PRE-MARKET AUSTRALIAN AND JAPANESE STOCKS NEWS: Japanese markets reopen after the silver week holiday closures, while South Korean markets are shut

AUSTRALIA BHP Group (BHP AT) - Co. suspended operations indefinitely at the Escondida copper mine in Chile following the death of a worker, as a strike looms amid failed union talks. (The Australian) Nine Entertainment (NEC AT) - Co.'s broadcast and streaming boss Amanda Laing has resigned after 18 months in the role. (The Australian) NRW Holdings (NWH AT) - Co.'s Fredon unit was awarded a contract worth around AUD 115mln for a package of works at Stack Data Centre MEL03, with work commencing in September and expected to be completed by March 2028. (Dow Jones Newsplus) Premier Investments (PMV AT) - Co. FY (AUD) net fell 62% Y/Y to 129.2mln, continuing operations rev. fell 2.8% Y/Y to 808.0mln, dividend 0.36, while Peter Alexander sales rose 3.2% Y/Y to 565.3mln and Smiggle sales fell 13% Y/Y to 230.2mln; Co. said its brands entered FY27 with clean inventory, with like-for-like sales and gross profit less than 1% different from the year-earlier period in constant-currency terms during the first seven weeks, while key trading periods remain ahead and its previously announced buyback will continue. (Dow Jones Newsplus) Ramsay Health Care (RHC AT) - Co. said Nonexecutive Director Michael Siddle will retire following the November 24 AGM, while Tracey Batten will become a Nonexecutive Director effective January 1, 2027. (Dow Jones Newsplus) Reliance Worldwide (RWC AT) - Strategic rivals have reportedly begun evaluating a counter-bid for the Co. after Brookfield struck an AUD 3.6bln "go shop" deal. (The Australian) Star Entertainment (SGR AT) - Co. is reportedly expected to learn within days the size of the fine it faces from Austrac. (The Australian) Washington H Soul Pattinson (SOL AT) - Co. FY (AUD) net rose 502% Y/Y to 2.19bln, operating net profit fell 10% Y/Y to 319mln, rev. rose 96% Y/Y to 1.87bln, dividend 0.63 (prev. 0.59), while statutory net profit included 1.5bln of nonrecurring items; Co. closed FY26 with AUD 2.7bln in net cash and liquid investments, has approved AUD 662mln in offshore private markets commitments since July 31 and expects FY27 market conditions to remain uncertain. (Dow Jones Newsplus) Westpac (WBC AT) - Co. will overhaul pay and bonus structures for small business bankers to address risk management and compliance issues after an internal audit found some employees breached loan approval authority limits and others failed to properly assess fraud risks, amid scrutiny from APRA. (AFR) JAPAN Chugai Pharmaceutical (4519 JT) - Co. plans to increase annual investment in facilities and equipment by around 50% to JPY 100bln by 2028 as it reduces outsourcing and expands in-house production to cut costs. (Nikkei) Hitachi (6501 JT) - Co.'s Hitachi Rail will install and maintain a next-generation signalling system for Austria's national rail network under a 30-year contract worth EUR 1.3bln. (Nikkei) Kyushu Railway (9142 JT) - Co. has partnered with SBI Holdings (8473 JT) to offer financial services through an app featuring banking, securities and cryptocurrency services. (Nikkei) NEC (6701 JT) - Co. is participating in Meta Platforms' (META) Petal project to build an ultrafast subsea fibre-optic cable connecting the US and France, handling the design and construction of the cable. (Nikkei) Sharp (6753 JT) - Co. plans to develop a universal antenna capable of connecting to multiple satellite communications networks, allowing users to switch between providers rather than relying on specific services such as SpaceX's Starlink. (Nikkei) Sojitz (2768 JT) - Co. is considering investing JPY 100bln in renewable power grids and other infrastructure in Australia and New Zealand over the next three years. (Nikkei) Other News Japan's PM Takaichi is reportedly growing cautious about committing to a defence spending target as a share of GDP within five years, with Tokyo viewing the 3.5% level sought by the US as difficult to achieve over that timeframe. (Nikkei)