Author: roymorgansocial

Ten moves first in media shake-up

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 3-Mar-16

The Ten Network is believed to have held preliminary talks with regional affiliate Southern Cross Media Group about acquiring its TV assets if cross-media ownership laws are relaxed. It is expected that Ten would have to undertake a capital raising to finance the acquisition, with Southern Cross’s TV assets estimated to be worth between $A100m and $A120m. The two groups are also holding talks regarding the renewal of their affiliation agreement. Southern Cross has indicated in the past that radio assets are its priority.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, TRIPLE M CORPORATION PTY LTD, HIT NETWORK, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN

Drinks with the girls: Australian women and wine

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Mar-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 45.1 per cent of Australians aged 18+ drank wine in any given four-week period during 2015, while 37.6 per cent drank beer. The survey also shows that 4.6 million Australian women (or 49 per cent of the adult female population) drank some kind of wine in an average four weeks, compared with 3.7 million men (41.2 per cent). Meanwhile, 69.3 per cent of female wine drinkers consumed white wine over this time period, ahead of red wine (56.3 per cent), sparkling wine (42.3 per cent) and fortified wine (9.3 per cent). In contrast, male wine drinkers are more likely to drink red wine (78.1 per cent) than white wine (58.4 per cent).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Michele Levine On Q&A

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Mar-16

View highlights of the 29 February 2016 edition of the ABC’s "Q&A" panel discussion program. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine joins the panel to discuss "Safe Schools", same-sex marriage, trans-gender issues for children and current political issues.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Inside the blast zone: Foodland puts out the welcome mat for Aldi

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 2-Mar-16

Discount supermarket chain Aldi opened its first Adelaide stores in early 2016, and it will open another five during March. Foodland has been "extremely aggressive" in defending its market share in areas where Aldi has opened a store, according to CEO Con Sciacca. South Australia-based Foodland argues that it has more scope to reduce grocery prices at individual stores than national rivals Woolworths and Coles. Foodland’s market share in the state is just below that of Coles and Woolworths.

CORPORATES
FOODLAND AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence dips 3pts to 111.3

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Mar-16

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia fell by 2.6 per cent to 111.3 in the week ended 28 February 2016. The modest recovery in confidence seen in the previous three weeks proved to be short-lived. Confidence is now back to the levels seen post the financial market volatility in January and below its long run average. The weakness in confidence this week was largely driven by consumers’ views towards the economic outlook. The subindex for the "economic outlook in the next 5 years" fell 7.2 per cent, and the subindex for "economic outlook in the next 12 months" fell 6.3 per cent.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

BlackRock’s Evy Hambro predicts more mines to close

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 2-Mar-16

BlackRock’s Evy Hambro expects bulk commodities to remain oversupplied, although he forecasts an improvement in the supply-demand balance for some base metals. Hambro also forecasts that more mining companies will discontinue production at some mines during 2016, and he says the downturn in the crude oil price is unsustainable and it will begin to rebound. BlackRock is a major shareholder of leading mining groups such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Glencore.

CORPORATES
BLACKROCK INCORPORATED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, HALLIBURTON INCORPORATED, SCHLUMBERGER LIMITED, ORGANISATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Global search for Reserve boss on the cards: Costello

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Original article by James Glynn
The Australian – Page: 19 & 28 : 2-Mar-16

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens will step down in September 2016, after 10 years in the role. The Federal Government may accelerate the appointment of a successor given that it is an election year. Deputy governor Philip Lowe is widely seen as the leading contender to replace Stevens, but former federal treasurer Peter Costello believes that international candidates should be considered. Martin Parkinson, David Gruen and Warwick McKibbin have been touted as potential successors to Stevens.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, BANK OF ENGLAND, TD SECURITIES, MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BANK OF JAPAN

Origin Energy strikes China LNG deal

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 2-Mar-16

Australian-listed Origin Energy has secured a preliminary agreement to supply 500,000 tonnes of LNG each year to the trading arm of China-based ENN Energy Holdings. The proposed five-year deal is the first that Origin has negotiated in its own right, rather than as part of the Australia Pacific LNG venture. Michael Dargue of Citigroup has questioned whether it is an appropriate time for Origin to become an LNG trader due to the potential risks.

CORPORATES
ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ENN ENERGY HOLDINGS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, SINOPEC CORPORATION, KANSAI ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY INCORPORATED

Murdoch and Stokes rebuffed on media reform

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Original article by Dominic White, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 2-Mar-16

The Australian Government has confirmed that its cross-media ownership reforms will abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-of-three rule". However, Seven West Media has criticised the Government for not reducing TV broadcasting licence fees, while Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein argues that changes to the anti-siphoning list for sporting events should have been part of the reform package. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has indicated that the latter may be subject to change in the future.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

‘Limited headroom’ for M&A at BHP

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 2-Mar-16

BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie recently indicated that abolishing the progressive dividend policy will increase the group’s capacity to pursue mergers and acquisitions. However, Standard & Poor’s analyst May Zhong says that without a rebound in commodity prices BHP will not have much scope for M&A deals. The ratings agency has removed BHP from negative credit watch following the changes to its dividend policy. BHP’s credit rating was downgraded from "A+" to "A" earlier in 2016.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, STANDARD AND POOR’S CORPORATION, SAMARCO MINERACAO SA