Author: roymorgansocial

ATO drops boom on marketing hubs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 10-Aug-16

The use of offshore marketing hubs by resources groups will attract greater scrutiny from the Australian Taxation Office. The proposed crackdown will result in such companies being subject to stricter auditing and disclosure requirements if they are not completely transparent about their marketing arrangements. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto both use marketing hubs in Singapore, while the ATO is concerned that the oil and gas industry may pursue profit-shifting arrangements as LNG exports ramp up.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CHEVRON CORPORATION, CHEVRON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, BP PLC, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION

Media law overhaul made priority for Parliament

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 9-Aug-16

The Australian Government will press ahead with cross-media ownership reforms when Parliament resumes on 30 August 2016. There is support within the Australian Labor Party to scrap the "reach rule", although some members of the Opposition have reservations about abolishing the "two-out-of-three" rule. The proposed reforms will include local content requirements for regional broadcasters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS

Coles prepares to milk consumer taste for branded dairy products

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 9-Aug-16

Coles will launch a new milk brand in the third week of August 2016. The new product will be priced higher than the supermarket chain’s private label milk, which costs $A1.00 per litre. Coles intends to divert $A0.20 a litre from sales of the new product to a hardship and innovation fund. Victorian dairy farmers, who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of the Farmers Fund, see the initiative as a marketing stunt. They say they would prefer being paid more for milk.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MURRAY GOULBURN CO-OPERATIVE COMPANY LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, FARMERS FUND, FARMERS OWN, NURTURE FUND, AUSTRALIAN DAIRY FARMERS’ LIMITED, DAIRY AUSTRALIA, VICTORIAN FARMERS FEDERATION

Gary Morgan’s comment on Roy Morgan July Business Confidence

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Aug-16

Although the result in the House of Representatives at the recent Federal Election was disappointing, the result in the Senate is probably better for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership. The increase in the cross-bench at first appears challenging for the Turnbull Government; however, the fact is that most of the new Senators are right-of-centre and likely to be favourable to the Government’s broader Budget and policy agenda. Two of the most important policies the Government took to the election were significant corporate tax cuts and the re-introduction of the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) to improve workplace productivity in the Construction industry. Despite the challenges, the Government should be able to pass these important reforms which will stimulate an Australian economy still dealing with the end of the mining boom.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Business Confidence lower in July – down 2.8% to 116.1 during month of political uncertainty

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Aug-16

Roy Morgan Research’s Business Confidence fell 2.8% to 116.1 in July 2016 following the inconclusive Australian Federal Election at the start of July. The fall in Business Confidence comes despite an upward trend on the Australian sharemarket in July – the All Ordinaries closed the end of July at 5,644 (up 6.3% (or 334pts) from June 30, 5310). This was the highest close for exactly a year since July 31, 2015 (5,681). The fall in Business Confidence in July means Business Confidence has dipped just below the 6yr average of 116.7.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Digital helps Seven attract Olympics audience

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 9-Aug-16

The Seven Network’s TV broadcast of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games opening ceremony was watched by 1.61 million viewers in Australia’s five main capital cities. Meanwhile, Seven’s streaming coverage attracted 4.1 million viewers during the first two days of the Games, including a record 2.8 million streams on the second day. Seven has conceded that there have been problems with its streaming up, which it attributes to global demand for streaming services.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, OLYMPIC BROADCASTING SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

That high P/E for a stock may not be that high a P/E after all

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Philip Baker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 9-Aug-16

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index currently boasts a forward price/earnings ratio of 16 times, while its long-term average is around 14.5 times. In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 boast forward P/E ratios of about 18 and 20 times. Meanwhile, many individual stocks in the ASX/200 boast P/E ratios of more than 20 times. Clime Investment Management argues that the elevated P/E ratios of some top-20 stocks may not be justified.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, CLIME ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, BLOOMBERG LP

Fairfax mulls sale of regional newspapers

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 & 24 : 9-Aug-16

Fairfax Media has declined to comment on speculation that it could divest the Australian Community Media division. The media group is said to have held talks with Platinum Equity about buying its portfolio of regional newspapers, which was primarily acquired via the 2007 merger with Rural Press. Fairfax already proposes to sell its New Zealand newspaper assets to NZME.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, RURAL PRESS LIMITED, NZME LIMITED – ASX NZM, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MEDIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, PLATINUM EQUITY HOLDINGS, SENSIS PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Even Twiggy should fight this tax on BHP and Rio

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 9-Aug-16

Western Australia National Party MP Brendon Grylls has proposed imposing a levy on iron ore producers BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. The tax is believed to be $A5 per tonne, which would generate about $A3bn in revenue for the State Government each year. Fortescue Metals Group would benefit from the increase in the break-even price of both BHP and Rio, potentially above that of Fortescue itself. The tax could also prompt BHP and Rio to reduce production in the Pilbara. Although it appears that Fortescue and smaller iron ore miners would be exempt from the proposed tax, this could change.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Windfalls exempt from super cap

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Aug-16

Australians who receive large sums of money as a result of "life events" will be offered an exemption from the proposed $A500,000 lifetime cap on non-concessional superannuation contributions. "Life events" include accident-related compensation payments, lottery wins and divorce settlements. Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has stressed that the proposed cap on super contributions is necessary to make the super system more equitable.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI