Author: roymorgansocial

Nine strikes a secret cricket deal with SBS

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 18-Dec-15

Regional broadcaster WIN Corporation has yet to finalise a new affiliation agreement with Nine Entertainment Company, with the existing deal set to lapse at the end of 2015. It has been revealed that Nine has negotiated a deal for public broadcaster SBS to televise its cricket coverage in regional areas if WIN does not renew its affiliation agreement. Nine’s broadcasting deal with Cricket Australia requires it to provide all Australians with access to its cricket coverage.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), CRICKET AUSTRALIA, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN

Obsolete media rules shackle Foxtel, says Ten chairman

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Original article by Dominic White, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 17-Dec-15

Shareholders at Ten Network’s 2015 AGM have voted in favour of a deal for Foxtel to acquire a 15 per cent stake in the free-to-air broadcaster. Meanwhile, Ten chairman David Gordon has urged the Australian Government to abolish cross-media ownership rules, noting that the growth of digital media groups has made the rules redundant. He has also called for TV broadcasting licence fees to be scrapped, arguing that digital rivals have a competitive advantage.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKL

ASX soars above 5000 in pre-Fed rally

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 17-Dec-15

The Australian sharemarket posted strong gains on 16 December 2015, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 118.8 points to close at 5,028.4. The Commonwealth Bank was 2.9 per cent higher at $A79.09 and BHP Billiton rose 5.6 per cent to end the session at $A17.18. However, Primary Healthcare shed 9.7 per cent to finish at $A2.33 and Sonic Healthcare was 5.6 per cent lower at $A17.46.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, SONIC HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SHL, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, PRIME VALUE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, IG MARKETS LIMITED, CONSOLIDATED PRESS HOLDINGS LIMITED, JOEY’S PIZZA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

In New Zealand, internet use is now more popular than newspapers and television at breakfast, but radio is still on top

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Dec-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 29.7% per cent of New Zealanders aged 14+ used the internet at breakfast time on a normal weekday in the year to June 2015. This compares with 13.2 per cent in the year to June 2011. The survey also shows that the proportion of New Zealanders who read a newspaper on weekday mornings has remained steady at 23.3 per cent, but the proportion who watch TV at breakfast time has declined from 24.3 per cent to 20.7 per cent. Meanwhile, 40.2 per cent of New Zealanders now listen to radio at breakfast, up from an average of 37.3 per cent over the previous three years.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Top corporations paid zero tax

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Original article by Nassim Khadem
The Age – Page: 10 : 17-Dec-15

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will release the tax details of 1,539 companies on 17 December 2015. The document will show that 38 per cent of the companies did not pay any tax in 2013-14. ATO Acting Second Commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn said that these companies were not necessarily engaged in tax avoidance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

US stocks rise on Fed rate hike

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Original article by Chelsey Dulaney
The Australian – Page: Online : 17-Dec-15

The US Federal Reserve has increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at its monetary policy meeting in mid-December 2015. It is the first rise in US short-term interest rates since December 2008. Investors will now be seeking guidance from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen on the likely timing of further rate increases. The move to tighten monetary policy has bolstered Wall Street, while the gold price and the US dollar have also risen.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX, O’NEILL SECURITIES, NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE, EURO STOXX 50 INDEX

Rivals ‘hanging on by fingernails’

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Original article by Jesse Riseborough, Jonathan Ferro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 17-Dec-15

The iron ore price has shed 45 per cent so far in 2015, falling below $US40 per tonne in early December. Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh says many iron ore producers are struggling to remain viable given the current price of the steel input, and it is inevitable that some will withdraw from the sector. Walsh adds that Rio Tinto’s record low debt means it is well-placed to prosper in 2016.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, VALE SA, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED

Morrison flags taking IR reform as election issue

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 17-Dec-15

Changes must be made to the industrial relations (IR) regime to ensure economic growth in Australia. Treasurer Scott Morrison signalled on 16 December 2015 that workplace relations reform could become an election issue. The end of the mining boom makes it necessary to make adjustments in both tax and IR policies.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, MOODY’S ANALYTICS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FITCH AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

BHP should slash dividend by half: analyst

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 17-Dec-15

Paul McTaggart of Credit Suisse says BHP Billiton should drop its commitment to a progressive dividend policy and reduce its annual payment of $US1.24 per share by 50 per cent. Credit Suisse recently downgraded its earnings forecasts for BHP in both 2015-16 and 2016-17, and McTaggart says the lower earnings outlook means BHP cannot afford to keep its dividend payout at the current level.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Domino’s soars on European deals

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 17-Dec-15

Australian-listed Domino’s Pizza Enterprises now expects 30 per cent growth in its 2016 underlying EBITDA and net profits. The group had only recently upgraded its earnings guidance to 25 per cent growth. It will also acquire German pizza chain Joey’s via a joint venture with UK-based Domino’s Pizza Group. Meanwhile, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises has secured long-term extensions to its master franchise rights to the Domino’s brand in several European countries.

CORPORATES
DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, DOMINO’S PIZZA GROUP PLC, DOMINO’S PIZZA INCORPORATED, JOEY’S PIZZA, PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PIZZA SPRINT