Author: roymorgansocial

Nearly three and a half million increase in mobile bank users since 2013

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Aug-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 8.3 million Australians aged 14+ used mobile banking in an average four-week period in the six months to June 2017, compared with 4.83 million in the six months to June 2013. The survey also shows that the proportion of Australians who use mobile banking in an average four weeks has risen from 25.3% to 41.5% over this period, while the proportion who use a bank branch has fallen from 35.8% to 26.5%. Meanwhile, 62.8% of millennials now use mobile banking, compared to only 21.5% using branches. They now number 3.17 million users or 38.2% of the total market. This is well above generation X with 2.03 million or 24.5% of total mobile banking users.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

BlueScope dives as chief departs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 22-Aug-17

BlueScope Steel has reported a sharp rise in net profit for 2016-17, to $A715.9m. However, the steel-maker has advised that EBIT for the first half of 2017-18 will fall from $A527m previously to $A422m, due to factors such as the strong Australian dollar and the impact of rising scrap metal prices in the US on its North Star subsidiary. BlueScope has also revealed that Mark Vassella will succeed CEO Paul O’Malley at the start of 2018, and that the company is the subject of a cartel investigation. BlueScope shares fell $A3.08 to $A11.03 on 21 August.

CORPORATES
BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, NORTH STAR STEEL, CARGILL INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Crackdown on telcos ‘terrible’ NBN ads

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 22-Aug-17

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will introduce voluntary standards covering national broadband network advertising by ISPs. Announcing the creation of the standards on 21 August, ACCC chairman Rod Sims described the current standard of NBN advertising by ISPs as "terrible", with ISPs not making it clear in their marketing the internet access speed that customers can expect if they sign up to an NBN plan. ISPs have been given three months to be in compliance with the standards.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NBN CO LIMITED

Failed oOh! merger leaves $3.4m sting in the tail for APN Outdoor

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 28 : 22-Aug-17

APN Outdoor Group has posted a 2017 interim net profit of $A15.8m, which is 19 per cent lower than previously. The result was marred by pre-tax costs of $A3.4m arising from its proposed merger with oOh!media, which was abandoned following indications that it was likely to be rejected on competition grounds. APN Outdoor’s revenue for the half-year rose by eight per cent to $A162.3m, as the company continued to expand its network of digital advertising billboards.

CORPORATES
APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, YARRA TRAMS, METRO TRAINS MELBOURNE PTY LTD, ADELAIDE METRO, PERTH RAIL

Woodside has offshore platform lithium-ion battery breakthrough

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 22-Aug-17

Oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum will reduce its energy costs and carbon emissions by installing a lithium-ion battery storage system on one of the North West Shelf’s offshore platforms. CEO Peter Coleman says Woodside considered renewable energy options before opting to replace one of the gas turbine generators on the Goodwyn offshore platform with battery storage. The battery system is expected to reduce the platform’s carbon emissions by around five per cent, and Woodside may roll out the technology at other NWS platforms if it proves to be successful.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, ABB GROUP

Tax blitz hits top 1000 firms

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Tabakoff
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 22-Aug-17

The Australian Taxation Office wants all companies with turnover of more than $A250 million to disclose their "reportable tax positions", starting from the 2017-18 financial year. The move has been questioned by BDO senior tax partner Tony Sloan, who says it represents a significant reversal of the ATO’s self-assessment regime. He says the ATO appears to be of the view that its reportable tax position policy worked well with Australia’s biggest companies, and so it has decided to lower the reporting threshold.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, BDO AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Near enough is good enough in season so far

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 28 : 22-Aug-17

Analysts’ consensus earnings-per-share estimates for 2017-18 have been downgraded by 0.3 per cent so far in the August 2017 reporting season. Hasan Tevfik of Credit Suisse notes that this compares with EPS upgrades of 1.6 per cent in the February reporting season. Meanwhile, just 19 per cent of Australian-listed companies have exceeded consensus earnings estimates so far in the current reporting season, compared with an average of 40 per cent over the last two decades. Likewise, 38 per cent of companies have failed to meet consensus estimates to date, while the historical average is just 28 per cent.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, BEACH ENERGY LIMITED – ASX BPT, G8 EDUCATION LIMITED – ASX GEM, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DOMAIN.COM.AU, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Coca-Cola may do better than its rivals with container scheme

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 26 : 22-Aug-17

Container deposit schemes are due to take effect in a number of Australian states over the next year or so, with the scheme to take effect in New South Wales on 1 December. The schemes are expected to push up the cost of beverages in plastic and glass bottles and aluminium cans, and it is tipped that Coca-Cola Amatil’s yearly EBIT could fall by as much as seven per cent. However, analysts note that CCA could derive some benefit from the scheme, if less expensive brand name and private-label producers in the bottled water sector pass on the full cost of the scheme. This might enable its Mount Franklin brand to regain some of its market share.

CORPORATES
COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, MOUNT FRANKLIN NATURAL, ASAHI BREWERIES LIMITED, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, FRUCOR BEVERAGES (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CARLTON AND UNITED BREWERIES, COOPERS BREWERY LIMITED, LION PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW

Banks racing to lift their game: Hartzer

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Roddan, Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 21 : 22-Aug-17

ANZ Bank CEO Shayne Elliott says the Commonwealth Bank’s recent money-laundering problems have impacted the banking sector’s reputation as a whole. He also says the Federal Government’s new regulations governing bank executives are appropriate, as they need to be made accountable for their mistakes. Meanwhile, Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer says the banking major is working hard to ensure that its products, processes and policies are in line with community expectations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE

FMG powers up with plan to grow, cut debt

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 16 : 22-Aug-17

Fortescue Metals Group shareholders will receive a 2016-17 full-year dividend of $A0.45 per share, compared with $A0.15 for the previous financial year. The pure-play iron ore miner has increased its net profit from $US985m in 2015-16 to $US2.1bn for 2016-17, while revenue was 19 per cent higher at $US8.4bn and underlying earnings rose 48 per cent to $US4.7bn. Meanwhile, Fortescue reduced its net debt from $US5.2bn to just $US2.6bn in 2016-17. Fortescue intends to increase its iron ore capital expenditure in 2017-18, while it looking to expand into commodities such as gold and copper.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ALLERON INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED