Author: roymorgansocial

Online grocery shopping still niche (but not for much longer)

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 21-Oct-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was carried out in the year to June 2015, has found that 12.8 million Australians aged 14+ are their household’s main grocery-buyer, yet only three per cent (389,000 people) do their supermarket shopping online in an average four weeks. However, this is a substantial increase on 2011, when 169,000 grocery buyers were making their supermarket purchases online. The survey also shows that 3.8 per cent of women and 1.8 per cent of men do their supermarket shopping online. Meanwhile, the proportion of Australian grocery-buyers who purchase alcohol online in any given four weeks has risen from 1.6 per cent (or 196,000 people) in 2011 to 3.1 per cent (398,000 people).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Murray reforms to end super’s ‘closed shop’

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Original article by Joanna Mather, James Eyers, Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 21-Oct-15

The Australian Government will fully or partially adopt 42 of the financial system inquiry’s recommendations. These include opening the default superannuation fund regime – which is currently dominated by industry funds – to greater competition, including banks and other owners of retail super funds. However, the Government will not implement a recommendation to ban self-managed super funds from borrowing to invest in property.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, COUNCIL OF FINANCIAL REGULATORS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

Origin Energy to ditch coal assets as it cuts carbon burden

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 21-Oct-15

Australian-listed Origin Energy has become the first energy group in the world to commit to all seven principles of the Carbon Disclosure Project. Origin will tell shareholders at its 2015 AGM that it will close down its Eraring coal-fired power station within two decades, with the aim of eventually generating all of its electricity via renewable sources. MD Grant King notes that energy companies account for 66 per cent of global carbon emissions.

CORPORATES
ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, CARBON DISCLOSURE PROJECT, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL

Murdoch’s great escape

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 21-Oct-15

News Corporation’s non-voting A shares have traditionally traded higher than the B shares, which have voting rights. However, the latter traded at a 1.2 per cent premium in New York on 20 October 2015. Some 49.5 per cent of votes cast at the media group’s 2015 AGM were in favour of abolishing the dual-class share structure. The resolution was defeated by less than 900,000 shares. Scrapping the non-voting shares would have reduced the Murdoch family’s voting stake to 13.5 per cent.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, SOUTH EASTERN ASSET MANAGEMENT

Gordon expands media empire with Nine stake

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 21-Oct-15

US-based Apollo Global Management will reduce its stake in Nine Entertainment Company to nine per cent after agreeing to sell about 13 per cent of its holding to Bruce Gordon. The Bermuda-based businessman will pay around $A200m for the holding via his private company, Birketu. This will increase the WIN Corporation owner’s total stake in Nine to 14.95 per cent. Gordon also has a 14.95 per cent stake in Ten Network.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, BIRKETU PTY LTD, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Supply cuts and firmer demand may lift prices

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Original article by Rose Powell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 21-Oct-15

The iron ore price has fallen by 25.2 per cent so far in 2015 and 48.3 per cent in the last year. Oversupply has also prompted the price of Brent crude oil to fall by 15.05 per cent in 2015 and 47.1 per cent over the last 12 months. Julian Jessop of Capital Economics expects the crude oil price to rebound more quickly than iron ore. Meanwhile, HSBC forecasts that iron ore will continue to trade within a range of $US50 to $US60 per tonne for the next several years.

CORPORATES
CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, ORGANISATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES, ROY HILL IRON ORE PTY LTD

Bank customers tipped to fix their mortgages

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 21-Oct-15

The fall in the two-year swap rate to just 1.9 per cent has prompted some smaller financial institutions to reduce their fixed mortgage interest rates in recent weeks. ME Bank’s John Caelli says the downturn in the swap rate may be due to renewed speculation about the timing of monetary policy changes in Australia and the US. Jessica Darnbrough of Mortgage Choice says more home loan borrowers may opt for a fixed interest rate in the wake of Westpac’s move to lift its variable rates.

CORPORATES
ME BANK, MORTGAGE CHOICE LIMITED – ASX MOC, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, BANK OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NEWCASTLE PERMANENT BUILDING SOCIETY LIMITED, HERITAGE BANK LIMITED – ASX HBS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence – Westpac Interest Rate Rise Chips Away Confidence

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 20-Oct-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia fell by two per cent to 113.3 in the week ended 18 October 2015, following a bounce of 5.1 per cent in the previous week. Westpac’s decision to increase its mortgage interest rates, combined with news flow around slowing momentum in the property market, is likely to have contributed to the fall in confidence. The decline in confidence was broad-based. Of note, consumers’ views towards whether now is a "good time to buy a major household item" fell by 3.1 per cent. This sub-index is now 7.9 per cent below its long-run average.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

BHP may cut dividend if DLC changes fail

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 21-Oct-15

CGI Glass Lewis has recommended that BHP Billiton shareholders support a resolution to transfer funds from its Australian-listed entity to its UK-listed company. The proposed payment is necessary to allow shareholders in both companies to continue receiving the same dividend payout. CGI Glass Lewis has warned that all shareholders could face lower dividend payouts if the resolution is rejected.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32

A majority of Australians support higher immigration and an Australian population over 30 million

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 20-Oct-15

A special telephone Morgan Poll, which was carried out from 13-15 October 2015, has found that 57 per cent of Australians aged 14+ support a population of over 30 million in 30 years’ time. This is 22 per cent higher than in July 2010. The survey also shows that 69 per cent of Australians support immigration levels remaining the same or increasing, while just 26 per cent want immigration levels reduced. Meanwhile, 65 per cent of Australians support Muslim immigration, compared with 54 per cent in July 2010, while 28 per cent of Australians oppose Muslim immigration.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS