Author: roymorgansocial

Rio offloads coal mine for $347m

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Original article by Brian Robins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 28-Jan-16

Indonesia-based Salim Group will pay $US244m ($A347m) for Rio Tinto’s undeveloped Mount Pleasant thermal coal asset in New South Wales. The deal also includes payment of a two per cent royalty if the thermal coal price rises to $US72.50 ($A104) per tonne. Thermal coal is currently trading at around $US50 per tonne, compared with about $US100 just 18 months ago. Rio Tinto previously sold its 40 per cent stake in the Bengalla thermal coal mine.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, SALIM GROUP, ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, PATERSONS SECURITIES LIMITED, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, PACIFIC NATIONAL PTY LTD, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION, INDOFOOD, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

Australians feeling "financially stable" but currently below pre-GFC levels

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

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was carried out in the year to October 2015, has found that 60.4 per cent of Australians aged 14+ agree that they feel "financially stable at the moment". This compares with 61.2 per cent in the year to October 2007, prior to the global financial crisis, and 56.5 per cent in the year to October 2008. The survey also shows that 61.1 per cent of people who are customers of banks feel more stable regarding their finances than those who do not deal with banks (50.2 per cent).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL, ING DIRECT, CITIBANK PTY LTD, BENDIGO BANK, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

L-NP lead over ALP narrows – now 55% (down 1%) cf. 45% (up 1%). Nick Xenophon outpolls Labor in South Australia – again.

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 25-Jan-16

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has fallen by one per cent to 55 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 16-17 and 23-24 January 2016, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has fallen by 3.5 per cent to 43.5 per cent, and the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has fallen by 3.5 points to 113. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that former prime minister Tony Abbott’s decision to stand again for his seat of Warringah at this year’s Federal Election will not be appreciated by current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. It has the potential to derail the Liberal Party in the same way as Kevin Rudd did for Labor. Many believe that Abbott "wasted" his two years as prime minister and was unable to successfully implement any meaningful reforms to improve business conditions to the degree he had promised prior to winning the 2013 Federal Election. As PM Abbott showed no interest in reforming Australia’s out-dated and costly industrial relations laws. His legacy will only be truly apparent this year as the end of the mining boom and an uncertain global economic outlook lead to more Australians becoming unemployed.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

When hikers and bushwalkers go on holiday

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

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that the proportion of Australians aged 14+ who reported going hiking/bushwalking on a regular basis grew from 2.9 per cent to 5.2 per cent between October 2010 and September 2015. The proportion of Australians who participated in these activities either regularly or occasionally increased from 15.6 per cent to 27.3 per cent during the same period. The survey also shows that regular or occasional hikers/bushwalkers are 84 per cent more likely than the average Australian to have visited wilderness of some kind on their last trip, 81 per cent more likely to have gone to a National Park or forest and 135 per cent more likely to have gone bushwalking.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Foodland chief won’t play the loyalty card

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 27-Jan-16

South Australia-based supermarket group Foodland has 118 stores and intends to open another 20 over four years. It boasts about 32 per cent of the state’s grocery market, and will face new competition when Aldi’s first store in South Australia opens in early February 2016. Foodland CEO Con Sciacca expects Aldi to have a bigger impact on Coles and Woolworths, and he says Foodland has opted against introducing a loyalty program as a review found that they do nothing to increase customer loyalty.

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

Restaurant closes to avoid holiday costs

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Original article by Meredith Booth, Michael Owen
The Australian – Page: 5 : 27-Jan-16

Kitchen staff at Adelaide restaurant Parlamento are paid $A20 an hour on normal weekdays. However, the restaurant elected not to open on the 2016 Australia Day public holiday as penalty rates would have increased wages to $A48 an hour. Co-owner Daniel Rattenni says any profits made on the day would have been so small as to not be worth it. Rob Lucas, the South Australian Opposition’s industrial relations spokesman, notes that penalty rates are deterring businesses from hiring staff.

CORPORATES
PARLAMENTO, LIBERAL PARTY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Turnbull blocks republic push

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 27-Jan-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says there are more urgent issues for Australia to address than whether the nation should become a republic. Although Turnbull himself is firmly in favour of a republic, he warns that pushing the issue too soon could result in another failed referendum on the question of ditching the monarchy. Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett supports Australia becoming a republic, but believes that the nation should wait for the 25th anniversary of the 1999 referendum on the issue before holding another one.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, AUSTRALIAN REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT

Business leaders take top accolades

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis, Michael Xu
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 27-Jan-16

Business executives, media personalities and sports stars were among the recipients of 2016 Australia Day awards. Former Minerals Council of Australia CEO Mitch Hooke and former Westpac CEO Bob Joss have both been made a Companion of the Order of Australia. Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and Village Roadshow’s Robert Kirby have been made an Officer of the Order of Australia. Newly minted Members of the Order of Australia include Nine Network presenter Lisa Wilkinson and tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt.

CORPORATES
MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION COMMISSION, VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, NINE PINES PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MALE CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE, AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, MUSEUM OF OLD AND NEW ART, PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX PTM

BHP should end its dual-listed era

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Original article by Matthew Stevens
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 27-Jan-16

BHP Billiton considered and ultimately rejected a proposal to abolish its dual listing when it was planning the South32 spin-off in 2015. The dual listing was previously reviewed in 2006. The future of the dual listing also came under scrutiny when Australian-listed BHP Billiton Limited had to transfer some of its profit to the London-listed BHP Billiton to enable the latter to pay a dividend in 2015. With a decision on the progressive dividend policy likely to be made in February 2016, it may then be the right time to reassess the dual listing.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, BHP BILLITON PLC, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, ALLENS, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, CHINA INVESTMENT CORPORATION, PORT OF DARWIN, PORT OF MELBOURNE, GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT LLC, LANDBRIDGE GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY OF CHINA

Guardian Media Group to stick with Australia despite earnings slide

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Original article by James Chessell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 27-Jan-16

UK-based Guardian Media Group expects to post an operating loss of Stg53m ($A106.6m) for the year to 31 March 2016. The newspaper publisher has attributed the bearish outlook to a decline in print advertising revenue and lower-than-forecast growth in online advertising revenue. The group aims to reduce costs by 20 per cent, although a spokesman says it remains committed to its Guardian Australia website.

CORPORATES
GUARDIAN MEDIA GROUP PLC, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY