Author: roymorgansocial

Unions urge defiance on super freeze

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 26-Mar-15

The ACTU states in a submission to the Fair Work Commission that mandatory contributions to superannuation should be increased by 0.5 per cent to 10 per cent for workers on award minimum wages. The Australian Government does not want to increase super contributions, but the ACTU claims that the commission has power under the Fair Work Act to order the increase

CORPORATES
ACTU, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Fear of failure stifles innovation: McKeon

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 26-Mar-15

Australian companies must become more innovative, AMP chairman Simon McKeon said on 25 March 2015. He noted that local businesses are more risk-averse than their US counterparts. He said foreign investors like Australia’s "AAA" credit rating. McKeon is also the chairman of CSIRO, whose funding was reduced in the 2014 federal Budget

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CSIRO, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Goodman’s $2b sell-off rolls on

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Original article by Mercedes Ruehl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 26-Mar-15

Mapletree Investments is believed to be looking to buy a number of office buildings in Sydney’s Macquarie Park. Three properties that are owned by Goodman Group are said to be under consideration by Singapore-based Mapletree. Goodman offloaded some $A1.1bn worth of property in the second half of 2014, as part of its strategy to divest about $A2bn worth of property holdings each year

CORPORATES
GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, MAPLETREE INVESTMENTS PTE LTD, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, FUJITSU AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GOLDEN HORSE HOLDING GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES

From rice to noodles: how Aussie parents’ wealth and health attitudes affect what their kids eat

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Mar-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2014, has found that 50 per cent of Australian parents with children under the age of 16 in the home said they try to buy additive-free food. This compared with 45 per cent in 2010. The survey also shows that 54 per cent of parents in the top AB socio-economic quintile agree that "I try to buy additive-free food", as do 52 per cent of those in the C quintile. However, just 40 per cent of parents in the lowest FG quintile say they try to avoid buying food with additives

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Bankers pick plenty of M&A in 2015

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 26-Mar-15

Data from Dealogic shows that mergers and acquisitions activity involving Australian companies has topped $US32bn ($A40bn) so far in 2015. Major deals have included the acquisition of Toll Holdings by Japan Post and the proposed merger between Federation Centres and Novion Property Group. Geoff Joyce of Macquarie Capital is upbeat about the outlook for M&A activity, while Simon Ranson of JP Morgan notes that deal-making is being spurred on by reduced financing costs

CORPORATES
DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TOL, JAPAN POST, FEDERATION CENTRES – ASX FDC, NOVION PROPERTY GROUP – ASX NVN, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, INDIANA TOLL ROAD CONCESSION COMPANY, KKR AND COMPANY LP, KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS AND COMPANY, VARDE PARTNERS INCORPORATED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, GE CAPITAL CORPORATION, PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, BAIN CAPITAL LLC, BRADKEN LIMITED – ASX BKN, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY REAL ESTATE INVESTING, INVESTA PROPERTY GROUP, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT, MOELIS AND COMPANY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ESANDA FINANCE CORPORATION LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

6300 in sight for Citi

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 26-Mar-15

The S&P/ASX 200 remains close to the 6,000-point level, but some equity strategists are bullish about the benchmark index’s outlook. Tony Brennan and Vivian Jiang of Citigroup forecast that it will top 6,300 points by the end of 2015, while Credit Suisse has a year-end target of 6,500 points. The market is tipped to push higher due to factors such as rising support for shares due to low interest rates in Australia and overseas

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, ZURICH INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, BANK OF ENGLAND, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

The life aquatic: swimming pool ownership in Australia

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Mar-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 12 per cent of Australian households have a swimming pool. The survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2014, also shows that 18 per cent of households in Perth have their own swimming pool, while pool ownership in Sydney (16%) and Brisbane (15%) is also above the national average. Meanwhile, just over 15% of Australian households with kids aged 6-11 have a pool, a figure that jumps to just over 20% for homes with children aged 12-15

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Retirement lump sum could end

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 25-Mar-15

The financial system inquiry’s recommendation that future retirees should not receive a superannuation lump sum payout may be implemented. The Department of the Treasury’s executive director John Lonsdale addressed the Australian Securities & Investment Commission’s annual conference on 24 March 2015. He raised the prospect of new rules that would require superannuants to finance their retirement via a default pension fund rather than a lump sum payout

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SUPERANNUATION CONSUMERS CENTRE, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

Myer defends timing of downgrade

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Original article by Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 25-Mar-15

Myer Holdings’ disclosure practices came under scrutiny after its 2014-15 full-year earnings forecast was reduced by up to 24 per cent. Critics have argued that the group should have advised of the earnings downgrade when it revealed management changes several weeks earlier. However, Myer has told the ASX that its directors did not become aware that full-year profits would be lower than expected until the day before its interim results were released

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

ACCC frowns at China Eastern tie

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 25-Mar-15

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is concerned about a proposed alliance between Qantas and China Eastern Airlines. The ACCC has opposed the alliance in its draft ruling, arguing that the two carriers would dominate the Sydney-Shanghai route. ACCC chairman Rod Sims says he would be more willing to support an alliance between Qantas and carriers such as China Southern or Air China, as Qantas does not currently have flights to their main hubs

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CORPORATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AIR CHINA, CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES COMPANY LIMITED, CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS LIMITED