Author: roymorgansocial

Super tax puts SMSFs on red alert

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 26-Aug-26

The federal government is under growing pressure to make further changes to its tax reforms following revelations about their potential impact on superannuation funds that have exposure to managed investment trusts. The SMSF Association has warned that "hundreds of thousands" of self-managed super funds will face higher effective tax rates due to the new rules, which place restrictions on how managed investment trusts can offset capital gains and losses. CEO Peter Burgess notes that the latest data from the Australian Taxation Office shows that SMSFs allocated some $264bn to listed, unlisted and ‘other managed investments’ which could potentially be impacted by the tax changes.

CORPORATES
SMSF ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations were at 6.1% in late August – up 0.5% points from the month of July

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Aug-26

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations declined early in the month of July but have now increased for six out of the last seven weeks since mid-July, as cuts to the petrol and diesel fuel excises were wound back in early July and ended in early August. Inflation Expectations are now at 6.1% for the week of 17-23 August, up 0.5% points from the month of July. The latest weekly reading is just 0.1% points below the average of 6.2% for Inflation Expectations over the 26 weeks since the Iran War began. A look at monthly Inflation Expectations for July shows the measure at 5.6% for the month – down 0.4% points from June. Inflation Expectations hit a record monthly high of 7% for April 2026 following the US and Israel attack on Iran but then dropped rapidly. However, the recent standoff has sent Inflation Expectations back up for six of the last seven weeks. The data for the Inflation Expectations series is drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source, which has interviewed an average of around 5,300 Australians aged 14+ per month over the last decade, and includes interviews with 4,113 Australians aged 14+ in June 2026.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 1pt to 77.5 – highest rating since the Iran War began in late February

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Aug-26

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1pt to 77.5 in the week to 23 August; Consumer Confidence is still 8.5pts lower than a year ago (86.5), but it is 5.2pts above the 2026 weekly average of 72.3. Analysis by State shows that consumer confidence is increasing in Western Australia and South Australia, but is virtually unchanged in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Now 17% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 49% (unchanged) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 21% (down 4ppts) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 37% (up 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’. Only 8% (up 2ppts) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 35% (down 3ppts) expect ‘bad times’ (the best results for these indicators since before the Iran War in late February). Meanwhile, 20% (up 3ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 39% (down 2ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Key costs that rose 50pc in five years

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Original article by Anthony Keane
The Australian – Page: 4 : 26-Aug-26

Analysis of official price data for the last five years shows that the cost of some household products and services has risen significantly more than the overall inflation increase of 24 per cent over this period. The cost of household gas has risen by 48 per cent since mid-2021, while the price of cooking oil and fats is up 47 per cent; meanwhile, the average household is paying 38 per cent more for electricity than five years ago, while the price of both milk and coffee has risen by 35 per cent. AMP’s chief economist Shane Oliver says inflation is likely to slow in coming months, but he warns that it will be "fairly painful" for households for at least the next year; he adds that the inflation outlook means the Reserve Bank is likely to increase the cash rate again by the end of 2026.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

‘Rejection’: ABC snubs its stars’ film

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Original article by Steve Jackson, Stephen Rice
The Australian – Page: 3 : 26-Aug-26

The ABC continues to attract scrutiny over the role of ‘7:30’ presenter Sarah Ferguson in the production of a documentary on animal vivisection. The ABC recently advised that it will not broadcast ‘Sentient’, which has been screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival in the US. The 95-minute documentary was directed by Tony Jones, who is married to Ferguson and is the former host of ‘Q&A’. Ferguson was executive producer of the documentary, which received $200,000 in funding from Screen Australia and $3m from two animal rights activist groups that had campaigned in support of Labor and the Greens at the 2025 federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Woodside axes green targets in profit hunt

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 26-Aug-26

Woodside Energy has posted a 2026 interim net profit of $US1.67bn, which is 27 per cent higher than previously. Revenue was up 13 per cent at $US7.45bn, and shareholders will receive a half-year dividend of $US0.57 per share. Meanwhile, the oil and gas producer has scrapped its target of investing $7bn in clean energy, as well as its targets for reducing Scope 3 emissions; however, it remains committed to its existing Scope 1 and 2 targets. Woodside also intends to review its US ammonia business and could potentially sell it.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE ENERGY GROUP LIMITED – ASX WDS

Mediocre nation: business warns of competition crisis as Labor unrest grows

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Aug-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered the keynote speech at the Business Council of Australia’ annual dinner last night. He emphasised the need for business and the federal government to work together to keep the economy and democracy strong amid the rise of populism, and argued that Labor’s property tax reforms are the key to fighting populism and ensuring prosperity. Meanwhile, BCA president Geoff Culbert said every policy decision has consequences for business, investment and all Australians. Noting that the nation now ranks rank 21st out of 42 nations on the Competitiveness Index, he has called for action to reverse this, including more competitive tax rates, reduced red tape and government spending, and an overhaul of the planning system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

El Nino to affect interest rates and some ASX stocks

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Original article by Gus McCubbing
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 26-Aug-26

The current El Nino weather event in the Pacific Ocean began in June and is expected to last well into 2027; it is likely to put upward pressure on food prices, and therefore Australia’s inflation rate. There are fears that it could become a ‘ Super El Nino’, and Citi commodity strategist Arkady Gevorkyan says this is the firm’s highest-conviction agricultural risk. Citi notes that Australian crops such as wheat, barley, and canola are most at risk from an El Nino event. On the other hand, Morgan Stanley says the metals market could be boosted if copper production in Chile and Zambia is impacted by El Nino.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Magazine brands reach 14.5 million Australians across print and digital

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Aug-26

The Roy Morgan Australian Readership report for the 12 months to June 2026 shows that more than 14.5 million Australian aged 14+ (62.2% of the population) now read magazines across print and digital. Print remains at the heart of the magazine ecosystem, reaching almost 10.9 million Australians, or 46.6% of the population, demonstrating the continuing ability of magazines to deliver audiences at scale. Eight Australian magazines have total cross-platform audiences of over 1 million people, led by Woman’s Day and Better Homes & Gardens; both mastheads have total cross-platform audiences of well over 2.1 million. Meanwhile, Food & Entertainment is by far Australia’s largest magazine category, reaching 6.3 million Australians, over 2 million ahead of any other category and reaching well over one-in-four Australians. The nation’s two most widely read free magazines are Coles Magazine (with a print readership of 4,465,000) and Woolworths’ Fresh Ideas (4,041,000). The latest results are from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey of 59,959 Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months to June.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Investors screwed over as BHP keeps rising

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Original article by Alex Gluyas
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 26-Aug-26

BHP’s share price has risen by 13 per cent so far in August, reaching a new record high yesterday. The resources giant now accounts for nearly 12 per cent of the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index, compared with just 7.4 per cent at around this time last year. In contrast, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s shares have fallen by 11 per cent so far this month, and its weighting in the ASX 200 has fallen from nearly 12 per cent to 10.5 per cent in the last year. Fund managers who missed out on CBA’s stellar rise in 2025 are now facing the same issue with BHP.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX