Author: roymorgansocial

It’s Official: Australia’s leading magazines buck conventional wisdom and grow their print readership

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Aug-17

Roy Morgan Research has released the latest Australian Magazine Readership report for the 12 months to June 2017, showing that 10 of Australia’s 15 leading titles increased their print readership over the past year. A total of 12,470,000 Australians aged 14+ (62.6 per cent) now read print magazines, which is virtually unchanged from a year ago (down only 0.1%). The withdrawal of major publishers from audited circulation results for magazines last year means Roy Morgan’s readership results are the only truly independent measure of magazine performance now available. "Coles Magazine" remained the most widely-read print magazine during the period, with an average readership of 3,755,000 per issue (up 7.3 per cent). Meanwhile, nine of Australia’s leading 10 magazine ranked by cross-platform audiences retain a significantly larger readership via their print editions than their digital offerings.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

First-home buyers back in the market

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 10-Aug-17

Treasurer Scott Morrison and the Real Estate Institute of Australia have welcomed indications of an upturn in first-home buyer activity. Official figures show that 8,573 mortgage loans were taken out by first-time buyers in June, which is the highest level in almost three years. The total value of loan commitments to this segment of the mortgage market topped $A28.5bn in the year to June. Meanwhile, loan commitments to property investors rose by 10.5 per cent to $A152 billion in 2016-17, in seasonally-adjusted terms.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, THE REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SQM RESEARCH PTY LTD, POLY GROUP CORPORATION, INTRAPAC PROJECTS PTY LTD

Wall St record highs stumble on flare-up of North Korea tension

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Original article by Karen Maley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 10-Aug-17

US share price indices have retreated and the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s volatility index has risen by more than 10 per cent in response to the latest war of words between President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un. However, some analysts had previously warned that the low level of the VIX suggested that financial market risk may be set to increase, and DoubleLine Capital’s Jeff Gundlach recently said that market indicators point to a rise in bond yields.

CORPORATES
DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, CHICAGO BOARD OPTIONS EXCHANGE VOLATILITY INDEX, DOUBLELINE CAPITAL LP, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED NATIONS. SECURITY COUNCIL

Auto classifieds firm fancies $1b opportunities offshore

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 10-Aug-17

Carsales.com.au has posted a 2016-17 net profit of $A109.5m, compared with $A109.3m previously. The listed automotive classified advertising group’s revenue increased by eight per cent to $A372.1m and EBITDA totalled $A176.5m. CEO Cameron McIntyre says the group’s international division could eventually contribute more earnings and revenue than its Australian business. He flags emerging markets such as Asia and Latin America as those offering the best growth potential for its international division.

CORPORATES
CARSALES.COM LIMITED – ASX CAR, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, TYRESALES.COM, REDBOOK

Jobs shock as mine to close

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Original article by Nick Evans
The West Australian – Page: 1 : 10-Aug-17

First Quantum Minerals has advised that its Ravensthorpe nickel mine in Western Australia is likely to be placed in "care and maintenance" mode by October. The low price of nickel prompted the decision to mothball the mine, which the Canada-based group is believed to have been trying to sell since 2016. The mine has a workforce of about 500 employees and contractors.

CORPORATES
FIRST QUANTUM MINERALS LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF MINES AND PETROLEUM

Energy chiefs forced to reveal cheaper plans

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Original article by Mark Ludlow, Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 10-Aug-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has secured an in-principle agreement with the CEOs of seven major power retailers to address the rising cost of electricity. Electric utilities will be required to disclose to customers on discount plans how much they will pay if they do not switch to an alternative plan when the discount period ends. The Australian Energy Market Commission estimates that the electricity contracts of about 50 per cent of customers have expired. Snowy Hydro CEO Paul Broad notes that some consumers miss out on lower rates because they simply never switch electricity suppliers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION, SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, POWERSHOP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RED ENERGY PTY LTD, LUMO ENERGY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL

Magellan’s new whale rebuffs LICs for trust

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Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 10-Aug-17

The Magellan Global Trust will seek to achieve an annual cash yield of four per cent. The trust, which is being listed by Magellan Financial Group, will be similar in structure to a real estate investment trust, although it will primarily invest in international shares. This investment trust model is widely used in the UK, although the listed investment company model tends to be favoured in Australia. The new trust is expected to have between 250,000 and 300,000 underlying investors.

CORPORATES
MAGELLAN FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX MFG, MAGELLAN GLOBAL TRUST, CRICKET AUSTRALIA

CBA plots next move as ability to reprice fades

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Original article by James Frost, James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 19 : 10-Aug-17

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has increased its full-year dividend to $A4.29 per share after posting a 2016-17 cash profit of $A9.88bn. The result was 4.6 per cent higher than previously and slightly exceeded market expectations. Earnings per share grew by 3.6 per cent to $A5.74 and CBA’s net interest margin fell three basis points to 2.11 per cent. CBA has also advised that its common equity tier one capital ratio is now 10.1 per cent, and the bank expects to achieve the revised target of 10.5 per cent well before the start of 2020.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, PM CAPITAL LIMITED, PERENNIAL VALUE MANAGEMENT LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Bluescope wins labour dispute

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Original article by Anna Patty
The Age – Page: 23 : 10-Aug-17

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that it was appropriate for Bluescope Steel to hire contract labour to cope with a seasonal rise in demand at its steel mill in Victoria, rather than employing permanent employees for just eight weeks. The steel-maker had contended that its enterprise agreement allowed it to hire temporary workers without obtaining the consent of unions, an argument which had been rejected by the Australian Workers’ Union. BlueScope also argued that overtime restrictions prevented it from using existing staff, which the AWU also disputed.

CORPORATES
BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

BHP Nickel West charged by battery boom new revolution

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 18 : 10-Aug-17

BHP Billiton aims to capitalise on the growing demand for lithium-ore batteries, with plans to build a nickel sulfate plant at Kwinana in Western Australia. The first stage of the project will cost $US43.2m and have annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes of nickel sulfate hexahydrate. Stage two of the project would increase the plant’s annual capacity to 200,000 tonnes. The nickel sulfate project has secured the near-term future of BHP’s Nickel West business, which was facing the prospect of closure in coming years after efforts to sell it failed.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, INDEPENDENCE GROUP NL – ASX IGO, WESTERN AREAS LIMITED – ASX WSA, NICKEL WEST, DIGGERS AND DEALERS FORUM, TESLA INCORPORATED