ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence Rating Stays Steady at 117.5

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Feb-17

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell slightly by 0.5% to 117.5 in the week ended 5 February 2017. A solid rise in the future economic outlook was entirely offset by a drop in the current finances and "now is a good time to buy a household item" sub-indices. Households’ views towards current and future finances fell 3.4% and 0.2% respectively. Both indicators remain well above their long run averages, though households’ assessment of their current situation is back to mid-2016 levels. Households’ views of economic conditions over the next 12 months edged up another 0.3%, after a sharp 5.4% rise last week, bringing the index to its highest level in nine weeks. Households’ views of economic conditions over the next five years posted a solid 4.7% rise, more than offsetting last week’s 3.0% decline.

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

Carefree overtakes Libra as Australia’s top tampon brand

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

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 22% of Australian women aged 14+ (just over 2.2 million) purchased tampons in an average four weeks in the year to September 2016. This compares with 21% in the year to September 2015. The survey also shows that the proportion of tampon buyers purchasing the Libra brand in an average four weeks has fallen from 31% to 26% year-on-year, while the proportion who buy Carefree has risen from 26% to 27%. U by Kotex is in third place, purchased by 24% of tampon buyers in an average four weeks (up from 22%).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBRA, CAREFREE, U BY KOTEX, TAMPAX, COTTONS

Pie Face, pies and football

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

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that the number of Australians aged 14+ who like eating pies (and pasties) has grown from 8.1 million (42.6%) to almost 9.4 million people (47.5%) since 2013. The survey, which was carried out in the year to September 2016, also shows that 51.0% of Australians who live in rural areas are partial to pies/pasties, compared with 45.6% of city dwellers. Analysis by gender shows that men comprise 57.4% of pie fans, while 56.4% of AFL supporters and 55.5% of NRL supporters like eating pies/pasties.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, PIE FACE PTY LTD

Rio Tinto hit with more delay for Indo copper

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 6-Feb-17

Freeport-McMoran has advised that Rio Tinto’s share of production from the Grasberg copper and gold mine is unlikely to increase until at least 2023. Rio was slated to receive 40 per cent of the Indonesian mine’s output from 2021 under an agreement between the two companies, but Freeport has attributed the expected delay to factors such as a series of interruptions to production at the mine in the last several years. Meanwhile, Rio is forecast to post EBITDA of $US13bn and revenue of $US34.3bn for calendar 2016.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FREEPORT-McMORAN COPPER AND GOLD INCORPORATED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, BLOOMBERG LP

BHP’s growth prospects still linked to oil

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 22 : 6-Feb-17

BHP Billiton’s announcement in 2016 that it would seek to increase annual coking coal production in Queensland by four million tonnes has proven to be an astute move, given the rebound in the price of coal. The Peak Downs mine achieved record output in the December quarter. BHP also advised that maintenance work on railway lines serving its Pilbara iron ore operations will be completed nine months ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, BHP is ramping up investment in its petroleum division in order to arrest a decline in production.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION

Mining exports reignite boom

Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 19 & 32 : 3-Feb-17

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the value of coal and metals exports reached a new monthly high of $A13.4bn in December, compared with just $A6.4bn in January 2016. The value of coal exports rose to $A5.7bn, which is the highest level since November 2008. Iron ore exports topped $A7.7bn, which is the second-highest monthly total on record. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are tipped to post bumper half-year and full-year profits in coming weeks.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, RESOLUTE MINING LIMITED – ASX RSG, NEW SOUTH WALES MINERALS COUNCIL, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

BHP, Rio go on mine tax attack

Original article by Paige Taylor
The Australian – Page: 5 : 3-Feb-17

The Chamber of Minerals & Energy of Western Australia has defended the mining industry’s advertising campaign targeting the proposed increase in the state’s iron ore levy. A spokesman says the proposal by WA National Party leader Brendan Grylls will reduce investment in the state and cost nearly 3,000 jobs in the Pilbara. Premier Colin Barnett has criticised the advertising campaign, but stresses that the levy will not be increased if the Coalition wins the election on 11 March.

CORPORATES
THE CHAMBER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Seven probe set to clear Worner as director quits

Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 3-Feb-17

Law firm Allens has completed its investigation into the allegations against Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner made by former employee Amber Harrison. The Allens report is expected to exonerate Worner, who has admitted that he had a sexual relationship with Harrison. Meanwhile, Sheila McGregor has resigned from the board of Seven West Media. It is believed that she had concerns about the way the company has handled the Harrison scandal.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, ALLENS, GILBERT AND TOBIN LAWYERS, IINET LIMITED

Donald Trump slams ‘dumb’ refugee deal with Australia after ‘worst’ phone call

Original article by Stephanie Anderson, Henry Belot
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 3-Feb-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says US President Donald Trump has committed to honouring a deal made by predecessor Barack Obama to accept refugees being held on Manus Island and Nauru. However, Trump has used Twitter to criticise what he has branded a "dumb deal", just hours after discussing the issue in a telephone call to Turnbull. The Australian National University’s Professor Donald Rothwell says the Trump Administration has no legal obligation to accept the refugee deal, as it did not constitute a treaty.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE, TWITTER INCORPORATED

PM’s push for clean coal power

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Feb-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the focus of the nation’s energy policy must be on ensuring a reliable supply of low-cost energy. He has called for the abolition of state-based bans on coal-seam gas projects and argued that clean coal should be part of the nation’s energy mix. Turnbull has also stressed the need for investment in storage technology for renewable energy. Industry Minister Arthur Sinodinos has raised the possibility that the Clean Energy Finance Corporation could help finance the development of a clean-coal power station.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY, CLIMATE INSTITUTE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY