Author: roymorgansocial

Media reform decision imminent

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Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 19 & 20 : 4-Dec-15

Communications Minister Mitch ­Fifield says technology has made Australia’s existing cross-media ownership laws redundant. He has also given indications that any reforms will include measures to ensure that local TV news services are retained in regional areas if merger rules are relaxed. The Coalition’s partyroom discussed abolition of the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three" rule on 2 December 2015, and the issue is also likely to be on the agenda at the final meeting of cabinet ministers for the year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PIN PAYMENTS, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, IMPARJA TELEVISION PTY LTD

The state of Australia’s $37.8b online shopping landscape

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Dec-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that Australians spent an estimated $A37.8 billion online in the year to June 2015. About 4 in 10 Australians buy at least one product online during an average four-week period. The new State of the Nation Retail Spotlight report shows that 6.5 per cent of Australians aged 14+ now buy tickets to shows, movies or events online in an average four weeks. This is followed by travel (6.4 per cent), women’s clothing (5.6 per cent), books (5.2 per cent) and music downloads (4.8 per cent). Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says it is important that traditional retailers stop viewing online as a threat, and instead as an opportunity to reach and appeal to customers in different ways.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Apple Pay: a $1 billion per month potential turnover

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Dec-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 52 per cent of Australians aged 14+ who have a non-bank issued American Express credit card also own an iPhone. The survey, which was carried out in the year to September 2015, also shows that more than 80,000 AMEX card-holders own an iPhone 6. This is the only iPhone model that is capable of accessing Apple Pay, which will be launched in Australia exclusively for AMEX-issued credit card holders.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY, APPLE INCORPORATED, APPLE PAY, MASTERCARD AUSTRALIA LIMITED, VISA INTERACTIVE, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

BHP and Rio Tinto quietly exit coal

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Original article by Angus Grigg
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 3-Dec-15

Australian-listed BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have both significantly reduced their thermal coal production since 2008. Rio Tinto has also offloaded some $US2bn worth of thermal coal mines in recent years, while the future of its Hunter Valley mines is uncertain, and BHP spun off some of its thermal coal mines into South32. While coal divestment lobby groups such as 350 Australia have welcomed the big miners’ move to reduce their exposure to coal, Rio Tinto’s Sebastien Jacques recently forecast that global demand for thermal coal will remain strong.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, 350 AUSTRALIA, PENGANA GLOBAL RESOURCES FUND, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY ECONOMICS AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, UNITED NATIONS, SOUTHGOBI RESOURCES LIMITED, BLOOMBERG LP

Driverless trucks head deep underground

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Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 3-Dec-15

The entire fleet of eight load-haul dump trucks at the Northparkes copper and gold mine in New South Wales have been fully automated. Northparkes is the world’s first underground mine to completely phase out drivers for such vehicles. Northparkes Stefanie Loader says the shift to full automation has had benefits in terms of both efficiency and safety at the mine. At present, Northparkes produces about 50,000 tonnes of copper and 46,000 ounces of gold each year, and Loader believes that the mine can remain in operation until at least 2050.

CORPORATES
CHINA MOLYBDENUM COMPANY LIMITED, SUMITOMO CORPORATION, SANDVIK AB

Nearly 1 in 10 young Aussie singles use Tinder

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Dec-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that an estimated 5.1 per cent of Australian singles aged 14+ used dating app Tinder on a mobile phone or tablet in an average four weeks in the six months to September 2015. The survey also shows that 8.8 per cent of singles aged 18-24 used the Tinder app in the last four weeks, compared with 6.4 per cent of singles in the 25-34 age group. However, just 1.5 per cent of singles aged 35+ and 1.6 per cent of those aged 14-17 reported using the app in the last four weeks.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, TINDER, SNAPCHAT INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Beyond the boom: life in economy

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Dec-15

The latest GDP data shows that the Australian economy expanded by 0.9 per cent in the September 2015 quarter, and 2.5 per cent year-on-year. The quarterly GDP data bolstered both the Australian dollar and the local sharemarket on 2 December, while it will also help improve the Budget bottom line. Meanwhile, domestic demand has risen by 4.2 per cent in Victoria and 2.6 per cent in New South. However, the decline in capital investment in the resources sector has resulted in domestic demand falling in Western Australia and Queensland.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Rio’s Walsh wants Australia to aim for Asia’s tax rate

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 3-Dec-15

Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh says reducing Australia’s company tax rate is the best way to encourage investment and new business start-ups. He notes that the average corporate tax rate in Asia is around 21 per cent, and suggests that Australia should seek to reduce its company tax rate to a similar level.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

Iron ore collapses toward $US40

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Original article by Daniel Palmer
The Australian – Page: Online : 3-Dec-15

The price of iron ore for immediate delivery to the port of Tianjin in China has fallen by 2.4 per cent to $US40.60 per tonne. The price of the steel input has shed 25 per cent in the last seven weeks, amid slowing demand for iron ore in China. The commencement of exports from the Roy Hill project has contributed to the falling iron ore price, while iron ore has shed about nine per cent in Australian-dollar terms in recent days due to the strength of the domestic currency.

CORPORATES
PORT OF TIANJIN, ROY HILL IRON ORE PTY LTD, VALE SA

Murdoch pays tribute as agenda-setting editor retires

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 2 : 3-Dec-15

The editor of Sydney’s "The Daily Telegraph", Paul Whittaker, will succeed Chris Mitchell as editor-in-chief of "The Australian". Mitchell has been in the role since 2002, after a previous three-year stint as editor of the national broadsheet. News Corporation’s co-chairman Rupert Murdoch, as well as News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller and CEO Peter Tonagh, have praised Mitchell’s contribution to the media group’s flagship Australian newspaper.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, QUEENSLAND NEWSPAPERS PTY LTD