Author: roymorgansocial

L-NP (45%) well behind ALP (55%) on two-party preferred basis as Government Confidence down 5.5pts to 90, Greens at record high – 16.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 7-Sep-15

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has fallen by 0.5 per cent to 45 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 29-30 August and 5-6 September 2015, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has fallen by two per cent to 36.5 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has fallen by 5.5 points to 90 points. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says the nation’s high level of unemployment and under-employment is the biggest challenge facing the Federal Government as it deals with the end of the mining boom and the imminent closure of the Australian car manufacturing industry over the next two years.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY

Networks row over Warners content

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 7-Sep-15

The Nine Network will ramp up investment in Australian comedy, drama and entertainment after ending a content deal with US-based Warner Brothers. Seven Network will gain the repeat rights to Nine mainstay "The Big Bang Theory", but Nine’s programming director Andrew Blackwell argues that Seven needs the popular sitcom in order to attract a lower age demographic. Seven counterpart Angus Ross has responded by noting that the deal will boost Seven’s demographics at the expense of its rival.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM WARNER BROS

China free trade agreement ‘will not be renegotiated’

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Sep-15

Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has told China’s Finance Minister Lou Jiwei that Australia will not seek to make changes to the free trade agreement between the two nations. Meanwhile, Trade Minister Andrew Robb has rejected a call by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to require jobs on infrastructure projects to be advertised in Australia before Chinese workers are hired on 457 visas. He has also criticised a Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union campaign against the trade deal.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE CHINA. MINISTRY OF FINANCE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA ACTU MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

BHP inches ahead of Rio in price race

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 7-Sep-15

UBS mining analyst Glyn Lawcock estimates that BHP Billiton’s iron ore division may have reduced its break-even price to around $US28 ($A40.50) per tonne. This would be slightly below the break-even price of rival Rio Tinto. In 2014, BHP had flagged plans to overtake Rio Tinto as the lowest-cost supplier of iron ore to the Chinese market. The iron ore price is currently trading at around $US55 per tonne.

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BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD VALE SA DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Flight Centre buoyed by overseas travel lift

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 7-Sep-15

Flight Centre Travel Group expects to post a 2015-16 pre-tax underlying profit of between $A380 million and $A395m, which would be about eight per cent higher than previously. The group benefited from the 4.4 per cent growth in the number of Australians who travelled overseas for short trips in July 2015. Flight Centre’s Haydn Long notes that some highly competitive airfares for local and international travel are becoming available.

CORPORATES
FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN AMERICAN AIRLINES INCORPORATED AIR NEW ZEALAND LIMITED – ASX AIZ

ACCC to rule on Foxtel-Ten deal

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 7-Sep-15

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is expected to make a decision on the proposed equity alliance between the Ten Network and Foxtel in the week beginning 7 September 2015. If the deal is approved, Foxtel will pay $A77m for a 15 per cent stake in the free-to-air broadcaster, while Ten will acquire a 24.99 per cent stake in Foxtel’s MCN sales division. Media buyers argue that the deal will boost competition in Australia’s TV advertising market.

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TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD IPG MEDIABRANDS SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC FACEBOOK INCORPORATED GOOGLE INCORPORATED YOUTUBE INCORPORATED PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD NETFLIX INCORPORATED COLES GROUP LIMITED GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION THE COCA-COLA COMPANY OMNICOM GROUP JOHNSON AND JOHNSON QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

$200b LNG plants not profitable

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 7-Sep-15

The International Energy Agency has questioned the viability of major Australian LNG projects, warning that they may not break even due to factors such as the downturn in the crude oil price and falling demand from Asia. The agency also believes that the proposed Browse, Sunrise and Scarborough projects may not go ahead. Energy forecaster Fereidun Fesharaki also has doubts about the profitability of Australian LNG projects.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT CHEVRON CORPORATION INPEX CORPORATION SINOPEC CORPORATION ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG LIMITED CONTACT ENERGY LIMITED

Private equity to debate scarcity of assets as deals dry up

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 7-Sep-15

A dearth of quality assets contributed to a decline in the Australian private equity industry’s share of mergers and acquisitions activity in 2014-15. Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association figures show that the sector’s share of such deals fell to around four per cent in dollar terms during 2014-15, compared with an average of 7-10 per cent in the previous four years. Experts forecast that private equity groups will increasingly make deals in partnership with superannuation funds.

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AUSTRALIAN PRIVATE EQUITY AND VENTURE CAPITAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED MINTER ELLISON ROC PARTNERS PTY LTD THE BLACKSTONE GROUP LP ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI KKR AND COMPANY LP KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS AND COMPANY VARDE PARTNERS INCORPORATED DEUTSCHE BANK AG GE CAPITAL AUSTRALIA BRADKEN LIMITED – ASX BKN CHAMP VENTURES PTY LTD QUADRANT PRIVATE EQUITY PTY LTD

Insurers’ share prospects bleak

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 7-Sep-15

Shares in QBE Insurance Group have risen by 13.6 per cent so far in 2015, while Insurance Australia Group has shed 20.6 per cent and Suncorp Group is down 10.2 per cent. Credit Suisse has warned that the outlook for Australian insurers is challenging, noting that the August 2015 reporting season was generally disappointing for the sector. Insurers are also facing growing competition from online rivals such as Youi and Budget Direct.

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QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED YOUI PTY LTD BUDGET DIRECT INSURANCE AGENCY PTY LTD REAL INSURANCE CITIGROUP PTY LTD UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL

All fluffed up: Australia’s fabric softener market

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Sep-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 32 per cent of Australian grocery buyers aged 14+ buy fabric softener (either regular, Ultra or sachet) in any given six-month period. The survey, which was carried out in the year to July 2015, also shows that just over 12 per cent of grocery buyers purchase the Cuddly brand, followed by Fluffy (nine per cent) and supermarket brands (eight per cent). Meanwhile, 35 per cent of female grocery buyers purchase fabric softener, compared with 27 per cent of male grocery buyers.

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED