Author: roymorgansocial

Iron ore budget hole gets bigger

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Mar-15

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says his government will balance the Budget in about five years’ time. However, the continued fall in the price of iron ore since late 2014 is expected to reduce government revenue by $A1.8bn a year. The mid-year Budget update had forecast an average iron ore price of $US60 per tonne, but it has since traded at a low of $US56. Meanwhile, Education Minister Christopher Pyne will press ahead with university reforms, despite the bill being rejected by the Senate for a second time on 17 March 2015

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

‘Big duck’ South32 not just waiting

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 16 : 18-Mar-15

BHP Billiton has revealed that its South32 spin-off will have net debt of $US675m ($A882m). South32 will have a dividend payout ratio of 40 per cent, rather than adopting the progressive dividend policy of BHP. South32 CEO Graham Kerr has downplayed suggestions that the group will attract interest from potential suitors due to its low level of debt. BHP shareholders will vote on the proposed demerger on 6 May 2015

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, SOUTH32 LIMITED, ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, X2 RESOURCES PARTNERS LP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Sirtex sheds $1b after cancer therapy trial disappoints

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 17 : 18-Mar-15

Sirtex Medical’s shares closed 55 per cent lower at $A17.53 on 17 March 2015, after the group released the results of a seven-year clinical trial of its SIR-Spheres treatment for liver cancer. The trial found that the treatment does not offer much improvement compared with traditional treatments such as chemotherapy. However, Sirtex intends to make more extensive data on the clinical trial available in May

CORPORATES
SIRTEX MEDICAL LIMITED – ASX SRX, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, MESOBLAST LIMITED – ASX MSB, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, ONCOSIL MEDICAL LIMITED – ASX OSL, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, BLOOMFIELD COLLIERIES, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, WILSON HTM INVESTMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX WIG, AUSTRALIAN ETHICAL INVESTMENT LIMITED – ASX AEF

Yet another reason sport is good for you!

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Mar-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 1.35 million Australian adults participate regularly in some kind of team sport. The survey, which was carried out in the year to December 2014, also shows that 25% of Australians aged 18+ reported experiencing stress at some point in the preceding 12 months, compared with just 21 per cent of those who regularly play a team sport. Some 12 per cent of regular team-sport players suffered from anxiety, compared with 16 per cent of the general population. Likewise, eight per cent of those who play regular team sport suffered from depression, compared with 14 per cent of the general population

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Improved customer service the key to boosting Myer sales

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

It is estimated that about 28 per cent of people who visit a Myer store actually make a purchase. Citigroup says Myer should hire an average of six additional staff at each store in order to improve customer service and lift its sales conversion rate. Some analysts also suggest that the department store group should seek to lift sales by increasing its expenditure on marketing, IT, e-commerce and store refurbishments

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, NORDSTROM INCORPORATED, DEBENHAM INTERNATIONAL, RH MACY AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW

Ethical funds make most of mining’s woes

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 18-Mar-15

Data from Mercer shows that Australian fund managers with a focus on socially responsible investing achieved a return of 13 per cent in the three months to 28 February 2015. Such funds also delivered a return of 17.3 per cent year-on-year. The Integrity Tailored ESG Fund topped the performance table for the quarter, while the Warakirri Charitable Australian Equities Fund boasted the best return over 12 months

CORPORATES
MERCER INVESTMENTS PTY LTD, INTEGRITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WARAKIRRI ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BENNELONG FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BTT, DALTON NICOL REID PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, RESMED INCORPORATED – ASX RMD, REGIS HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX REG, SONIC HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SHL, ESTIA HEALTH LIMITED – ASX EHE

Mike Baird set to lead L-NP to clear victory in NSW Election

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 17-Mar-15

A special SMS Morgan Poll on State voting intention has found that support for the New South Wales Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has risen by three per cent to 55.5 per cent. The poll, which was carried out from 13-15 March 2015, also shows that support for the Australian Labor Party has fallen by three per cent to 44.5 per cent. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that despite Mike Baird taking a controversial position in support of the sale of electricity assets, it appears that he has done enough over the past year to convince electors to elect him as Premier in his own right on 28 March

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION

University deregulation looks doomed

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 17-Mar-15

The Australian Government has failed to gain enough support for its proposal to deregulate universities. The proposed legislation is likely to be rejected by the Senate. Senators Nick Xenophon, Jacqui Lambie, Glenn Lazarus, Dio Wang and Ricky Muir indicated that they would vote against deregulation. The vote will take place on 18 March 2015

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED

Affordability biggest risk, says Lend Lease

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Original article by Michael Bleby, Nick Lenaghan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 38 : 17-Mar-15

Housing affordability is an important factor in the Australian construction industry. Lend Lease CEO of property, Tarun Gupta, said on 16 March 2015 that affordability is currently at an acceptable level but should be closely monitored. Figures provided by CoreLogic RP Data show that house prices have risen by 7.6 per cent nationally over the past 12 months, and by 14.1 per cent in Sydney

CORPORATES
LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RP DATA LIMITED

Unions push for casual worker rights

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 17-Mar-15

The ACTU wants casual workers to have a legal right to compulsory arbitration when employers do not "bargain in good faith". The ACTU will present its views on the matter in a submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into workplace relations. The Australian Industry Group argues in its submission that workplace agreements should include a mandatory clause about measures to improve productivity

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ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION