Author: roymorgansocial

Optus foray into sports ‘good for competition’

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 30-May-16

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says Optus’s acquisition of local broadcasting rights for the English Premier League demonstrates the competitive environment for sports rights. Telstra has traditionally been the dominant telco in terms of sports rights, but Optus has signalled its interest in expanding its exclusive sports coverage.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, THE A LEAGUE PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NETBALL AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Business Confidence plunges in May – down 9.1% to 111.9 following Federal Budget and Election uncertainty

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-May-16

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that Australian business confidence fell by 9.1 per cent to 111.9 in May 2016. Business confidence is now at its lowest since a 2016 low of 110.6 in January. The fall in Business Confidence comes even after a slight improvement on the Australian sharemarket in May. However, the large drop in Business Confidence is likely more tied to a poorly received Federal Budget in early May and the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming Federal Election. The weakest indicators in May relate to the upcoming year, which suggests the impact of election uncertainty. Net expectations of business performance over the next 12 months have dropped to 20.6ppts (down 17.5ppts in May) and net views of whether the next 12 months will be a "good/bad time to invest" are now 12.1ppts (down 14.2ppts).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, DCNS SA

Capex collapse as mining investment boom unwinds

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Original article by Daniel Palmer
The Australian – Page: 31 : 27-May-16

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported that capital expenditure on buildings and equipment fell by 5.2 per cent in the March 2016 quarter, compared with expectations of a 3.5 per cent decline. Capex in the mining sector fell by 12 per cent and non-mining capex was down 0.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the latest figures show that capex is forecast to total $A89.2bn in 2016-17, compared with a previous forecast of $A82.6bn.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED

It’s Harry at No 1

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 27-May-16

Property developer Harry Triguboff has displaced Gina Rinehart as Australia’s wealthiest individual. Triguboff is ranked first on the 2016 "BRW" Rich 200 List, with estimated wealth of $A10.62bn. Anthony Pratt is the nation’s second-richest person, with a $A10.35bn fortune. Rinehart’s wealth has fallen from $A14.02bn in 2015 to just $A6.6bn, ranking her fourth. The combined wealth of the Rich 200 has risen by almost one per cent in 2016, to a record $A197.3bn. The list includes 53 billionaires, while 19 people appear on the exclusive list for the first time.

CORPORATES
MERITON APARTMENTS PTY LTD, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, CHADSTONE SHOPPING CENTRE, BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKL, WORLEYPARSONS LIMITED – ASX WOR

ACCC’s concerns delay Asciano deal

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 27-May-16

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will not make a final ruling on the $A9bn takeover of ports and rail group Asciano until 21 July 2016. The ACCC’s statement of issues raises a number of concerns regarding the proposed deal, including the impact on competition if the sale of Asciano’s stake in the ACFS Port Logistics joint venture proceeds. The ACCC will accept submissions on its statement of issues until 10 June.

CORPORATES
ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ACFS PORT LOGISTICS PTY LTD, BROOKFIELD INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS LP, GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE INVESTMENT CORPORATION PTE LTD, QATAR INVESTCO, BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, QUBE HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX QUB, PATRICK CORPORATION LIMITED, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, PACIFIC NATIONAL PTY LTD, CANADA PENSION PLAN INVESTMENT BOARD, CIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, DBCT HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Holiday in one: the preferred destinations of Aussie golfers

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-May-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 1.9 million Australians aged 14+ play golf either regularly or occasionally, and they are more likely to go on holiday than the average Australian. The survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2015, also shows that people who play golf either regularly or occasionally are considerably more likely than the average Australian to name Queensland as the state they would most like to visit on holiday in the next two years: 49.6 per cent compared with the population average of 40.6 per cent. Victoria (49.2 per cent) and New South Wales (47.9 per cent) also rate higher for golfers on their holiday wish-lists than for the average Australian. In fact, the only state which golfers have a below-average interest in visiting is South Australia.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Michele Levine on the Sky Business Channel with Peter Switzer

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-May-16

Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine appeared on Peter Switzer’s TV show on the Sky News Business Channel on 25 May 2016. Levine discussed the findings of the latest Roy Morgan Image of Professions Survey, which has been carried out since 1979. Levine also notes that Roy Morgan Business Confidence has fallen by nine per cent in May, to 111.9.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, SKY NEWS

Trimmed down miners tipped as next hot sector

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 27-May-16

UBS Small Companies Fund portfolio managers Stephen Wood and David Haddad are upbeat about the outlook for smaller Australian-listed mining companies. They note that many small-capitalisation mining groups have significantly reduced their costs over the last five years, which has made them attractive to investors. UBS favours stocks such as Fortescue Metals Group, Sundance Resources, Whitehaven Coal, Galaxy Resources, Orocobre and Pilbara Minerals.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, SUNDANCE RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX SDL, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, GALAXY RESEARCH AND PLANNING PTY LTD, OROCOBRE LIMITED – ASX ORE, PILBARA MINERALS LIMITED – ASX PLS, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

BHP tunes up Olympic Dam but timing slightly off

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 27-May-16

BHP Billiton will hire an additional 120 workers at its Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine in South Australia. The resources group intends to expand underground mining at Olympic Dam, with plans to increase copper production from 200,000 tonnes in 2015-16 to 230,000 tonnes in 2020-21. BHP eventually aims to lift annual production to 280,000 tonnes. However, the long-term goal of 450,000 tonnes per annum will depend on the use of heap leaching technology, which is currently being trialled.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

News Corp to sell WA newspaper

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 22 : 27-May-16

Seven West Media will need approval from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission to acquire Perth masthead "The Sunday Times" for an estimated $A12m to $A15m. The deal with News Corp Australia is believed to include news website PerthNow. The deal may raise competition concerns, as Seven West Media owns Perth’s sole weekday newspaper, "The West Australian". The competition regulator will seek public submissions on the proposed deal.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ