At lunch on Friday, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is fighting hard to stay in positive territory. The benchmark index is currently up slightly to 7,080.5 points.
Here's what is happening on the ASX 200 today:
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REA Group half year results impress
The REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) share price is trading higher today after it outperformed the market's expectations during the first half. The property listings company delivered revenue growth of 37% to $590 million and EBITDA growth of 27% to $368 million. The latter was ahead of the market consensus estimate of ~$350 million. REA also revealed that January had started strongly.
News Corp shares rise on results
The News Corp (ASX: NWS) share price is on the charge today after the media giant released its second quarter and half year update. News Corp reported a 13% increase in revenue and an 18% lift in EBITDA during the second quarter. This led to a first half operating profit of almost US$1 billion, which is up 30% year on year.
Boral shares plummet (but for a good reason)
The Boral Limited (ASX: BLD) share price has crashed 41% lower on Friday. However, this decline is due to the building materials company's shares trading ex-capital return today. Eligible shareholders can now look forward to receiving a total cash distribution of $2.72 per share. This comprises a $2.65 per share capital reduction and an unfranked dividend of 7 cents per share. Boral is returning a total of $3 billion to shareholders following a series of asset sales.
Best and worst ASX 200 performers
The best performer on the ASX 200 on Friday has been the PointsBet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH) share price with a gain of almost 5% following an update on its North American operations. The worst performer by some distance is the Boral share price with a 41% decline due to its capital return.
