Author: roymorgansocial

Optus claims ‘good start’ to EPL foray

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Original article by Paul Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 16-Aug-16

Australian telco Optus launched its streaming coverage of the English Premier League season on the weekend of 13-14 August 2016. A spokesperson has indicated that just three per cent of its customers had reported problems with the coverage. However, many people used social media to criticise the telco’s EPL coverage. The complaints included claims that there was a one-minute delay in the coverage, despite it supposedly being live, and the poor picture quality of the streaming video.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

MMG races to ramp up copper

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 23 : 15-Aug-16

MMG’s Las Bambas copper mine in Peru is on track to achieve full-year production of about 348,000 tonnes of copper concentrate, after output rose from 31,470 tonnes to 87,142 tonnes in the June 2016 quarter. Macquarie Group had forecast production of just 75,000 tonnes in the second quarter, and it anticipates output of 450,000 tonnes in 2017. Macquarie has upgraded its recommendation on MMG shares from "neutral" to "outperform", and its share price target has been raised from $A3.15 to $A5.80.

CORPORATES
MMG LIMITED – ASX MMG, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, GUOXIN INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION LIMITED, CITIC LIMITED, XSTRATA AG, GLENCORE PLC

BHP faces record $8.9bn loss

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 23 : 15-Aug-16

BHP Billiton is tipped to post a 2015-16 loss of $US6.8bn ($A8.9bn), with underlying earnings of less than $US1.1bn. The full-year result will be marred by factors such as the impact of lower commodity prices, a massive write-down associated with its US petroleum assets and the impact of the Samarco iron ore tailings dam disaster in Brazil. However, analysts polled by Bloomberg are upbeat about BHP’s outlook, forecasting earnings of about $US2.35bn in 2016-17.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, SAMARCO MINERACAO SA, VALE SA, BLOOMBERG LP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Innovation for all: Hunt

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Original article by Paul Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 15-Aug-16

Australia’s Industry, Innovation and Science Minister, Greg Hunt, will emphasis that innovation is relevant to businesses of all sizes and sectors, rather than just technology start-ups. Hunt adds that his aim is to increase the proportion of businesses that are involved in innovation from the current level of around 45 per cent. Meanwhile, He has stressed that the $A49m worth of financial assistance that the Federal Government will provide to steel-maker Arrium is a loan rather than a grant.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, DULUXGROUP LIMITED – ASX DLX, YATES GARDEN CARE (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, B&D AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, McKINSEY AND COMPANY

Fund managers cautious on resources rally

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 15-Aug-16

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 has gained 3.5 per cent so far in 2016. In contrast, the resources sector (excluding gold stocks) has gained about 15 per cent in the year to date. However, some analysts have questioned whether the sector’s recent performance can be sustained. ST Wong of Prime Value Asset Management suggests that further economic stimulus measures in China will be needed in order to boost demand for commodities.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, PRIME VALUE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, FIDELITY AUSTRALIAN OPPORTUNITIES FUND, FORAGER FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, MACMAHON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MAH, MONADELPHOUS GROUP LIMITED – ASX MND, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

Turnbull’s GST pledge sparks row

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Original article by David Uren, Andrew Burrell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 15-Aug-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told the state conference of the Liberal Party of Western Australia that the system for distributing GST revenue will be revamped. Some 70 per cent of WA’s share of GST revenue is allocated to other states, but Premier Colin Barnett argues that each state should receive at least 75 per cent of their per capita share of revenue. Turnbull has proposed changing the system to ensure that each state receives a minimum share of their largest source of GST revenue. Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman says Turnbull has not consulted the states and territories, adding that he will oppose any change to the system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, TASMANIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Shorten to PM: rethink banks inquiry

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 15-Aug-16

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to support the Australian Labor Party’s proposal for a royal commission into the nation’s banks. Shorten has argued that a series of scandals in the financial services sector has significantly affected the finances of many people and undermined the public’s trust in banks. Meanwhile, Labor’s Sam Dastyari says the Opposition may have sufficient support in the Senate for a royal commission.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

New rules for better apartments

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Original article by Nick Lenaghan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 15-Aug-16

Victoria’s Planning Minister Richard Wynne has revealed new draft standards for apartments. The proposed rules include minimum standards for ventilation and access to natural daylight, with all habitable rooms in an apartment required to have at least one window. However, Wynne has ruled out imposing minimum sizes for apartments, which has been welcomed by Asher Judah of the Property Council of Australia.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, LAND, WATER AND PLANNING, PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, GROCON PTY LTD

Digital disruption isn’t a death knell

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 18 & 20 : 15-Aug-16

New figures show that the number of people watching free-to-air TV fell by 100,752 between the start of the 2016 ratings year and the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. The disappointing ratings performance of the Nine Network is believed to have accounted for the bulk of the lost viewers. However, the Seven Network’s director of ­programming, Angus Ross, says FTA is very resilient and having successful shows is the key to lifting audience numbers. Ross is confident that Seven’s post-Olympics line-up will be popular with viewers.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Millennials lead the way in social media news era

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 15-Aug-16

A survey by Deloitte has found that TV is the main source of news for 36 per cent of Australians, followed by social media (18 per cent). In contrast, 31 per cent of respondents aged 14-26 and 25 per cent of those aged 27-32 identified social media as their primary source of news, but just six per cent of baby-boomers use social media as their primary source of news. The 2016 Media Consumer Survey also shows that the number of respondents with access to Netflix, Stan and Presto has risen from 12 per cent in 2015 to 22 per cent.

CORPORATES
DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, TWITTER INCORPORATED, SNAPCHAT INCORPORATED