Author: roymorgansocial

Satisfaction with banks near record level in August but high value customers not so happy

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Sep-15

A Roy Morgan Research Single Source survey shows that the satisfaction level of the personal customers of Australian banks was steady at 82.8 per cent in the six months to August 2015. The Commonwealth Bank had the highest customer satisfaction rating of the four major banks, at 82.6 per cent. However, National Australia Bank had the four major banks’ highest level of satisfaction among customers in the high-value quintile, at 77.5 per cent. The Commonwealth Bank had the highest satisfaction rating among customers in the lowest quintile (87.8 per cent).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, TEACHERS MUTUAL BANK LIMITED

Listed education sector needs investor reassurance: Intueri

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 24-Sep-15

Australian-listed education providers have a "credibility problem" which is reflected in their share prices. Rob Facer, the CEO of Intueri Education Group, says Vocation’s problems have made investors reluctant to invest in other listed education providers. Intueri’s share price has fallen to close to $A1, from $A3 in late 2014. Facer says the stock is now undervalued.

CORPORATES
VOCATION LIMITED – ASX VET, INTUERI EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED – ASX IQE, AROWANA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX AWN, NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE OF SPORT, ONLINE COURSES AUSTRALIA, PHOENIX ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACADEMY, AUSTRALIAN CAREERS NETWORK LIMITED – ASX ACO

Review led to sexism at work insight

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Original article by Rachel Nickless
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 24-Sep-15

Public campaigns are more effective in combating sex discrimination than relying on examining the complaints of individual workers. Victoria’s Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commissioner Kate Jenkins believes that people are reluctant to talk about sexual harassment because of fear of repercussions at work. She favours a campaign-based approach to the problems of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and predatory behaviour in employment.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, VICTORIA POLICE, AUSTRALIA POST, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD

Branch numbers are on the wane as digital banking gains popularity

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 24-Sep-15

Alan Shields, the MD of advisory firm RFI, expects the trend for banks to reduce branch numbers to continue. Figures from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority show that Westpac cut its branches by 48 to 1,237 in 2014-15. The ANZ Bank reduced branch numbers by 19 to 751, while National Australia Bank closed two branches. The Commonwealth Bank opened one branch in 2014-15.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RETAIL FINANCE INTELLIGENCE PTY LTD

Citi tips weak recovery in resources for rest of year

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 35 : 24-Sep-15

Citigroup notes that market-traded commodities have delivered flat returns at best during the September 2015 quarter. The firm expects only a modest improvement in commodity prices in the fourth quarter, saying prices will be affected by factors such as the uncertain economic outlook in China and excess supply. Citigroup is also bearish about the outlook for the global economy, and now forecasts growth of 2.7 per cent in 2015 and 3.1 per cent in 2016.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP INCORPORATED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, ORGANISATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES

7-Eleven was warned over worker fraud

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Original article by Adele Ferguson, Sarah Danckert
The Age – Page: 25 : 24-Sep-15

Consumer advocate Michael Fraser has revealed in a submission to a Senate inquiry into wage exploitation at 7-Eleven that he first warned the convenience store group of the scandal in late 2012. Meanwhile, Stewart Levitt, the principal of law firm Levitt Robinson, has used his submission to urge the Federal Government to hold 7-Eleven’s Melbourne head office accountable for the scandal, rather than franchisees. He says the Government should provide an amnesty for 7-Eleven workers who are on student visas.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, LEVITT ROBINSON, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Miners savaged as ASX plunges below 5000

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 24-Sep-15

The Australian sharemarket lost ground on 23 September 2015, with the S&P/ASX 200 shedding 105.4 points to close at 4,998.1. The Commonwealth Bank was down three per cent at $A71.60 and BHP Billiton was 4.4 per cent lower at $A22.80. Telstra eased 0.9 per cent to end the session at $A5.62 and Woolworths fell by 1.7 per cent to finish at $A24.38.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, 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, LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS LIMITED – ASX LNG, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, NUFARM LIMITED – ASX NUF, IG MARKETS LIMITED, SAXO CAPITAL MARKETS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, FIDELITY AUSTRALIAN OPPORTUNITIES FUND, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

Higher GST inevitable, says Brumby

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 24-Sep-15

Former Victorian premier John Brumby has told the AFR Tax Reform Summit that goods and services tax reform will occur eventually. He has proposed lifting the GST to 15 per cent and broadening its scope. Brumby estimates that this would increase tax revenue by $A40bn, which could be used to finance income tax cuts, a reduction in the corporate tax rate and compensation for people on low incomes. However, he says any push to apply the GST to fresh food is likely to be rejected by the Senate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY. DEPT OF THE CHIEF MINISTER

BHP warns tax changes could result in double whammy

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 & 26 : 24-Sep-15

BHP Billiton has advised that its global tax bill for 2014-15 was $US7.3bn, with taxes and royalties in Australia accounting for $US5.2bn ($A7.3bn) of this total. CFO Peter Beaven says the resources group believes that the amount of tax it pays is "very fair", and said nearly all of its profits earned in Australia are subject to taxation in Australia. Beaven adds that while there is need for a debate on tax reform, he cautioned that unilateral tax reform could potentially lead to companies being taxed twice.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Holiday intention down…but for how long?

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Sep-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was carried out in the June 2015 quarter, has found that 70 per cent of Australians aged 14+ (or 13.7 million people) intend to take some kind of trip in the next 12 months. This is down from 73 per cent in the three months to January 2015, and slightly lower than at the same time in 2014 (71 per cent). The survey also shows that 55 per cent of Australians intend their next holiday to be domestic, compared with 58 per cent in the January quarter. Meanwhile, the proportion of Australians planning to head overseas for their next holiday (10 per cent) has remained relatively unchanged over the last 12 months.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED