Author: roymorgansocial

Seasonal highs and lows of the Top 10 sports websites

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Apr-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 31 per cent of Australians aged 14+ visited sports websites in an average four weeks during the year to December 2015. This ranged across rolling quarters from a peak of 34 per cent in June to August down to 29 per cent in October to December. The official AFL website is the most-visited sports website in Australia, with 1,457,000 visitors in an average four-week period in 2015. Monthly visitation peaked at 1,826,000 during the May-July quarter. The number two website is Fox Sports, which 1,043,000 Australians visited in an average four weeks in 2015, with visitation peaking from May to September.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, NINEMSN PTY LTD, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, ESPN CRICINFO, YAHOO!7 COMMUNICATIONS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

King & Wood Mallesons tops M&A table for first quarter

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Apr-16

King & Wood Mallesons has appeared at the top of the list of Australian law firms in terms of the value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the first quarter of 2016, with about $US18.6 billion ($A24.5 billion) worth of deals. Other firms that handled a significant number of M&A deals included Gilbert + Tobin ($US17.3 billion), Allens ($US17.1 billion) and Herbert Smith Freehills ($US11.2 billion).

CORPORATES
KING AND WOOD MALLESONS, GILBERT AND TOBIN LAWYERS, ALLENS, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD

Pay order spells ‘ruin’ for truckies

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Apr-16

Transport Workers’ Union national secretary Tony Sheldon has welcomed a court ruling on new pay rates for owner-drivers in the trucking industry. He argues the new pay regime will improve industry safety. He has also urged the Australian Government and trucking industry bodies to support the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, which proposed the new pay rates. However, there are concerns that many owner-drivers will be forced out of the industry and that the cost of transporting goods by road will rise.

CORPORATES
TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN

BoQ lifts mortgage rates as profit jumps 11pc

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 8-Apr-16

The Bank of Queensland has reported an 11 per cent rise in 2015-16 interim profit to $A171 million. CEO Jon Sutton says the bank’s variable interest rates for owner-occupier home loans will be raised by 12 basis points to 5.86 per cent. Mortgage rates on investor loans will rise by 25 basis points to 6.28 per cent. The new rates will take effect in mid-April 2016.

CORPORATES
BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, VIRGIN MONEY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Vultures circle fallen Arrium

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 8-Apr-16

An unnamed investment banker says Arrium’s voluntary administrators are likely to seek new discussions with GSO Capital Partners, whose $A1.2bn bailout proposal was rejected by Arrium’s lenders. Private equity firms are likely to have strong bargaining power in any negotiations to buy Arrium’s assets, as the failed iron ore miner and steelmaker’s lenders are unsecured creditors. Arrium boasts a global workforce of 22,000, with 7,000 employees in Australia.

CORPORATES
ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, GSO CAPITAL PARTNERS LP, GRANT THORNTON AUSTRALIA, THE BLACKSTONE GROUP LP, MOLY-COP, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL

Fortescue Metals chief says iron ore price is stabilising

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 8-Apr-16

The price of iron ore for delivery to the port of Qingdao in China was trading at around $US55 per tonne in early April 2016. Fortescue Metals Group CEO Nev Power believes that the price of the steel input may be at or near its bottom and is likely to stabilise. Meanwhile, Power expects annual demand for steel in China of around 800 million tonnes and he is upbeat about the outlook for the Chinese economy. He also says the group’s blended iron ore joint venture with Vale should be finalised within 3-4 months.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, VALE SA, CREDIT SUISSE AG, McKINSEY AND COMPANY, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Bauer urged to expand under new boss Chan

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 8-Apr-16

Former Pacific Magazines CEO and COO Nick Chan will succeed David Goodchild as CEO of magazine publisher Bauer Media Australia. Chan is also a former COO of Bauer when it was known as ACP Magazines. Dentsu Aegis Australia CEO Simon Ryan says Bauer could become a "powerful" media group in Australia under Chan, but he will need the support of its board to make acquisitions. There has been speculation that Bauer could expand into radio broadcasting.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BAUER MEDIA KG, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, ACP MAGAZINES LIMITED, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NOVA ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, COMMERCIAL RADIO AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE TEXT MEDIA GROUP LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PHD CREATIVE PTY LTD

Carmichael key to easing Indian poverty: Adani

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 6 : 8-Apr-16

The Australian Greens has urged the federal and Queensland governments to reverse their approvals for Adani’s Carmichael thermal coal project. However, Adani Australia CEO Jeyakumar Janakaraj says the $A16bn project will increase India’s consumption of cleaner coal and help reduce poverty in the nation. Matt Canavan, the Minister for Northern Australia, adds that if the project does not go ahead India will simply source lower-quality coal from elsewhere.

CORPORATES
ADANI ENTERPRISES LIMITED, ADANI AUSTRALIA COMPANY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED, BOWEN BASIN MINING CLUB

India trade deal closer: Robb

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Original article by Greg Bearup
The Australian – Page: 2 : 8-Apr-16

Australia’s former trade minister Andrew Robb is optimistic that the key elements of a trade deal with India can be agreed upon within eight weeks. Robb has described the trade negotiations with India as the most difficult he been experienced since taking up the trade portfolio. He adds that a trade agreement will generate business opportunities for Australian companies in a range of sectors. Robb has continued to be involved in the negotiations since resigning as trade minister.

CORPORATES
INDIA. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Seven ‘fantasy’ promises carry $400bn bill

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Original article by David Crowe, David Uren
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 8-Apr-16

Some $A400bn worth of big-ticket spending initiatives over the next decade will present a challenge for the Australian Government in achieving its goal of returning the Budget to surplus. These include the $A111.4bn in net new spending on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and $A57bn in compensation payments for the now-repealed carbon tax. It is estimated that the Budget would be in surplus by 2019 without the seven spending commitments, which also include defence, education and pension funding. Australia’s debt is also expected to keep rising over coming years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES