Author: roymorgansocial

Spouses and doctors lose tax break

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Jun-15

The Australian Government has secured the Opposition’s support to scrap the Dependent Spouse Tax Offset, a 2014 Budget measure that were blocked by the Senate. Abolishing the offset is expected to generate cost savings of around $A300m over four years. The Opposition is also expected to support the Government’s proposed changes to the fringe benefits tax concessions regime for meals and entertainment expenses.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, ABC RADIO, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

Citi finds value in 2015’s star stocks

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Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 5-Jun-15

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is currently trading on a price-earnings ratio of 16.5 times earnings forecasts. Citigroup has identified six stocks that continue to offer good value for investors: Macquarie Group, Harvey Norman, Lend Lease Group, Mirvac Group, IOOF Holdings and Incitec Pivot. Citigroup also nominates Woolworths, Metcash, QBE Insurance Group, Fletcher Building and Orica as stocks that could stage rebounds.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, INCITEC PIVOT LIMITED – ASX IPL, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, FLETCHER BUILDING LIMITED – ASX FBU, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, APA GROUP – ASX APA, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, COMPUTERSHARE LIMITED – ASX CPU, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, ANSELL LIMITED – ASX ANN, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY

Metcash is crunched in retail wars

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 5-Jun-15

Australian-listed Metcash has indicated that its financial accounts for 2014-15 will include asset write-downs totalling $A640m. The grocery group has also advised that dividends will be put on hold for 18 months. The revelations prompted a sharp fall in Metcash’s share price, which finished $A0.245 lower at $A1.14 on 4 June 2015. Metcash expects its full-year underlying EBIT to be within its forecast range of $A315m to $A330m.

CORPORATES
METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COSTCO WHOLESALE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NIKKO ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND GROCERY COUNCIL, McPHERSON’S LIMITED – ASX MCP

Tax plonk more, says Grange man

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 5-Jun-15

Treasury Wine Estates and Pernod Ricard are lobbying for reforms to Australia’s wine equalisation tax system. They favour a standardised tax rate for all wines, irrespective of the price or quality. Penfolds Grange winemaker Peter Gago is also in favour of reform, arguing that the nation’s wine industry needs to focus more on the premium end of the wine market and encourage local consumers to drink wines that are of a higher quality.

CORPORATES
TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE, PERNOD RICARD SA, PENFOLDS WINES PTY LTD, JACOB’S CREEK PTY LTD, ABSOLUT VODKA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MAGILL ESTATE

Android leads Apple in smartphone wars

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Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 5-Jun-15

Data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that 53.8 per cent of smartphones that were sold in Australia during the first quarter of 2015 used the Android operating system. In contrast, Apple iOS-based smartphones accounted for 36.8 per cent of sales. Apple had been the market leader in the December 2014 quarter. Android is also the market leader in the US and Europe.

CORPORATES
KANTAR WORLDPANEL, COMTECH, APPLE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS COMPANY LIMITED

Ainsworth looks to lift its international game

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 5-Jun-15

Ainsworth Game Technology has advised that its 2014-15 after-tax net profit will be line with the previous financial year. The listed gaming machine maker expects revenue to be two per cent lower at about $A240m, citing disappointing sales in Australia during the second half. CEO Danny Gladstone says the group will focus on expanding its international business, noting that there is limited opportunity for growth in the Australian market.

CORPORATES
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY LIMITED – ASX AGI, ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED – ASX ALL

Optus chief predicts duopoly with Telstra

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 5-Jun-15

Singtel Optus will ramp up investment in its fixed-line and mobile networks in a bid to dispel consumers’ perceptions that Telstra’s networks are superior. Optus will also introduce a single customer billing system across its operations and pursue further alliances with content providers such as Netflix. Meanwhile, Optus CEO Allen Lew has suggested that there is potential for consolidation in Australia’s telco sector to leave Telstra and Optus as the two main players.

CORPORATES
SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED – ASX SGT, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, IINET LIMITED – ASX IIN, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH

Glencore still harbours desires for Rio Tinto

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 5-Jun-15

A merger with Rio Tinto remains on the agenda for Glencore, although the group has indicated that it would also favour acquiring Rio’s iron ore or coal divisions. Peter Freyberg, the head of Glencore’s coal division, has highlighted the potential synergies arising from thermal coal acquisitions or joint ventures in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, PEABODY ENERGY AUSTRALIA COAL PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, THE MELBOURNE MINING CLUB

Woodside mulls $US8.5b Texas LNG export project

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 5-Jun-15

Woodside Petroleum and US-based Sempra Energy are expected to make a final investment decision on a proposed LNG export terminal in 2017. Development of the Port Arthur project in Texas could cost about $US8.5bn ($A10.9bn), according to Citigroup. The export terminal would have annual production capacity of 10 million tonnes. Woodside is keen to build its presence in the LNG trading sector.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, SEMPRA ENERGY, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, CHENIERE ENERGY INCORPORATED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Doggone it: pet ownership in Australia

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

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 38 per cent of Australians aged 14+ live in a household with at least one pet dog, while 23 per cent have a pet cat. Some 12 per cent of Australians live in households with at least one cat and one dog. The survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2014, also shows that Tasmania has the highest incidence of pet-ownership: 44 per cent of its residents live with at least one dog, 34 per cent live with at least one cat, and 16 per cent live with at least one of each.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED