Can you taste it, Foolish readers? We're very close to Christmas. For myself and the other Foolish contributors at fool.com.au it's a precious break from looking at shares 9-5.
For many of our readers, it's likely the first chance you get to really sit down and have a look at the details of your portfolio and the companies in it. Here are some of the latest company updates for you to consider:
Slater & Gordon Limited (ASX: SGH) shares are back in the news for all the wrong reasons, after the company announced there was a significant chance it would not meet its previous guidance announced at the end of November. Unsurprisingly, shares lost 20% for the week.
Primary Health Care Limited (ASX: PRY) was also pummelled on the back of changes to diagnostic imaging announced in the government's MYEFO update. Primary shares lost 23% last week and the company has yet to quantify the expected impact on its earnings over the next few years, which understandably has investors nervous.
Competitors Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX: SHL) and Capitol Health Ltd (ASX: CAJ) also lost 9% and 23%, respectively, during the week as a result of the news.
The so called 'dairy boom' continues, with investors piling into A2 MILK FPO NZ (ASX: A2M) in the hope that it could be the next Bellamy's Australia Ltd (ASX: BAL). A2 announced another profit upgrade during the week as a result of higher than expected sales of baby formula, and shares in would-be competitors Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) and Bega Cheese Ltd (ASX: BGA) also rose on the news.
A2 shares ended the week up 35%.
Elsewhere, shares in Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT) rose after the group announced an earnings-accretive acquisition of a travel agency in the US. The acquisition will be paid for through company cash and will fast-track Flight Centre's expansion in one of its biggest potential markets.
Greencross Limited (ASX: GXL) also soared more than 30% after it was reported in Fairfax media that private equity as well as publicly listed EBOS Group Ltd (ASX: EBO) were interested in acquiring the company. Although no takeover offer has been made, I believe that prices will have to go higher in order to successfully buy out the company, which I believe to be worth more than $7 per share.
