Author: roymorgansocial

Skilled shares up on merger talks

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 26-May-15

Shares in labour hire company Skilled Group finished $A0.145 higher at $A1.375 on 25 May 2015. The stock rallied after Skilled advised that it has reopened merger discussions with Programmed Maintenance Service (PMS). Skilled had previously spurned a takeover bid from PMS that was pitched at $A1.38 per share. PMS shares closed four per cent lower at $A2.51.

CORPORATES
SKILLED GROUP LIMITED – ASX SKE, PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE SERVICES LIMITED – ASX PRG, RECRUIT HOLDINGS COMPANY LIMITED, CHANDLER MACLEOD GROUP LIMITED, FOSTER’S GROUP LIMITED, SABMILLER PLC, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO

US breast rebuilding venture AirXpanders to float on ASX

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 25-May-15

US-based AirXpanders hopes to raise $A31.9m in an Australian IPO by issuing CHESS Depository Interests at $A0.50 apiece. Proceeds of the IPO will be used to finance the commercialisation of its Aeroform medical technology for women who elect to undergo breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy. The technology has been approved for use in Australia and Europe.

CORPORATES
AIRXPANDERS INCORPORATED – ASX AXP, CANACCORD GENUITY (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, GBS VENTURE PARTNERS LIMITED

Capex in focus amid hopes for outlook

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Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 25-May-15

Futures traders expect the Australian sharemarket to shed nine points when trading resumes on 25 May 2015. The market is likely to take its cue from the US, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 losing ground on 22 May. Meanwhile, investors will be awaiting the release of the capital expenditure survey data for the March quarter, which Paul Bloxham of HSBC expects to be similar to the data for the December 2014 quarter.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BLOOMBERG LP, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Just Eat paid ‘crazy’ amount for Menulog, say Delivery Hero

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Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 25-May-15

Delivery Hero CEO Clive Thorpe believes that about $A400m would have been a more appropriate sale price for Australian online food delivery group Menulog. UK-based Just Eat has agreed to pay $A855m for Menulog, which had 6.3 million orders in the year to March 2015. In contrast, Delivery Hero recently paid $US589m ($A752m) for Turkey-based Yemeksepeti, whose monthly orders exceed three million.

CORPORATES
MENULOG PTY LTD, JUST EAT LIMITED, DELIVERY HERO HOLDING GMBH, YEMEKSEPETI, ORIENTAL TEA HOUSE, DAVID’S, EAT NOW SERVICES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence – Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da

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

The ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence Index has fallen from 128.8 in April 2015 to 123.9 in May. This compares with a long-term average of 117.9. Stripping out seasonal noise, the index showed a three-point fall, but it remains well above historical averages. The Current Conditions Index fell from 130.3 to 124.6, while the Future Conditions Index eased from 127.8 to 123.4. Meanwhile, a net seven per cent of New Zealanders believe that they are financially better off compared with last year.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

AdNews delegates React to Geico YouTube trickery

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

In the "Screen Wars" session of the 2015 AdNews Media Summit, delegates were treated to the latest sneaky ad from US insurer, Geico, which opens with the promise "You can’t skip this Geico ad because it’s already over". Roy Morgan Research wanted to know if this 60-second ad really has the power to hold the viewer’s attention beyond the first, critical five seconds. The delegates gave their reactions via the Roy Morgan Mobile Reactor app as the ad was played in real time. The Reactor graph ended up almost as high as it started.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AD NEWS, GEICO CORPORATION, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED

Reach rule ‘putting local news at risk’

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Original article by Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 25-May-15

Prime Media Group CEO Ian Audsley expects WIN Corporation to scrap more of its regional news bulletins following the closure of its newsrooms in Mackay and Mildura. WIN has attributed the move to factors such as the regulatory regime and the economic viability of local newsrooms. Audsley says the Australian Government’s lack of action on abolishing the so-called "reach rule" is contributing to the demise of regional broadcasters’ news services.

CORPORATES
WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Echo to bulk up Star ahead of Crown threat

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 25-May-15

Australian-listed Echo Entertainment Group has not yet decided whether to expand its existing hotels at The Star in Sydney or build another hotel at the casino complex. The Star has a $A500m capital works budget for the next five years, as it prepares for the entry of Crown Resorts into Sydney’s casino market in 2019. The Star also intends to expand its gaming floor with the addition of extra gaming tables.

CORPORATES
ECHO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX EGP, THE STAR, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, CROWN MELBOURNE LIMITED

LNG projects risk start delays

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 25-May-15

Wood Mackenzie has forecast that several major LNG projects in Australia will not commence production on schedule. The consulting firm expects Inpex’s Ichthys project to begin production in 2017 rather than late 2016, although Inpex executives have recently indicated that the original timeframe will be met. Wood Mackenzie also anticipates that the Wheatstone and Gorgon projects will face delays in commencing production.

CORPORATES
WOOD MACKENZIE, INPEX CORPORATION, CHEVRON CORPORATION, SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPANY LIMITED, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, DAEWOO CORPORATION, ICHTHYS LNG PTY LTD, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, CHEVRON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, MACQUARIE PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Sports rights inflation ‘almost untenable’, says MCN boss

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 25-May-15

Multi Channel Network CEO Anthony Fitzgerald has questioned whether the continued rise in the cost of sports broadcasting rights is viable for both TV networks and advertisers. Telstra’s MD of media and marketing, Joe Pollard has expressed similar sentiments, saying the telco will not overpay for sports rights. The Australian Football League is believed to be seeking about $A1.75m for its next rights deal, compared with $A1.25bn for the current deal.

CORPORATES
MULTI CHANNEL NETWORK PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, SKY PLC, BT PLC, PREMIER LEAGUE