Over 2.5m Australians now going online for Government information and services

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

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 13.1 per cent of Australians aged 14+ used the internet to access government information and services in an average four-week period during the year to March 2015. This compares with 9.7 per cent in the year to March 2011. The survey also shows that 21.6 per cent of small business owners research government information and services online, as do 17.5 per cent of Australians who are looking for work and 16.1 per cents of parents who have children under the age of 18 in the home.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OFFICE

Weak gas prices trigger AGL shift

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 7-Jul-15

AGL Energy will not proceed with the Hunter coal-seam gas project in New South Wales or the expansion of its Camden project. However, AGL will press ahead with its Gloucester coal-seam project, despite a $A275m impairment charge that has reduced the value of the project to $A131m. AGL has revealed total writedowns in excess of $A600m after a review of its gas assets. AGL plans to sell some oil and gas assets, and it will no longer aim to derive 50 per cent of the gas supplied to customers from its own resources.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, ESSO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Oz Minerals poised to pounce: Citi

Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 7-Jul-15

Citigroup has identified a number of Australian-listed mining groups that could potentially pursue acquisitions in the near-term. They include OZ Minerals, Independence Group, Iluka Resources, Mount Gibson Iron and South32. Citigroup also believes that there is the potential for South32 to become a takeover target, along with Sandfire Resources, Whitehaven Coal, Western Areas, Iluka Resources and Regis Resources.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP PTY LTD, OZ MINERALS LIMITED – ASX OZL, INDEPENDENCE GROUP NL – ASX IGO, ILUKA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ILU, MOUNT GIBSON IRON LIMITED – ASX MGX, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, SANDFIRE RESOURCES NL – ASX SFR, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, WESTERN AREAS LIMITED – ASX WSA, REGIS RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX RRL, EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, OCEANAGOLD CORPORATION – ASX OGC, BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION, LA MANCHA RESOURCES INCORPORATED, KENMARE RESOURCES PLC, X2 RESOURCES PARTNERS LP, GLENCORE PLC, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NORTH LIMITED, ALCAN INCORPORATED, RIVERSDALE MINING LIMITED

RBA likely to hold as no vote drives down Aussie

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 7-Jul-15

The shadow board of the Reserve Bank of Australia estimates that there is a 57 per cent chance that the central bank will leave the cash rate unchanged on 7 July 2015. Shadow board chairman Timo Henckel says the economic outlook for China is a bigger issue for Australia than the debt crisis in Greece. The Australian dollar’s fall below $US0.76 in the wake of Greece’s referendum will be welcomed by the Reserve Bank.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Pulse sees value in $162m Vision Eye Institute bid

Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 7-Jul-15

Australian-listed private hospital group Pulse Health is offering 1.6 of its shares for every share in Vision Eye Institute, valuing the bid at $A0.88 per share. The deal has the support of Viburnum Funds, which holds major stakes in both groups and would be the largest stakeholder in the combined entity.

CORPORATES
PULSE HEALTH LIMITED – ASX PHG, VISION EYE INSTITUTE LIMITED – ASX VEI, VIBURNUM FUNDS PTY LTD, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY

Australian dollar dips below US75c for first time since 2009

Original article by Mark Mulligan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 7-Jul-15

There was renewed support for "safe-haven" currencies on 6 July 2015, in response to the outcome of the referendum in Greece. The Australian dollar reached an intra-day low of $US0.7453 before rising to $US0.7504 late in trading. The debt crisis in Greece also weighed on the euro, which reached a low of $US1.09 early in Asian trading. National Australia Bank’s Ray Attrill says the euro and the Australian dollar could come under further downward pressure.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, GREECE. MINISTRY OF FINANCE, BARCLAYS BANK PLC

ASX back on track after a scorching quarter

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 7-Jul-15

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index shed 5.5 per cent in June 2015, which Chris Caton of BT Financial Group attributes to the debt crisis in Greece. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank estimates that the Australian sharemarket is trading at around fair value again, with the price-earnings ratio now at 15.25 times. The market had peaked at 16.5 times earlier in 2015.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

IOOF pays out compensation to 57 clients

Original article by Adele Ferguson, Sarah Danckert
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 7-Jul-15

IOOF CEO Chris Kelaher will appear before a Senate committee on 7 July 2015 to answer questions over allegations of misconduct at the financial services group. Meanwhile, IOOF has indicated that 57 clients have been paid a total of $A2.8m in compensation since mid-2013, after lodging complaints about its financial planners. A number of IOOF’s authorised financial planners have also been banned from working in the sector during the last decade.

CORPORATES
IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, AUSTRALIAN WEALTH MANAGEMENT LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, CONSULTUM FINANCIAL ADVISERS PTY LTD, MFS PREMIUM INCOME FUND, MY ADVISER PTY LTD, BRIDGES FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, PLAN B FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED, LONSDALE FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED, ORD MINNETT GROUP LIMITED, THE WEALTH MANAGERS

No evidence retirees are wasting super

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 7-Jul-15

A Productivity Commission report estimates that retirees’ superannuation balance would be bolstered by at least 10 per cent if they were not able to access their super until the age of 65. The report also refutes the widely-held view that members of the Baby Boom generation are reorganising their finances or spending their super payout on expensive holidays in order to qualify for the age pension.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Iron ore price slump hits mining majors

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

The iron ore price’s fall to $US54 per tonne weighed heavily on Australian-listed producers of the steel input on 6 July 2015. Rio Tinto shed 2.57 per cent to close at $A51.16 and Fortescue Metals Group was down 5.7 per cent at a six-year low of $A1.71. Their break-even prices are estimated to be around $US32 and $US39 per tonne respectively.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTEK COMPUTERS LIMITED, VALE SA, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BARCLAYS BANK PLC