Author: roymorgansocial

GST pitch just in time for election

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 2-Feb-16

The Australian Government is believed to favour lifting the GST to 15 per cent without broadening the scope of the tax. However, it is said to be looking at postponing the release of its tax reform package until shortly before the 2016 election rather than timing it to coincide with the Budget in May. The Howard Government adopted a similar strategy in 1999, when it outlined plans to introduce the GST just before the election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEWSPOLL, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Fifield eyes sports rights shake-up

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 1-Feb-16

The Australian Government’s anti-siphoning list for sports broadcasts includes around 1,300 events. Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is said to be open to reducing the number of events on the list as part of his proposed media reforms. However, Fifield is not expected to introduce a bill to change cross-media ownership laws before the leadership of the National Party is resolved. Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss has given no indications as to when he intends to retire.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Seven aces digital Open coverage

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 1-Feb-16

Seven West Media’s live streaming of its tennis coverage was viewed about 4.4 million times during the summer of 2014-15. It is estimated that this will exceed eight million views in the 2015-16 summer, including users of the 7tennis app and the Plus7 live TV stream. Seven’s chief digital officer Clive Dickens notes that just one sponsor of Seven’s TV coverage chose not to take up a sponsorship package for its digital coverage. He adds that the success of the tennis coverage bodes well for Seven’s broadcast of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS

Reject corrupt union deals, bosses urged

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 1-Feb-16

The Federal Government will reintroduce legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission when Parliament resumes for 2016. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says the proposed legislation will include a new building code that bars companies which secure illegal deals with unions from being awarded public contracts. Meanwhile, the Opposition will propose harsher financial penalties for companies that underpay staff or use sham contractual arrangements.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR

Gorgon to start up – soon

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Original article by Brian Robins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 1-Feb-16

US-based Chevron Corporation has advised that production at the $US54bn ($A76bn) Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia is slated to commence shortly. The first shipment is now expected before the end of the March 2016 quarter, after the initial target of late 2015 was pushed back. Meanwhile, Chevron anticipates that the first shipment from its Wheatstone LNG project will occur by mid-2017.

CORPORATES
CHEVRON CORPORATION, GORGON PTY LTD

Helix Personas launches in Indonesia

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

Indonesia is an increasingly important market for Australian and New Zealand exporters. The country’s 250 million people are going through a social and economic transformation with a large middle class being established. Along with this are rising levels of affluence, higher demand for products and services and an increasingly well-educated and sophisticated consumer. The challenge has always been understanding these consumers, where they live, what they buy and how to reach them. To address these challenges Roy Morgan Research has created Helix Personas for Indonesia. . Helix Personas segments Indonesian consumers into 42 Personas across six Communities. Indonesia is now the third country to be "Helixed" after Australia and New Zealand, where marketers already use and benefit from its clear, usable insights into consumer values, behaviour, attitudes, media consumption and purchasing habits.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Trusts on track for good profit season

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Original article by Nick Lenaghan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 1-Feb-16

The Australian sharemarket shed more than five per cent during January 2016, although the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT index achieved a total return of more than one per cent. Meanwhile, Goodman Group and Vicinity Centres are among the listed property trusts that have reported a rise in the value of their portfolios. Investors will be awaiting the February reporting season, which among other things will show how the trusts’ retail tenants performed during the Christmas sales period.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 A-REIT INDEX, GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, VICINITY CENTRES – ASX VCX, DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – ASX DXS, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, PHOENIX PORTFOLIOS PTY LTD, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, INVESTA OFFICE FUND – ASX IOF, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP

Small caps tipped to lift tough reporting season

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 22 : 1-Feb-16

The consensus of analysts is that the Australian sharemarket’s earnings per share will decline by six per cent in the February 2016 reporting season. However, a 45.5 per cent fall in earnings per share is forecast for the resources sector. Donald Williams of Platypus Asset Management is bearish about the outlook for the sector, warning that commodity prices are unlikely to rebound for several years. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley expects stocks outside the top 20 to perform the best.

CORPORATES
PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BENNELONG AUSTRALIAN EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, WORLEYPARSONS LIMITED – ASX WOR, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, ANSELL LIMITED – ASX ANN, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, MANTRA GROUP LIMITED – ASX MTR, AVEO GROUP – ASX AOG, BURSON GROUP LIMITED – ASX BAP, CSG LIMITED – ASX CSV, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, GENWORTH MORTGAGE INSURANCE AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX GMA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

$100b GST hike to pay for tax cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Feb-16

The New South Wales Government will make a final push to achieve consensus among the states and territories on changes to the GST. Premier Mike Baird has previously advocated lifting the GST to 15 per cent and spending all proceeds on hospitals, education and compensation for the tax increase. However, he now proposes using the proceeds of the GST increase in the first year to finance corporate and personal income tax cuts, as well as compensation. Meanwhile, $A7bn of GST revenue would be allocated to hospitals and the education system in the three years to 2019-20.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

ALDI ups ad spend as rivals cut back

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 1-Feb-16

Data from Nielsen’s Advertising Information Service shows that ALDI Australia increased its advertising budget from $A15m in 2014 to $A28.9m in 2015. In contrast, Coles and Woolworths reduced their advertising expenditure by 25 per cent and 5.3 per cent respectively in 2015. ALDI has ramped up its metropolitan and regional TV advertising in recent years, and reduced its budget for newspaper advertising.

CORPORATES
ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, THE NIELSEN COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD