Author: roymorgansocial

The Project ‘really firing’ for WIN

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 8-Aug-16

There has been strong growth in regional audiences for the Ten Network’s TV programs since WIN Corporation switched affiliation partners in July 2016. WIN CEO Andrew Lancaster notes that shows such as "The Project" and "Have You Been Paying Attention?" in particular have been popular with WIN viewers. Meawhile, Southern Cross Media Group says its ratings and revenue were better than expected in July, when its affiliation deal with the Nine Network commenced.

CORPORATES
WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, REGIONAL TAM PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT

Suncorp insures itself against more storms

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 20 : 5-Aug-16

Suncorp Group has reported an 8.3 per cent decline in net profit for 2015-16, to $A1.04 billion. Michael Cameron, the CEO of the Australian-listed insurance group, stated on 4 August 2016 that Suncorp has increased its reinsurance protection by $A300 million because of the higher frequency of weather-related events. Shares in Suncorp rose 0.7 per cent to $A13.30.

CORPORATES
SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, MAPLE-BROWN ABBOTT LIMITED, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SUNCORP LIFE AND SUPERANNUATION LIMITED, ASTERON LIFE LIMITED, CONTANGO ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

Cash still good option for savers, say advisers

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 5-Aug-16

Australian savers who may need to access their money at short notice are advised to opt for cash deposits. According to comparison website Canstar, the average interest rate on the major banks’ six-month deposits has declined to 2.11 per cent, from 5.44 per cent in 2010. Those seeking higher returns should consider investing in corporate bonds and hybrid securities. Scott Farmer, of Bravium Financial Planning, says the rates of return in these two asset classes range from four per cent to 6.5 per cent.

CORPORATES
CANSTAR PTY LTD, AFFINITY PRIVATE PTY LTD, BRAVIUM FINANCIALPLANNING, HEWISON PRIVATE WEALTH

Rio Tinto willing to sacrifice low-cost crown for cash

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 5-Aug-16

Rio Tinto boasted the lowest iron ore production costs in Western Australia in the first half of 2016, with a "C1" cost of $US14.30 per tonne. However, CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques argues that increasing free cash flow is more important than bragging rights as the lowest-cost producer. Rio Tinto’s total iron ore output is tipped to be about 330 million tonnes in 2016, and Jacques has declined to comment on when the resources giant is likely to achieve its target of lifting annual output to 360 million tonnes.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

CEOs warn: bashing banks a growth risk

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey, James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 5-Aug-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison have been asked to refrain from criticising the banks. Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer said on 4 August 2016 that their criticism is unwarranted. He stated that the banks could not pass on the recent official interest rate cut in full because of the necessity to balance the interests of borrowers with the need for prudent management of their funding needs. Turnbull reminded the banks that they have an obligation to act in socially responsible ways.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Flame out: Labor Left union brawl cost Shorten the election

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 36 : 5-Aug-16

The Australian Labor Party lost one Victorian seat in the 2016 federal election, although it had expected to win at least two. Party insiders downplay the impact that the Country Fire Authority dispute had on Labor’s federal election prospects, although Veterans’ Affairs Minister Dan Tehan says the dispute ensured that the Coalition was returned to office with a one-seat majority rather than the election resulting in a hung parliament. United Firefighters’ Union secretary Peter Marshall does not believe that the CFA dispute had any impact on the election result.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, UNITED FIREFIGHTERS’ UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN FIRE BRIGADE, VICTORIAN BUILDING INDUSTRY DISPUTES PANEL, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, KING AND WOOD MALLESONS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Murdoch quells Fox News concerns after Ailes departure

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 23 : 5-Aug-16

21st Century Fox has posted a net profit of $US2.8bn ($A3.7bn) for fiscal 2016, compared with $US8.4bn previously, although the prior result was bolstered by asset sales. The media group’s EBITDA rose by two per cent to $US6.6bn, while revenue was one per cent higher at $US27.3bn. 21st Century Fox’s co-executive chairman Lachlan Murdoch has stressed that the resignation of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes will have no effect on the cable news channel’s editorial position or strategic direction.

CORPORATES
21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOX NEWS, DIRECT BROADCAST SATELLITE TELEVISION, SKY ITALIA SPA, SKY DEUTSCHLAND AG, SKY PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

The ups and downs of holiday intention

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 70 per cent of Australians aged 14+ (or 14.1 million people) are intending to take some kind of holiday in the next 12 months, down from 72 per cent in the March 2016 quarter. The proportion of the population planning a domestic holiday has fallen from 57 per cent to 56 per cent in the same period, while overseas intention fell from 11 per cent to 10 per cent between the March and June quarters. Roy Morgan Research’s Norman Morris notes that while the current decline in overseas holiday intention is evident among most age groups, it has actually risen slightly since the March quarter among 25-34 year-olds (from 11 per cent to 14 per cent) and the 65+ age bracket (9 per cent to 10 per cent).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Hanson’s power bloc holds key in ABCC union battle

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Aug-16

The support of One Nation in the Senate may be crucial to the Coalition’s chances of passing legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. The Coalition will have 30 seats in the new Senate, while the Australian Labor Party and the Greens will have 26 and nine respectively. The Coalition will need 39 votes to pass the ABCC bill in the upper house, or 114 in a joint sitting of Parliament. One Nation senator-elect Brian Burston has indicated that he is likely to support the ABCC bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

More Australians are reading print magazines

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-16

Roy Morgan Research has released the Australian Magazine Print Readership and Cross-Platform Audience results for the year to June 2016. Print magazines reached 12,477,000 Australians aged 14+, up 0.8 per cent compared with the 12 months to June 2015. Nine of the country’s Top 20 magazines increased their readership; "Coles Magazine" remained the most widely-read print magazine during the period, with an average readership of 3,498,000 per issue (an increase of 28.6 per cent). Meanwhile, "Better Homes & Gardens" and "Australian Women’s Weekly" have the highest Cross-Platform Audiences, at 2,140,000 and 2,094,000 respectively.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED