Author: roymorgansocial

Lowest rate since ’60s

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 10-Apr-15

The Reserve Bank of Australia is widely tipped to reduce the cash rate by 25 basis points to two per cent in May 2015. The cash rate is already at its lowest level in five decades, but economists maintain that further rate cuts can help to stimulate the economy. The Commonwealth Bank’s Michael Workman notes that the low level of confidence is a key issue for the economy, while Shane Oliver of AMP Capital says there is potential for more rate cuts beyond May

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Economists stumped by RBA’s moves

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Vesna Poljak, Patrick Commins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Apr-15

None of the economists polled by Bloomberg News have been accurate in their forecasts for the monetary policy decisions of all three Reserve Bank of Australia board meetings so far in 2015. Several economists have, however, successfully predicted the outcome of two interest rate decisions, while five have failed to predict any. Meanwhile, the financial market’s forecasts have been right on one occasion in 2015

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, BLOOMBERG LP, BARCLAYS BANK PLC, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, NOMURA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, TD SECURITIES, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BANK OF ENGLAND, LABOUR PARTY (GREAT BRITAIN)

ANZ banks big win in class action fees battle

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Katie Walsh, Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 9-Apr-15

Law firm Maurice Blackburn may launch a High Court appeal against the Federal Court’s rejection of a class-action lawsuit against the ANZ Bank. The case centred on the question of whether bank fees were excessive, with more than 43,000 ANZ customers participating in the class action. Other major banks are subject to separate class actions over bank fees, with about 180,000 customers in all taking part

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, IMF BENTHAM LIMITED – ASX IMF, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, JONES DAY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BABCOCK AND BROWN LIMITED, KING AND WOOD MALLESONS

Harvey Norman cooking with gas as housing booms

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 9-Apr-15

Australian retail sales topped $A24bn in February 2015. Sales were 0.7 per cent higher than in January, and 0.4 per cent higher than the same period in 2014. UBS is upbeat about the outlook for homewares and furniture retailer Harvey Norman, due to its exposure to the residential property market. However, UBS has "sell" recommendations on grocery groups Woolworths and Metcash

CORPORATES
HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, AUSTRALIAN BUFFALO INDUSTRY COUNCIL

Beston IPO to follow lobster, dairy stakes

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 9-Apr-15

Former WorleyParsons executive Sean Ebert has become CEO of Beston Global Food Company ahead of its proposed Australian sharemarket float in July 2015. Beston has also appointed GrainCorp chairman Don Taylor and formers Santos chairman Stephen Gerlach to its board. Meanwhile, it has acquired stakes in live lobster exporter Ferguson Australia and biodynamic dairy firm B.-d. Paris Creek

CORPORATES
BESTON GLOBAL FOOD COMPANY LIMITED, FERGUSON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, B D FARM PARIS CREEK PTY LTD, GRAINCORP LIMITED – ASX GNC, WORLEYPARSONS LIMITED – ASX WOR, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, BESTON WINE INDUSTRY TRUST, CHALLENGER LIMITED – ASX CGF

‘No way’ to a Glencore-Rio merger: Hockey

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 9-Apr-15

The prohibition on Glencore executives commenting on a bid for Rio Tinto lapsed on 8 April 2015, six months after Rio rejected a takeover approach. Glencore is tipped to make another bid for Rio, but Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey is believed to have explicitly ruled out Federal Government approval for such a deal. His comments are said to have been made at a private meeting with business leaders and mining industry executives in late March

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND COMPANY, GRAINCORP LIMITED – ASX GNC, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, ALUMINIUM CORPORATION OF CHINA LIMITED

Sydney homes could hit $1m median before the year’s out

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Apr-15

The Real Estate Institute of Australia estimates that Sydney’s median house price is $A882,000 at present, but SQM Research CEO Louis Christopher says it could top $A1m in the final quarter of 2015. Andrew Wilson of Australian Property Monitors also expects the median house price to reach this level soon. Recent data from SQM shows that the median asking price for houses in Sydney is now $A1.066m

CORPORATES
THE REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SQM RESEARCH PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY MONITORS PTY LTD, RP DATA LIMITED, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BIS SHRAPNEL PTY LTD

FIRB clears China Communications acquisition of John Holland

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 9-Apr-15

Leighton Holdings’ sale of defence contractor John Holland to China Communications Construction Company has been cleared by the Foreign Investment Review Board. Federal Treasury Joe Hockey says the $A1bn deal does not raise any national interest concerns. John Holland is estimated to have undertaken some $A470m worth of construction contracts for the Department of Defence in 2014

CORPORATES
LEIGHTON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LEI, JOHN HOLLAND PTY LTD, CHINA COMMUNICATIONS CONSTRUCTION GROUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, THE STOCK EXCHANGE OF HONG KONG LIMITED, WORLD BANK, CHINA ROAD AND BRIDGE CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION

Would you buy food labelled ‘Made in China’?

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Apr-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 88 per cent of Australians aged 14+ were more likely to buy food if it is labelled "Made in Australia" in the year to December 2014. This compares with 85 per cent in 2013. Meanwhile, the number of Australians who say they would be more likely to buy food labelled "Made in China" rose from five per cent to six per cent in 2014. The survey also shows that people who are more likely to buy Chinese-made food products are less likely to be concerned about whether food is fattening, genetically modified or additive-free

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Small miners in danger zone

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Patrick Begley, Max Mason, Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 9-Apr-15

Iron ore was trading at $US48.06 per tonne on 8 April 2015, prompting analysts to warn that more smaller Australian-listed producers will come under pressure. Anna Kassianos of Platypus Asset Management says many smaller players are in "desperation mode", but notes that global iron ore supply would not be unduly affected by their collapse. Tim Schroeders of Pengana Capital believes that Fortescue Metals Group can ride out the slump in the iron ore price

CORPORATES
PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PENGANA CAPITAL LIMITED, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, BC IRON LIMITED – ASX BCI, GINDALBIE METALS LIMITED – ASX GBG, MOUNT GIBSON IRON LIMITED – ASX MGX, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, MINERAL DEPOSITS LIMITED – ASX MDL, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GRANGE RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GRR, KATANA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, WATPAC LIMITED – ASX WTP