Harvey Norman Holdings

The share market has closed higher as takeover speculation fueled a big gain for gas giant Santos and other sectors recovered from early weakness.

It may still be early days, but Amazon’s arrival in Australia has yet to damage the numbers for some high-profile traditional retailers.

Furniture and electronics retailer Harvey Norman's half-year net profit has slumped with franchisees' earnings falling amid a souring of the group's dairy investments.

Analysis: The franchising model could become the latest victim of the pressure being heaped on the retail sector.

Harvey Norman's full-year profit has slumped 16.4 per cent to $375.4 million due to property revaluations and the furniture and electrical goods retailer's failed dairy farming investment.

The Supreme Court has this week dismissed two separate appeals, by manufacturer Best Bar Reinforcements and a Harvey Norman franchisee, finding both companies were liable for workplace incidents.

Harvey Norman has lifted first-half profit on a strong performance at its overseas ventures, but sales at the company's Australian franchises were weak.

Bentley-based Quantify Technology has entered into a three-year agreement with Harvey Norman’s commercial division, which will see the franchise become the company’s exclusive distributor in the eastern states.

ANALYSIS: A recent rise in share prices for listed retailers reflects some positive signs across the economy.

Harvey Norman has lifted full-year profit by 7.2 per cent to $402.3 million as its overseas ventures offset another weak result for local franchisees.

What Christmas gave to Australian retailers, the bushfires are taking away, but there could be worse to come for shopkeepers and shopping centre owners when the latest international trends wash up here.

Harvey Norman blames bushfires and extreme weather for a subdued Christmas period as the retailer's first-half profit slipped by 4.0 per cent.

The Australian share market has suffered its worst day in over four years, closing the day at a six-month low amid a growing panic the coronavirus outbreak will trigger a global recession.

Online retailer Kogan.com has recorded surging sales and is raising up to $115 million through a share sale to institutional and retail investors, while electronics and furniture retailer Harvey Norman also reported its sales were up this morning.

Harvey Norman says it expects full-year profit will be 20 per cent higher, after customers flocked to its Australian stores this year.

Retailer Harvey Norman has experienced a revenue boost since the start of the new financial year, putting it on course for a strong rise in pre-tax profit.

The federal government's JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme will come under the auditor-general's microscope.

Harvey Norman continues to enjoy soaring sales through the pandemic after posting a 116 per cent rise in first-half earnings.

Brisbane-based Sentinel Property Group has sold the Geraldton Homemaker Centre to Harvey Norman for $28.25 million.

Harvey Norman has repaid more than $6 million in federal government JobKeeper wage subsidies following repeated lobbying.

Companies with soaring profits that also received wage subsidies will not be forced to repay JobKeeper despite intensifying scrutiny of the scheme.

Harvey Norman has posted a fall in interim earnings, but says the result still represents solid growth for the retailer, despite a cut in the dividend payout.

Ongoing macroeconomic headwinds have buffeted Harvey Norman's profits but the retailer insists its property portfolio keeps its balance sheet in good health.

Harvey Norman chair Gerry Harvey has increased his stake in Papua New Guinea-based Mayur Resources to 6.7 per cent.