Author: roymorgansocial

Bond’s grandson bets big on future of cobalt

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 14-Mar-17

Terra Capital’s main resources fund delivered an annualised return of 21 per cent from its formation in 2010 up until 31 January 2017. The fund avoids large stocks like BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, preferring to focus on smaller stocks in the resources sector. Founder Jeremy Bond, who is a grandson of the late Alan Bond, says cobalt stocks have become part of its portfolio recently, due to cobalt being a major component of the type of batteries used in electric cars.

CORPORATES
TERRA CAPITAL PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 300 RESOURCES INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX SMALL RESOURCES INDEX, ECOBALT SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED, EQUATOR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX EQU, BATTERY MINERALS RESOURCES LIMITED

Pause ahead of next Fed rate decision

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Timothy Moore
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 13-Mar-17

The US Federal Reserve is widely tipped to increase official interest rates in the week beginning 13 March 2017, and sharemarket trading volumes are likely to be subdued ahead of the monetary policy meeting. Stronger-than-expected growth in US jobs in February will strengthen the case for a rate rise. In contrast, most economists expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to leave the cash rate on hold in 2017. Meanwhile, Capital Economics forecasts that the iron ore price will fall to around $US45 per tonne.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ORGANISATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES, OANDA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

Coal shares tumble as China abandons limits

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Peter Ker, Lisa Murray
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 9-Mar-17

China’s National Development & Reform Commission has advised that it might not reinstate restrictions on the number of days the nation’s coal mines can operate. The NDRC has indicated that this will depend on the outlook for coal prices. Shares in Australian coal producers have fallen in response to the NDRC’s statement, including Yancoal Australia and Whitehaven Coal. Thermal and coking coal prices rallied in the wake of China’s decision to limit production to 276 days year in early 2016.

CORPORATES
CHINA. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM COMMISSION, YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, STANMORE COAL LIMITED – ASX SMR, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, SDIC INVEST, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, TERRACOM LIMITED – ASX TER, REALM RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX RRP, AUSTRALIAN PACIFIC COAL LIMITED – ASX AQC, ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32

New legislation banning sale of animal-tested cosmetics and skincare in line with public sentiment

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Mar-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that in the year to December 2016, 46% of Australian women aged 14+ who use cosmetics nominated "Not tested on animals" as a feature that is important to them when purchasing make-up. This compares with 41% in the year to December 2012. Concern about animal testing is also becoming more widespread among Australian women when buying skincare products. The proportion of women who agree that it is important for the skincare products they purchase to be cruelty-free has risen from 39% to 44% per cent since 2012.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Guthrie wields the axe at ABC

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Darren Davidson, Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 8-Mar-17

The ABC will streamline its management structure and retrench up to 200 employees in plans that were unveiled by MD Michelle Guthrie on 7 March 2017. The number of divisions within the public broadcaster will be reduced from 14 to just eight, while the ABC intends to hire up to 80 employees in rural areas in a push to increase its national reach. Guthrie has also signalled that staff will be more accountable, while the costs savings will be invested in content.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Fears grow of pullback in iron ore prices

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 22 : 8-Mar-17

Australian iron ore miners’ earnings have been boosted by the recent spike in the price of the steel input to more than $US90 per tonne, but Evans & Partners analyst Andrew Hines warns that the rally is not sustainable. He forecasts that the iron ore price will fall from its current level to around $US45 in the second half of 2017, which will in turn hit the profits and share prices of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group. Credit Suisse and UBS recently upgraded their iron ore price forecasts for 2017.

CORPORATES
EVANS AND PARTNERS PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, VEDANTA RESOURCES PLC, MOUNT GIBSON IRON LIMITED – ASX MGX

The rise of the female breadwinner

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Mar-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source Survey has found that 52 per cent of Australian women reported being the main breadwinner in their household in the year to December 2016. This compares to just 39 per cent in 2006. The percentage of men who said they were the main income earner in their household has barely changed in 10 years (74 per cent in 2016 compared to 73 per cent in 2006). The main factor behind the increased percentage of women who are earning their household’s main income is the sharp jump in the average income being earned by females in full-time employment since 2006; up from $A51,000 to $A73,500.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Will Netflix, Spotify and Foxtel take off on Qantas?

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Mar-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that of the 22% of Australians aged 14+ who take at least one domestic flight with Qantas during the year, 87% own a smartphone and 76% own a tablet computer – both above the national ownership rates of 80% and 65% respectively. However, while these millions of passengers will likely be carrying a compatible device on board, only 60% currently use any of Qantas’s three new in-flight entertainment providers: Foxtel, Netflix and Spotify. Some 33% of Qantas domestic flyers watched Foxtel in the last four weeks, including its streaming options Go and Play, while 32% watched Netflix and 22% listened to Spotify.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SPOTIFY LIMITED

Turnbull and Hanson back penalty pay cut

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 6-Mar-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Coalition accepts and supports the Fair Work Commission’s decision to reduce Sunday penalty rates. He also favours reducing penalty rates over a period of time to offset the impact on after-tax pay. One Nation founder Pauline Hanson also says she supports lower penalty rates "in principle". Hanson argues that small food retailers cannot compete with big chains whose employees’ union-negotiated enterprise bargaining agreements do not include penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED

DJ’s relocation triggers staff exodus

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 3-Mar-17

David Jones’s decision to relocate its headquarters from Sydney to Melbourne is expected to create up to 600 jobs in the latter city. However, the number of staff, particularly in the areas of marketing and finance, that have agreed to move from Sydney to Melbourne is said to be quite a deal less than what South African parent company Woolworths Holdings had forecast, meaning it may need to poach staff from other Melbourne-based retailers such as Myer, Cotton On and Kathmandu.

CORPORATES
DAVID JONES LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, COTTON ON, KATHMANDU HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX KMD, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, COUNTRY ROAD LIMITED