Author: roymorgansocial

Turning hot and cold: how the weather changes Australians’ food likes and consumption

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Oct-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that around 45 per cent of Australians aged 14+ ate soup in an average week during the winter months of July to September. However, soup consumption more than halves to just 20 per cent on average during summer. In contrast, around 70 per cent of Australians eat salad during peak summer weeks in January to March, but consumption stays at around 60 per cent in the off-season. The survey also shows that in peak salad-eating weather each year, around 70 per cent of Australians agree that they like salad, while this figure dips only slightly in winter. Meanwhile, almost two-thirds agree that they like soup in winter, but only a bit more than 50 per cent admit to liking soup six months later.

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Let companies and workers set their own penalties

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Original article by Michael Angwin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 63 : 8-Oct-15

The Productivity Commission has proposed reducing penalty rates in some industries for working on Sundays. However, penalty rates should not apply across-the-board in all industries. They could instead be applied on an enterprise basis, whereby penalty rates are only paid to employees as compensation for working what are deemed to be "unsocial hours". While there is some risk of employers abusing an enterprise-based system by reducing staff wages, most can be expected to treat employees fairly.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, VUE DE MONDE

GST less regressive than critics say

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Oct-15

A Productivity Commission report concludes that households on low incomes pay about seven per cent of their earnings in the form of GST. This compares with around five per cent of the earnings of people on incomes exceeding $A150,000. The study refutes claims that increasing the GST would place the greatest burden on low-income households. The Productivity Commission stresses that further research on the issue is needed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Richest families make second fortunes

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Oct-15

The Smorgon family has topped the 2015 "BRW Rich Families List", with estimated wealth of $A2.74bn. The combined fortunes of the 50 families on the 2015 list is $A41.18bn, compared with $A40.1bn in 2014. Many families on the list are expanding into the property development sector, after making their fortunes in other industries.

CORPORATES
BAIADA POULTRY PTY LTD, STEGGLES HOLDINGS LIMITED, LILYDALE, SWISSE WELLNESS PTY LTD, BIOSTIME INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED, INTRAPAC PROJECTS PTY LTD, LEWIS LAND CORPORATION LIMITED, HARD YAKKA, BEST AND LESS PTY LTD, BANNA PROPERTY PTY LTD

800 Aurizon jobs go amid cost-cutting

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 8-Oct-15

Australian-listed rail freight operator Aurizon Holdings aims to reduce its costs by up to $A380m over the next three years. The group has also flagged the retrenchment of an additional 800 full-time employees in its operations division, which follows the loss of 3,000 jobs over the last five years. Meanwhile, CEO Lance Hockridge says Aurizon may consider acquisitions if the West Pilbara Iron Ore Project is shelved.

CORPORATES
AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, PACIFIC NATIONAL PTY LTD, BROOKFIELD INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS LP, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, WIGGINS ISLAND COAL EXPORT TERMINAL PTY LTD

Banks shares set to rise as investors focus on dividends

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 8-Oct-15

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Banks Index has shed 20 per cent since April 2015, and Macquarie says the downturn in bank share prices has created a buying opportunity for investors. Macquarie expects the forthcoming dividend payouts by National Australia Bank, Westpac and the ANZ Bank will drive investor activity in the banking sector, which in turn should boost the share prices of bank stocks.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 BANKS INDEX, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Supermarkets cut prices in private-label drive

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Original article by Catie Low
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 8-Oct-15

Research by Deutsche Bank shows that Woolworths reduced the cost of its private-label grocery products by nine per cent in the September 2015 quarter. Rival Coles in turn reduced its house brand prices by seven per cent during the period. Meanwhile, the prices of branded products at Woolworths fell by 0.8 per cent and rose by 5.7 per cent at Coles. Woolworths says it has invested some $A250m on price reductions since early 2015.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

IOOF slapped with class action

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Original article by Adele Ferguson, Sarah Danckert
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 8-Oct-15

Australian-listed financial services group IOOF Holdings faces a shareholder class action over claims that staff in its research department failed to comply with disclosure requirements. The legal action has been launched by law firm Maurice Blackburn with financial backing from UK-based Harbour Litigation Funding. The class action will be open to investors who bought IOOF shares between December 2013 and June 2015.

CORPORATES
IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, HARBOUR LITIGATION FUNDING LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, LONSEC LIMITED, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD

$A tipped to reach US75c as rates call spurs rally

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 8-Oct-15

The Australian dollar was buying $US0.718 late in trading on 7 October 2015, and some analysts are upbeat about its near-term outlook. BK Asset Management’s Boris Schlossberg says the currency could test the $US0.75 level if there is an upturn in commodity prices during the final months of 2015. Richard Franulovich of Westpac Institutional Bank says the currency could also benefit from any decline in the US dollar on a trade-weighted basis.

CORPORATES
BK ASSET MANAGEMENT, WESTPAC INSTITUTIONAL BANK, GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Vast majority of chocolate-bar buyers get their fix from supermarkets

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Oct-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 6.5 million Australians aged 14+ (or one-third of the population) buy at least one chocolate bar in an average four weeks. The survey, which was carried out in the year to June 2015, also shows that 4.9 million Australians bought a chocolate bar at a supermarket (76 per cent of the chocolate bar buying public). Some 498,000 people (eight per cent of chocolate bar buyers) made their purchase at a convenience store or petrol stations, while 86,000 people used a vending machine and 81,000 shopped for chocolate bars at a milk bar or corner store.

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED