Author: roymorgansocial

Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine to appear on the ABC’s Q&A

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Feb-16

The panellists on the 29 January 2016 edition of "Q&A" are Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine; Liberal Party of Australia MP Bruce Billson; the former Speaker of the House of Representative, Anna Burke; Australian Christian Lobby MD Lyle Shelton; and the former president of the Australian Medical Association, Kerryn Phelps.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Nine’s Marks thinks outside the box

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 26-Feb-16

Nine Entertainment Company has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $A78.4m, which is 6.1 per cent lower than previously. Revenue of $A690m was down five per cent. CEO Hugh Marks has flagged a greater push to reduce costs and increased investment in the Stan video-on-demand service. Marks supports the Federal Government’s plan to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-of-three rule" with a single bill, arguing that both reforms are necessary. Peter Costello will succeed David Haslingden as Nine’s chairman.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NECSTAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTDWIN CORPORATION PTY LTDNETFLIX INCORPORATED

Oil price slump rattles energy bosses

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 26-Feb-16

Australian-listed oil and gas groups have been hard hit by the downturn in the crude oil price, and the majority have scaled back their short- and long-term oil price assumptions. Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings has slashed its 2016 "base case" price for Brent crude oil from $US45 a barrel to $US35, while its "stress case" forecast is just $US25 a barrel. There is general consensus in the industry that crude oil’s current price of around $US30 a barrel is unsustainable.

CORPORATES
FITCH RATINGS LIMITEDINTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCYBHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHPWOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPLSANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO

Rio loses ‘A’ status as Moody’s bites

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 26-Feb-16

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the credit rating of Rio Tinto from "A3" to "Baa1", and indicated that a further downgrade is possible. The ratings agency is also reviewing the "A1" credit rating of BHP Billiton, although Standard & Poor’s recently opted to leave Rio Tinto’s "A-" credit rating unchanged for now. The recent spate of ratings downgrades reflects the impact of the downturn in the iron ore price.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIOMOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATEDBHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHPANGLO AMERICAN PLCGLENCORE PLCVALE SA

South32 axes jobs after loss of $2.4bn

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 19 & 20 : 26-Feb-16

BHP Billiton spin-off South32 has posted a 2015-16 interim loss of US1.7bn ($2.4bn). When impairment charges are excluded, the group’s underlying profit of $US26m was 94 per cent lower than previously. South32’s coking coal mines in the Illawarra region of New South Wales and the Cerro ­Matoso nickel mine in Colombia posted big losses during the half-year, and CEO Graham Kerr has signalled that they could be closed unless there is an upturn in commodity prices. South32 will retrench more than 750 employees in Australia.

CORPORATES
SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHPPATERSONS SECURITIES LIMITED

APN to exit from regional publishing

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 26-Feb-16

Australian-listed APN News & Media has posted a 2015 net loss of $A10.2m, following an $A11.5m profit in 2014. When write-downs are excluded, the media group’s net profit was seven per cent lower than previously at $A70.2m. CEO Ciaran Davis has flagged plans to divest the Australian Regional Media business, whose EBITDA was down 27 per cent at $A18.4m. The Australian Radio Network division’s EBTDA rose by 25 per cent to $A82.8m.

CORPORATES
APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APNAUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MEDIAAUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD

Sunburnt no more? More Aussies buying sunscreen

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Feb-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 11.6 per cent of Australians aged 14+ (2.3 million people) bought sunscreen in any given four-week period during the year to September 2015, compared with nine per cent in the year to September 2014. The survey also shows that Queensland leads the country in sunscreen-buying, with 13.6 per cent of the state’s residents making a purchase in an average four weeks, up from 10.2 per cent in 2014. Queenslanders are also the most concerned about getting skin cancer (60.5 per cent), ahead of people from NSW/ACT (60.4 per cent) and Western Australians (58.9 per cent).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Days of continuous dividend growth over

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 26-Feb-16

Australia’s top 200 stocks have recorded stronger growth in dividends per share than earnings per share in the last few years, but fiscal 2016 seems likely to see the situation reversed. Analysts attribute this to factors such as the abolition of the progressive dividend policies of both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, and expectations that the major banks’ dividend will be broadly in line with their previous payouts.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEXBHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHPRIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIOCOMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBAWESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBCNATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NABAUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZCITIGROUP PTY LTDGOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTDHENDERSON GLOBAL INVESTORS LIMITED

Blackmores staff in pay bonanza

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 23 : 26-Feb-16

Australian-listed vitamins group Blackmores has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $A48.3m, compared with $18.62m previously. Revenue rose by 66 per cent to $A342m, and employees will be rewarded with an additional 22 days’ pay under the group’s profit-share scheme. Blackmores’ half-year dividend has been increased from $A0.68 per share to $A2. It shares closed 4.8 per cent lower at $A157.07 on 25 February 2016, having peaked at $A220 earlier in the year.

CORPORATES
BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKLWILSON ASSET MANAGEMENTJP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Australian Roy Morgan Business Confidence rises in February bringing a halt to three months of falls

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Feb-16

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that Australian business confidence rose by 2.7 points to 113.3 in February 2016, following a combined fall of 8.7 points over the previous three months. The stabilisation in business confidence comes after sharp falls on the Australian sharemarket early in 2016 levelled off in February. The level of business confidence in February is clearly positive for the economy overall, but below the five-year average (116.7), and the weakness of indicators related to the health of the Australian economy is a sign that confidence remains fragile and easily impacted by negative economic events.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITEDAUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINETAUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURYAUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZSTANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEXDICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSHMASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD