Author: roymorgansocial

Barriers stifle growth, says BHP

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Aug-16

BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie has stressed the importance of Australia’s trade relationship with China, and warned that global economic growth could be threatened by a growing international push toward protectionism. He has also criticised a proposal by Western Australian National Party leader Brendan Grylls to impose an iron ore levy on BHP and Rio Tinto, arguing that they already make a major contribution to government revenue at state and federal level.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SAMARCO MINERACAO SA, AUSGRID PTY LTD

The slow but steady rise of vegetarianism in Australia

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Aug-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that the diet of 11.2 per cent of Australian adults (almost 2.1 million people) was all or almost all vegetarian in the year to March 2016. This compares with 9.7 per cent (1.7 million people) in the year to March 2012. The shift towards vegetarianism has been most striking in New South Wales; 12.4 per cent of people living in the state agree that "The food I eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian", up from 9.5 per cent in 2012. Tasmania has the highest proportion of residents who eat little or no meat (12.7 per cent, up from 12.2 per cent in 2012), while Queensland (9.2 per cent, up from 8.3 per cent) retains the distinction of being the state least inclined towards vegetarianism.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Australia fails to export its ideas and innovations

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Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 16-Aug-16

Australia has fallen two places on the Global Innovation Index since 2015. Nigel Andrade, global lead partner at AT Kearney, says Australia’s 19th place in 2016 could be improved via greater emphasis on exporting innovation. Australia is among global leaders in tertiary education participation, infrastructure and IT, but it lags behind in spending on secondary education and the number of graduates in science and engineering.

CORPORATES
AT KEARNEY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Turnbull’s GST plan stirs party rebels

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 16-Aug-16

There is dissent within the Coalition’s ranks over a new proposal for the distribution of GST revenue. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has proposed the introduction of a "floor price" to ensure that no state is disadvantaged in the allocation of GST revenue. Each state would be guaranteed at least 70-75 per cent of their per capita share of GST revenue. However, Tasmanian Liberal senators have cautioned against changing the current revenue-sharing arrangement.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

CBA chief’s $12.3m pay bonanza

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Original article by Michael Roddan, Ben Butler
The Australian – Page: 21 & 25 : 16-Aug-16

Commonwealth Bank executives were collectively paid a total of $A44.8m in 2015-16. This includes the $A12.3m remuneration of CEO Ian Narev, which was 50 per cent higher than previously. However, the banking major notes that this includes equity awards that were granted over the previous four years and vested during the financial year. Narev’s remuneration rose by 5.4 per cent to $A8.77m on a statutory basis. The bank recently posted a cash profit of $A9.45bn for 2015-16.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Over half of Australians listen to breakfast radio

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Aug-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 86 per cent of Australians aged 14+ (nearly 17 million people) listen to radio during the week. The survey, which was carried out in the year to March 2016, also shows that the total national radio audience in an average week is 16,861,000. Across the week, the Breakfast time slot reaches a net 10,402,000 listeners (53 per cent), ahead of Drive-Time (8,211,000, 42 per cent), Morning (7,780,000, 40 per cent) and Afternoon (6,621,000, 34 per cent). More than seven in 10 radio listeners tune in during multiple different time slots in a seven-day period: 38 per cent listen at two different time slots and 31 per cent listen during three or more different time slots.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Coalition MPs rally against bank ‘bastardry’

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Original article by Sarah Martin, David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Aug-16

There is a growing push among Federal Government MPs for action to crack down on the banking sector, which is enjoying massive profits and paying its top executives huge salaries. Liberal MP Warren Entsch favours the establishment of a tribunal to assist the victims of what he calls the "bastard acts" of banks. Entsch says this would be preferable to holding a royal commission into the sector. Fellow Liberal MP Craig Kelly has proposed the introduction of laws prohibiting banks from charging late fees on credit card payments.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, FINANCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN

Newcrest’s Cadia ambitions grow

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 16-Aug-16

Australian-listed Newcrest Mining has posted a 2015-16 underlying profit of $US323m, which is 24 per cent lower than previously but in line with analysts’ forecasts. Meanwhile, CEO Sandeep Biswas says the gold producer will examine options for increasing the Cadia mine’s ore processing capacity beyond the 32 million tonnes per year for which it currently has regulatory approval. Shareholders will receive an unfranked dividend of $US0.075 per share, which is the first payout in more than three years.

CORPORATES
NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED

Mining decision puts horse studs on shaky ground

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Original article by Kylar Loussikian
The Australian – Page: 3 : 16-Aug-16

The New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission will shortly rule on Anglo American’s proposed Drayton South open-cut coal mine in the Hunter Valley. The commission has already rejected the project three times, and local thoroughbred studs are concerned about the impact of the mine on their operations. Coolmore Stud’s Tom ­Magnier has urged the State Government to either cancel or buy back the mining licence. Anglo American has been seeking approval for the mine since 2012.

CORPORATES
ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, NEW SOUTH WALES. PLANNING ASSESSMENT COMMISSION, COOLMORE AUSTRALIA, DARLEY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

Santos clears the decks with $2bn write-off

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 21 & 24 : 16-Aug-16

Oil and gas producer Santos is tipped to post a 2015-16 loss of at least $US1bn, after revealing an additional $US1.5bn ($A1.96bn) write-down of the Gladstone LNG project. Santos had previously announced asset write-downs totalling $US3.9bn across its business in February. The Gladstone project will be able to produce about 7.8 million tonnes of LNG each year when it reaches full capacity, but Santos has advised that output will be capped at the 7.2 million tonnes that LNG customers have agreed to purchase.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, GLADSTONE LNG PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ENERGYQUEST PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S CORPORATION