Housing loan customers of the big four drive improved satisfaction

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

A Roy Morgan Research Single Source survey shows that the satisfaction level of the personal customers of Australia’s four major banks was 81.4 per cent in the six months to June 2015, which is 0.6 per cent higher than the previous corresponding period. The improvement was a result of a big increase in the satisfaction of their home loan customers (up 3.2 per cent). The customer satisfaction level of other customers remained on 81.6 per cent. National Australia Bank had the highest customer satisfaction rating of the four major banks, at 82.6 per cent, but the Commonwealth Bank was the top-rated bank in terms of main financial institution (at 84.2 per cent). Teachers Mutual Bank remained the best performing bank overall, with a customer satisfaction rating of 95.1 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

Median house price in Sydney tops $1m

Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Jul-15

New data from Domain Group shows that the median house price in Sydney rose by 22.9 per cent in 2014-15, to a record high of slightly more than $A1m. The harbour city’s median house price was just $A814,285 in 2013-14. Meanwhile, Sydney’s median apartment price rose by 13.9 per cent to $A656,078. Housing remains more affordable in Melbourne, with the median price of houses rising by 10.3 per cent to $A668,030 and apartment prices rising by 4.5 per cent to $A443,549.

CORPORATES
DOMAIN.COM.AU, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

Tabcorp faces trial, fines over money laundering

Original article by Perry Williams, Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 7 : 23-Jul-15

The Australian Transaction Reports & Analysis Centre claims that Tabcorp breached money-laundering reporting laws on at least 100 separate occasions. It has launched civil action against the gaming group in the Federal Court, alleging that Tabcorp failed to report suspect transactions that were made via TAB betting accounts. Tabcorp could face fines of up to $A17m, although Deutsche Bank notes that the group could potentially be fined up to $A51m in total as two subsidiaries are also subject to the legal action.

CORPORATES
TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS, BULLDOGS RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, NBN CO LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE FORCE, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, VICTORIA. OFFICE OF POLICE INTEGRITY, DOW JONES SUSTAINABILITY INDEX

RBA cuts economy’s speed limit

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 23-Jul-15

The Australian economy’s trend growth rate has traditionally been regarded as being within the range of three to 3.25 per cent. However, GDP growth has been below the trend rate for 11 consecutive quarters, and it has been above the trend rate just three times during the last 27 quarters. Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens has suggested that the lower economic growth of recent years may in fact represent the nation’s new trend growth rate. This would have significant implications for government revenue, unemployment and the cost of living.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Hockey hit with costs on Fairfax case

Original article by Marianna Papadakis, Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 23-Jul-15

Treasurer Joe Hockey faces a huge legal bill after the Federal Court ordered Fairfax Media to pay just 15 per cent of his legal costs in a defamation lawsuit. Hockey was awarded $A200,000 in damages over tweets and newspaper advertising posters that were deemed to be defamatory. However, it is estimated that Hockey’s total legal costs in defending the case could be around $A300,000. Hockey failed to prove that published newspaper articles relating to the tweets and posters were defamatory.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, ACA LAWYERS PTY LTD, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

Turnbull set to grill TV executives

Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 23-Jul-15

The CEOs of most of Australia’s metropolitan and regional commercial TV networks will meet with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on 23 July 2015. They will press their case for a reduction in annual broadcasting licence fees, an issue on which there is rare consensus in the industry. However, Turnbull is tipped to take a tough stance after the networks thwarted the Federal Government’s bid to allow public broadcaster SBS to show more advertisements each hour.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

BHP iron ore to grow despite tough 2016

Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 23-Jul-15

BHP Billiton’s iron ore production topped 254 million tonnes in 2014-15, and the group expects to increase output by six per cent in the 2015-16 financial year. BHP anticipates lower production of copper, petroleum, metallurgical coal and thermal coal in 2015-16, although Glyn Lawcock of UBS expects production of most of these commodities to rise in the following year. BHP aims to reduce its iron ore production costs to $US16 per tonne in 2015-16, compared with its break-even price of about $A32 per tonne.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, NICKEL WEST

Aussie parents drive up to 4200km more per year

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jul-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that Australian motorists drive an average of 15,813km a year. This is about 2,000km less than 10 years ago. The survey, which was carried out in the year to May 2015, also shows that the 4.9 million drivers who are parents with children under the age of 18 drive an average of 17,659km per year. Parents whose children are aged 0-2 and 3-5 drive an average of 15,807km and 15,570km a year respectively.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Guidebooks still a valuable travel resource

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jul-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 12.9 million Australians aged 14+ took at least one domestic and/or overseas holiday in the year to March 2015. Some 3.7 per cent (or just over 480,000 people) used a guidebook on their last trip, down from 6.3 per cent a decade ago. Meanwhile, 1.8 per cent of Australians whose last holiday was domestic used a guidebook, compared with 12.1 per cent of Australians whose last holiday was overseas. The survey also shows that solo travellers (19.3 per cent) are most likely to use a guidebook on an overseas holiday.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Betting on the AFL a supporter’s game

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jul-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 2.1 per cent of Australians aged +18 placed a bet on an Australian Football League (AFL) match in person or online in the year to March 2015. This compares with 1.3 per cent in the year to March 2005. The survey also shows that 13.4 per cent of paid-up members of an AFL team bet on matches, while five per cent of people who support an AFL team placed a bet on a match in the last year. Melbourne Demons, North Melbourne Kangaroos and Fremantle Dockers supports are most likely to bet on AFL matches.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB, KANGAROOS FOOTBALL CLUB, FREMANTLE DOCKERS FOOTBALL CLUB, GOLD COAST FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED, GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY FOOTBALL CLUB