Author: roymorgansocial

Closure threat over union agreement OK: Fair Work

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 23-Aug-19

The Electrical Trades Union has indicated that it may launch coercion proceedings in the Federal Court regarding an enterprise agreement at New South Wales-based DDP Electrical Services, which excluded the ETU. The Fair Work Commission approved the agreement despite a letter from DDP to its staff which claimed that it would be out of business within six months if the ETU was successful in negotiating a new agreement. The FWC found that the warning was not a breach of ‘good faith bargaining’, as workers were still given a choice between a union and non-union agreement.

CORPORATES
DDP ELECTRICAL SERVICES, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Band-Aid plans to push up power bills

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Original article by Mark Ludlow, Angela Macdonald-Smith, Natasha Gillezeau
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 23-Aug-19

Claims that Australia could suffer from power blackouts during the 2019-20 summer reflect the need for a co-ordinated national energy policy, according to Energy Users Association of Australia CEO Andrew Richards. He says asking big power users to again take part in voluntary load shedding to help prevent blackouts represents a "Band-Aid on top of another Band-Aid". His comments regarding the need for a co-ordinated energy plan have been echoed by ERM Power CEO executive Jon Stretch.

CORPORATES
ENERGY USERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA, ERM POWER LIMITED – ASX EPW, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL

Top lawyers warn ASIC against hasty moves

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Original article by Hannah Wootton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 23-Aug-19

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg recently indicated that the federal government aims to pass 40 pieces of legislation in response to the Hayne royal commission’s recommendations by the end of 2020. It wants 90 per cent of relevant legislation to be implemented by mid-2020. However, corporate lawyers have stated that problems could arise if the government and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission persist with their "ambitious deadlines" for implementing the commission’s recommendations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Report finds ANZ tribal, slow and lazy

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 23-Aug-19

ANZ chairman David Gonski has commented on a governance, culture and accountability self-assessment that the bank prepared for the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. Shortcomings revealed in the document, which Gonski notes was prepared on a confidential basis, prompted APRA to impose a $500 million capital charge on the bank. Gonski says some of these shortcomings include a penchant for seeking short-term fixes and a lack of accountability.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

South32 poised to exit S African coal assets as profit plunges

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 20 : 23-Aug-19

Diversified miner South32 has posted a 2018-19 statutory net profit of $US389m, which is 71 per cent lower than previously. The result was marred by a $US504m impairment charge associated with its South African thermal coal assets. Underlying earnings fell by 25 per cent to $US992m. Meanwhile, South32 is set to sell its South African coal mines to Seriti Resources, and CEO Graham Kerr has ruled out buying any more thermal coal assets, including BHP’s Mt Arthur mine.

CORPORATES
SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, SERITI RESORCES, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Cure for housing fix ‘worse than disease’: UBS

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Original article by Duncan Hughes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Aug-19

Investment bank UBS has warned that the Reserve Bank of Australia’s move towards extremely low interest rates risks reflating the residential property ‘bubble’. The ultra-low rates are also putting pressure on the dividend policies and margin levels of the nation’s large banks, while plans by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority to reduce related-party exposure limits with regard to Tier 1 capital will put pressure on the banks’ capital.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA RADIATION LABORATORIES, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Coles boss bullish as online sales hit $1bn

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 19 : 23-Aug-19

Grocery and liquor retailer Coles Group has posted a 2018-19 net profit of $1.434bn, which is 9.1 per cent lower than previously. Earnings from continuing operations were down 8.1 per cent at $1.325bn, and sales fell 1.7 per cent to $38.46bn. Coles’ online sales increased by 30 per cent to $1.1bn, and the division was profitable for the first time in 2018-19. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $0.24 per share, plus a special dividend of $0.115 a share.

CORPORATES
COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL, COLES ONLINE PTY LTD, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, VINTAGE CELLARS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, LIQUORLAND (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, FIRST CHOICE LIQUOR SUPERSTORE, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Rising costs and tough TV ad market eat into Nine’s profit

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 23-Aug-19

Nine Entertainment Company has posted a 2018-19 statutory net profit from continuing operations of $216.6m, which is three per cent higher than previously. Challenging conditions in the advertising market saw the Nine Network’s revenue fall by six per cent to $1.09bn; its costs rose four per cent to $876.6m, and Nine expects a similar increase in costs during 2019-20. The group’s publishing division posted full-year earnings of $82.7m, compared with $50.2m previously. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $0.05 per share, and a full-year payout of $0.10.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

Bank charges on deposits a possibility

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 23-Aug-19

Data from the Reserve Bank shows that nearly 10 per cent of the deposits held by Australia’s major banks received no interest prior to the official interest rate cut in July, while a similar proportion of deposits earned interest of less than 50 basis points. Swiss Re’s chief economist Jerome Haegeli says Australian banks could potentially begin charging customers to hold their deposits. Several banks in Europe have already announced such a move, while the Bank of New York Mellon did so in 2011.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, SWISS REINSURANCE COMPANY, THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORPORATION, UBS AG, JYSKE BANK, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Stan’s high-stakes battle in new Disney landscape

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 23-Aug-19

Video streaming service Stan has posted earnings of $500,000 for the second half of 2018-19, although it has made a full-year loss of $21.3m. Revenue increased by 62 per cent to $157.1m, while the number of active subscribers rose by 200,000 to 1.7 million. Stan’s costs increased by 23 per cent to $178.4m, largely due to expenditure on marketing its Disney content, which it is likely to lose when the rival Disney+ streaming service is launched in Australia in late 2019.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL NOW, KAYO SPORTS, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, HAYU, PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION, VIACOM INCORPORATED, SHOWTIME, CBS CORPORATION