Author: roymorgansocial

Will iron ore plunge below $US50

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 38 : 2-Apr-15

The iron ore price fell to around $US51 per tonne on 1 April 2015, compared with $US68 at the beginning of the year. However, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton plan to keep ramping up production, and Glyn Lawcock of UBS says the price would have to fall to about $US30 for their iron ore operations to become unprofitable. Westpac expects the iron ore price to test the $US47 level in 2015

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, VALE SA, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, BC IRON LIMITED – ASX BCI, ROY HILL HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Small business warning

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 1-Apr-15

The Australian Bankers’ Association’s submission on the financial system inquiry has broadly supported the recommendations on increased capital requirements for the nation’s banks. However, it has questioned the need for local banks to be in the top quartile of banks globally. The submission also raises concerns over the proposal for credit contracts to be covered by laws on unfair contracts, noting the potential impact on loans to small businesses

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Budget may move on super, Grattan warns

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 1-Apr-15

The Grattan Institute has suggested that the Australian Government’s May 2015 Budget could feature changes to tax breaks for superannuation contributions. CEO John Daley says such measures could potentially include reducing the annual contributions limit or the salary threshold at which a higher tax on contributions applies

CORPORATES
GRATTAN INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, TAXPAYERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Google tax to hit profit shifting

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 5 : 1-Apr-15

The Australian Government’s May 2015 Budget will include tax measures aimed at addressing the problem of profit-shifting by multinational corporations. The so-called "Google tax" will be modelled on the UK’s Diverted Profits Tax. The Australian Labor Party recently unveiled measures intended to combat profit-shifting. The Budget will also include a levy on bank deposits, while the small business sector will receive a tax cut

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

New car intentions gaining momentum

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 31-Mar-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that some 2,378,000 Australians aged 14+ are planning to buy a new car in the next four years, which is 129,000 more than in February 2015, and up on the same time in 2014. The survey also shows that 598,000 motorists intend to buy a new car in the next 12 months, compared with 537,000 in February and slightly more than the same time in 2014

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GM HOLDEN LIMITED, VFACTS

Vail Resorts buys Perisher

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Original article by Robert Harley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 1-Apr-15

James Packer and Luca and Guido Belgiorno-Nettis have sold the Perisher ski resort in New South Wales to US-based Vail Resorts. The $A176.6m deal is subject to approval from the State Government. Vail has indicated that people who buy Perisher’s Freedom Pass will also be able to use the group’s North America ski resorts. Perisher has been owned by a joint venture between the Packer and Belgiorno-Nettis families since 1995

CORPORATES
PERISHER BLUE PTY LTD, VAIL RESORTS INCORPORATED, TRANSFIELD CORPORATE PTY LTD

MYOB owner dismisses criticism from Xero

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Original article by Shaun Drummond, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 17 : 1-Apr-15

US-based private equity firm Bain Capital will retain a controlling stake in MYOB when the software group debuts on the Australian sharemarket on 4 May 2015. The IPO is seeking to raise about $A830m, and shares in MYOB will be priced between $A3 and $A4 apiece. Rival accounting software group Xero has questioned MYOB’s claims about the size of its customer base

CORPORATES
MYOB TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD, BAIN CAPITAL LLC, XERO LIMITED – ASX XRO, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ARCHER CAPITAL PTY LTD, HARBOURVEST PARTNERS

Iron ore slump forces RBA to mull April cut

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Apr-15

The price of iron ore shed 16 per cent during March 2015, and it is now trading below $US53 per tonne. The slump has heightened expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia will reduce the cash rate on 7 April, and financial markets have priced in a 68 per cent chance of a cut. Kieran Davies of Barclays is among the economists who expect a rate cut in April, although Westpac’s Bill Evans believes that the cash rate may be left on hold until May

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, BARCLAYS BANK PLC, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, RATECITY PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, TD SECURITIES

Easter: the perfect excuse to eat chocolate…

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 31-Mar-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 65 per cent of Australians aged 18+ ate chocolate at least once in an average four-week period in the year to December 2014. The survey also shows that across different Body Mass Indexes, the proportion of chocolate-eaters varies only slightly: 64 per cent of underweight adults, 64 per cent of those whose weight is acceptable and 65 per cent of overweight adults eat chocolate in an average four weeks. At 68 per cent, obese adults are the most likely to indulge in any given four weeks, but only marginally

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, CADBURY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LINDT AND SPRUNGLI (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

ASX 200 first quarter was best in decades

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Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 17 : 1-Apr-15

Deutsche Bank’s Tim Baker expects Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX200 Index to reach 6,200 points, following a strong performance in the March 2015 quarter. The health sector in particular performed well during the quarter, and Philip Parker of Altair Asset Management notes that the sector benefited from the lower Australian dollar. However, the materials sector shed six per cent during March, due to factors such as the downturn in the iron ore price

CORPORATES
DEUTSCHE BANK AG, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, ALTAIR ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CBG ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, RESMED INCORPORATED – ASX RMD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA