-Drone Remote Weapon Systems from a Western European government via a naval systems integrator. This is the largest Slinger and naval RWS order in the company’s history and will be delivered over 2025–2026.