Author: roymorgansocial

Are Australia’s 1.7 million English Premier League viewers ready to say yes to Optus?

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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 17 per cent of Australians aged 14+ with fixed broadband in their home say they are very or fairly likely to switch internet provider in the next 12 months. This rises to 20 per cent in the case of English Premier League viewers. The survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2015, also shows that 15 per cent of EPL viewers switched broadband provider in the past 12 months, compared with 10 per cent of all Australians 14+ with a fixed line service in their home. Meanwhile, mobile phone owners who currently watch the EPL on TV are 20 per cent more likely than the norm to switch mobile service provider in 2016.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITEDENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUESINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTDNETFLIX INCORPORATEDSTAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTDCRICKET AUSTRALIANATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Westfield posts US$2.3bn net profit in first full year

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Original article by Robert Harley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 35 : 25-Feb-16

Australian-listed Westfield Corporation has posted a net profit of $US2.3bn ($A3.2bn) for calendar 2015. The real estate investment trust was created in 2014 via a restructuring of the Westfield Group. The US and Europe-focused Westfield has reported funds from operations of $US783.4m for 2015, which equates to $A0.377 per security.

CORPORATES
WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD

Media reform an all-or-nothing proposition, as Fifield resists carve-out

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 2 : 25-Feb-16

Federal Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has ruled out separate media reform bills to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule". He insists that both reforms must be presented to Parliament in a single bill. The Australian Labor Party supports scrapping the reach rule, while regional TV broadcasters want it to be abolished quickly so they can consider mergers with metropolitan networks. However, Labor wants a Senate inquiry into scrapping the two-out-of-three rule.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Geminder’s Pact with the market: no surprise

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Original article by Kylar Loussikian
The Australian – Page: 21 : 25-Feb-16

Pact Group has posted a 2015-16 interim underlying profit of $A45.9m, which is 10 per cent higher than previously. The packaging group’s revenue increased by eight per cent to about $A688m, and shareholders will receive a half-year dividend of $A0.10 per share. CEO Malcolm Bundey says an efficiency program generated cost savings of $A2.8m during the half-year. Pact shares closed 4.5 per cent higher at $A4.92 on 24 February 2016.

CORPORATES
PACT GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX PGH, JALCO PTY LTD, POWER PLASTICS

Kelly set for early departure from Nine

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 25-Feb-16

Australian-listed media group Nine Entertainment Company has advised that CFO and COO Simon Kelly will step down at the end of February 2016. He was originally slated to depart at the end of May. Nine will release its 2015-16 interim financial results on 25 February, and may update shareholders on its streaming dispute with regional affiliate WIN Corporation. Nine is also tipped to extend its share buyback.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, TICKETEK, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Wesfarmers regroups for customer focus

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 & 24 : 25-Feb-16

Wesfarmers has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $A1.39bn, which is 1.2 per cent lower than previously. EBIT rose by 1.6 per cent to $A2.11bn and revenue was up 4.7 per cent at $A33.5bn. The group’s retail division posted 9.2 per cent growth in earnings, but its coal operations recorded a loss of $A118m. Meanwhile, Wesfarmers will establish a department store division to house its Kmart and Target businesses, while its industrial and safety businesses will also be restructured.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, COLES GROUP LIMITED, BLACKWOODS, PROTECTOR ALSAFE, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

BHP Billiton shares plunge amid questions over strategy

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 & 25 : 25-Feb-16

BHP Billiton’s Australian-listed shares shed 8.2 per cent on 24 February 2016, after its London-listed stock fell by 6.05 per cent in overnight trading. The bearish sentiment followed comments by CEO Andrew Mackenzie, who forecast a sustained period of commodity price weakness and market volatility. Meanwhile, BHP has flagged the potential for acquisitions if assets of sufficient quality are put on the market, but analysts say there is likely to be strong competition for such assets.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, JEFFERIES AND COMPANY, FREEPORT-McMORAN COPPER AND GOLD INCORPORATED, TECK CORPORATION, FIRST QUANTUM MINERALS LIMITED, MMG LIMITED – ASX MMG, GLENCORE PLC, X2 RESOURCES PARTNERS LP, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, SAMARCO MINERACAO SA

Fortescue Metals looks to M&A for growth

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 25-Feb-16

Fortescue Metals Group has posted a 2015-16 interim net profit of $US319m, compared with $US331m previously. Revenue fell from $US4.8bn to $US3.3bn. CEO Nev Power says the iron ore group is open to acquisitions if appropriate opportunities become available, and it has not ruled out diversifying into other commodities. Fortescue has also signalled that it will seek to reduce its break-even price for exports to China to $US28.80 per tonne by mid-2016, but stresses that it will not try to compete with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto to become the lowest-cost exporter.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Resources uncertainty keeps ASX below 5000

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 25-Feb-16

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index has failed to remain above the 5,000-point level so far in February 2016. The local market has been weighed down by continued weakness in the resources sector, while Julian Beaumont of Bennelong Australian Equity Partners adds that the market is likely to remain range-bound until concerns about the banking sector are alleviated. Meanwhile, Marcus Padley says any market rebound will be driven by an upturn in commodity prices.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BENNELONG AUSTRALIAN EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, PENGANA GLOBAL RESOURCES FUND, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

LNG oversupply could spell gory end for coal

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Original article by Jens Meyer
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 25-Feb-16

A recent report from the World Bank forecast that the price of Australian thermal coal will rise to $US58 per tonne by 2020. The price of coal exported from Newcastle was trading at $US40 a tonne in late February 2016, having peaked at almost $US130 a tonne in 2011. Macquarie believes that consumption of thermal coal may have peaked, and it warns that a global oversupply of LNG could further reduce demand for coal.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, WORLD BANK