Author: roymorgansocial

Netflix growth slows, Stan lifts

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 20-Jan-16

The Stan subscription video-on-demand service gained more than 100,000 customers in December 2015, according to CEO Mike Sneesby. Stan’s subscriber base is expected to top 700,000 by 26 January 2016, one year after the service was launched. Meanwhile, data from Roy Morgan Research shows that growth in Netflix subscribers slowed in the December quarter, although it is now accessed by 2.73 million Australians.

CORPORATES
STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WARNER BROS

APN raises guidance 56pc as funds forge ahead

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 19-Jan-16

APN Property Group has revised its full-year earnings guidance. The Australian-listed real estate investment fund stated on 18 January 2016 that its operating earnings for the year would be between $A0.032 and $A0.035 per share, compared with a prediction of earnings of $A0.02 and $A0.023 per share, made at the AGM in November 2015.

CORPORATES
APN PROPERTY GROUP LIMITED – ASX APD, INDUSTRIA REIT FUND – ASX IDR, GENERATION HEALTHCARE REIT – ASX GHC, GROCON PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

ASX drops, bounces back from early low

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 19-Jan-16

The S&P/ ASX 200 index fell 0.7 per cent on 18 January 2016, closing at 4,858.7 points. The energy sector performed poorly, declining 3.4 per cent, but gains were made in sectors such as consumer, industrial and telecommunications. Woolworths rose 4.4 per cent to $A23.65 after announcing it would exit its home improvement business Masters.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AURORA FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, LOWE’S COMPANIES INCORPORATED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, HOME RETAIL GROUP PLC, HOMEBASE, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

NAB unveils pricing range for Clydesdale

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 19-Jan-16

National Australia Bank (NAB) expects to float its British lender Clydesdale Bank in early February 2016. Volatility on global share markets has forced the Australian-listed bank to lower its price expectations for the float. NAB’s Craig Drummond says the British bank will be offered to shareholders at between Stg1.75 and Stg2.35 a share which suggests a market capitalisation of between Stg1.54 billion and Stg2.07 billion ($A3.19 billion and $A4.29 billion).

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, CLYDESDALE BANK PLC, LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Property proves winner for fundies

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Original article by Duncan Hughes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 19-Jan-16

Australian real estate investment trusts (A-REITs) generated 14 per cent in total return in 2015, according to investment bank JP Morgan. Wholesale property funds and direct property returned about 12 per cent. Tim Mackay, an adviser with Quantum Financial, expects the A-REIT sector to perform well in 2016. Investors are likely to be attracted to the sector by its dividend yield of around five per cent.

CORPORATES
JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, QUANTUM FINANCIAL SERVICES, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, AVEO GROUP – ASX AOG, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 A-REIT INDEX

Aussie Open start overshadowed by match-fixing allegations

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Jan-16

Buzzfeed and BBC claim in a joint report that tennis authorities have been given a list of 70 players who were allegedly involved in match-fixing over the past decade. The broadcasters allege that little has been done to properly investigate these cases. The report, published on 18 January 2016, prompted the organisers of the Australian Open to convene a press conference on the opening day of the tournament. Association of Tennis Professionals president Chris Kermode said there was no evidence of corrupt conduct being tolerated in tennis.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, BUZZFEED PTY LTD, WILLIAM HILL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ATP

Aurizon hit by Queensland Nickel collapse

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Original article by Mark Ludlow, |Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 19-Jan-16

Faced with financial problems, Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel has opted for voluntary administration, with FTI Consulting appointed as administrators. Queensland Nickel MD Clive Mensink said on 18 January 2016 that the company has the potential to return to profitability. It was therefore "business as usual." Queensland Nickel”s creditors include Aurizon, Powerlink, Ixom and the Port of Townsville.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND NICKEL PTY LTD, FTI CONSULTING PTY LTD, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, POWERLINK QUEENSLAND, IXOM AUSTRALIA, PORT OF TOWNSVILLE, PALMER UNITED PARTY, STANWELL CORPORATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Wesfarmers takes Bunnings to the UK

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Original article by Patrick Hatch, Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 19-Jan-16

Wesfarmers has acquired British-based home improvement chain Homebase. The $A705 million deal involves taking over Homebase’s 265 stores. Wesfarmers MD of home improvement John Gillam said the Australian conglomerate intends to invest Stg500 million ($A1.03 billion) on expansion of the chain in the UK and Ireland within five years.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, HOMEBASE, HOME RETAIL GROUP PLC, COLES GROUP LIMITED, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S CORPORATION, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Mortgage activity falls to three-year low

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 19-Jan-16

CoreLogic RP Data’s Mortgage Index fell to 70.1 in the week to 17 January 2016. The index was at 99.2 a year ago. The New South Wales mortgage index recorded a sharp decline to 90.4, falling 53.2 per cent from a month earlier. A year ago, it stood at 131.6.

CORPORATES
CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RP DATA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN FINANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX AFG, FITCH AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PROPELL NATIONAL VALUERS PTY LTD, WBP PROPERTY GROUP PTY LTD

More foreign-owned properties in breach

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Original article by Primrose Riordan, Su-Lin Tan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 19-Jan-16

Treasurer Scott Morrison has ordered eight foreign investors to sell their properties because of breaching foreign investment laws. The affected real estate includes properties in Blackburn, Carlton and Mount Waverley in Victoria; Robertson, Crestmead, Eight Mile Plains and Park Ridge in Queensland; and Windsor in New South Wales. The Australian Taxation Office is investigating 800 other potentially illegal purchases of property.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, JELLIS CRAIG AND COMPANY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD