Author: roymorgansocial

Brokers say shares will come back

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi, Jonathan Shapiro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Jan-16

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 has shed 7.9 per cent so far in 2016, closing at 4,892 points on 15 January. However, opinion is divided about the outlook for the local bourse in 2016. Morgan Stanley expects the benchmark index to end the year at 4,800 points, while Macquarie Group has a year-end forecast of 5,900 points. Meanwhile, Shane Oliver of AMP Capital expects the index to end the year at 5,500 points.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, MORPHIC ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DELTEC, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, PEOPLE’S BANK OF CHINA, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX

The Dick Smith dilemma

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Jan-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 1,121,000 Australians aged 14+ shopped at a Dick Smith store in any four weeks during the year to September 2015. Some 82 per cent reported that they were satisfied with their retail experience. Both of these figures are down since September 2011, when some 1,511,000 shoppers passed through the Dick Smith check-outs in an average four weeks, with an 83 per cent satisfaction rating. Betta Home Living, Harvey Norman and Retravision have also seen their customer numbers fall over the last few years (although Betta still managed to increase its satisfaction rating from 83 per cent to 93 per cent during this time).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED,{SPAC}DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH,{SPAC}BETTA HOME LIVING,{SPAC}HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN,{SPAC}RETRAVISION (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD,{SPAC}JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH

Jobless rate holds steady at 5.8pc, defying predictions

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 15-Jan-16

Official data shows that Australia’s unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent in December 2015, unchanged from November. The jobless rate had blown out to 6.2 per cent in September, before easing to 5.9 per cent in October. Most economists had expected the economy to shed about 10,000 jobs in December, but only 1,000 jobs were lost during the month. Capital Economics’ Paul Dales says the latest jobs data could provide support for the Australian dollar and the local sharemarket.

CORPORATES
CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED,{SPAC}COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA,{SPAC}AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ,{SPAC}NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB,{SPAC}COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED,{SPAC}RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA,{SPAC}AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Morgan Stanley tips index at 4800

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 15-Jan-16

Morgan Stanley is bearish about the outlook for the Australian sharemarket in 2016, forecasting that the S&P/ASX 200 Index will end the year at 4,800 points. The investment bank expects capital returns to be minus nine per cent in 2016, while it says factors such as the prospect of further interest rate cuts and the economic outlook will weigh on earning per share growth. Meanwhile, Societe Generale’s Albert Edwards expects the S&P 500 to shed 75 per cent in 2016, to 550 points.

CORPORATES
MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED,{SPAC}STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX,{SPAC}CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED,{SPAC}RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA,{SPAC}SOCIETE GENERALE SA,{SPAC}STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX,{SPAC}CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED,{SPAC}UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD,{SPAC}ISELECT LIMITED – ASX ISU,{SPAC}GODFREYS GROUP LIMITED – ASX GFY

Oscars nominations 2016: Mad Max takes 10 nominations

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Original article by Michael Bodey
The Australian – Page: Online : 15-Jan-16

George Miller’s "Mad Max: Fury Road" will compete with "The Revenant" and six other films for the title of best picture at the 2016 Academy Awards. The Mad Max film has been nominated in 10 award categories, including best director, although it has not been nominated in any acting categories. However, Australia’s Cate Blanchett has been nominated for the best actress award. "The Revenant" will be vying for 12 Oscars, including Leonardo DiCaprio as best actor.

CORPORATES
ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES

No joke: are Australians losing their sense of humour?

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Jan-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was carried out in the year to September 2015, has found that just 50 per cent of Australians aged 14+ now cite "something funny" as their top media content preference at least once during the week. Comedy as a genre preference has been declining consistently by around one percentage point a year since 2011, when 54 per cent of Australians said there was at least one point during the week when something funny was their preferred type of content.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED,{SPAC}NETFLIX INCORPORATED,{SPAC}STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

Will three new Costco stores propel the retailer past a million Aussie shoppers in 2016?

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Jan-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source has found that in the year to September 2015, a total of 667,000 Australians aged 14+ (3.4 per cent) were Costco shoppers (people who visit in an average four-week period and/or say they mainly or sometimes shop there). Of all these Total Costco shoppers, 420,000 (63 per cent) actually shop there in an average four weeks – a proportion well below the 80-90 per cent among Woolworths, Coles, IGA or ALDI shoppers. Each new Costco store adds new shoppers overall, with growth strongest when a new city gets its first outlet. The survey also shows that the wealthiest fifth of Australians by socio-economic status are almost 50 per cent more likely than average to shop at Costco. This AB quintile makes up 29 per cent of all Costco shoppers, and another 25 per cent are in the second-to-top C quintile.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED,{SPAC}COSTCO WHOLESALE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD,{SPAC}WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW,{SPAC}COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD,{SPAC}IGA,{SPAC}ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

Oil crash sinks $545bn in projects

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Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 17 : 15-Jan-16

Data from Wood Mackenzie shows that the downturn in the crude oil price has prompted some $US380bn ($A545bn) worth of new oil and gas projects to be put on hold. Tom Ellacott of Wood Mackenzie expects this trend to continue. The oil price is trading at around $US30 per barrel, and the continued price weakness put further downward pressure on the share prices of Australian oil and gas producers on 14 January 2016.

CORPORATES
WOOD MACKENZIE,{SPAC}SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO,{SPAC}ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG,{SPAC}WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL,{SPAC}OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH

Investors wary of Wesfarmers’ Homebase bid

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Original article by Catie Low,{SPAC}Brian Robins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 16 : 15-Jan-16

Wesfarmers plans to launch its Bunnings brand in the UK via the acquisition of the Homebase home improvement business from Home Retail Group for $A700m. Craig Young of Nikko Asset Management cautions that Wesfarmers may not able to replicate the success of Bunnings in the UK, noting that US-based Lowe’s has struggled in Australia with the Masters joint venture. He adds that Wesfarmers’ success in the UK will also depend on the quality of the management team it selects to run the business.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES,{SPAC}BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED,{SPAC}HOMEBASE,{SPAC}HOME RETAIL GROUP PLC,{SPAC}NIKKO ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP,{SPAC}LOWE’S COMPANIES INCORPORATED,{SPAC}MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD,{SPAC}WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW,{SPAC}WAL-MART STORES INCORPORATED,{SPAC}COLES GROUP LIMITED,{SPAC}J SAINSBURY PLC,{SPAC}ARGOS,{SPAC}ARMYTAGE PRIVATE LIMITED,{SPAC}KINGFISHER PLC,{SPAC}TRAVIS PERKINS PLC,{SPAC}JP MORGAN AND COMPANY INCORPORATED

The new normal: Rio freezes salaries and travel

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 17 : 15-Jan-16

The challenging conditions in the resource sector have prompted Rio Tinto to implement new cost-cutting measures, which include putting salary increases on hold. All staff will be subject to the salary freeze, including CEO Sam Walsh, who has told staff that a rebound in commodity prices is unlikely for some time. Rio Tinto will also seek to reduce its travel expenses, while it may reduce its expenditure on consultants and contractors.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO