Author: roymorgansocial

Weekly gambling spend negligible for Generations Y and Z … unlike the Boomer generations

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Mar-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that the average Australian aged 18+ spent $A135 on leisure and entertainment per week in the year to December 2014. This include money spent on going out, entertainment at home and gambling. While gambling accounts for $A13 of the average Australian’s weekly leisure and entertainment spend, Generation Z spends an average of just $A4 per week on gambling. This compares with an average of $A21 per week for Baby Boomers and $A20 for Pre-Boomers

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

No Death Penalty for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran say 53% of Australians

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Mar-15

A special snap SMS Morgan Poll has found that 52 per cent of Australians say that Australians convicted of drug trafficking in another country and sentenced to death should be executed, which is unchanged since January 2015. The poll, which was carried out from 27 February-1 March, also shows that 53 per cent of Australians say convicted drug traffickers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran should not be executed in Indonesia. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan that there are a number of complicating factors in the case of Chan and Sukumaran, including signs of remorse and rehabilitation, and allegations of bribery and corruption among the judiciary in Indonesia

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Upfront payments for doctors

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 3-Mar-15

The Australian Government is considering major changes to the Medicare system, and has widespread support among GPs for the proposed reforms. The key change under consideration is a shift to a system whereby GPs are paid an annual lump sum in advance to treat patients such as the chronically ill. This would allow the Government to abandon its controversial co-payment scheme. However, the Medicare rebate will remain at its current level until 2018

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, McKINSEY AND COMPANY

Orica launches $400m share buyback

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 3-Mar-15

Australian-listed Orica has revealed plans for an on-market share buyback from mid-March 2016. The explosives group intends to repurchase up to $A400m worth of shares over the next 12 months, following the sale of its chemicals division to Blackstone for $A750m. The private equity firm has announced that the business will be known as Ixom. It boasts EBIT of around $A110m and revenue of $A1.2bn

CORPORATES
ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, THE BLACKSTONE GROUP LP, IXOM, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, LAZARD PTY LTD, FONTERRA CO-OPERATIVE GROUP LIMITED, NUFARM LIMITED – ASX NUF, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, SYDNEY WATER CORPORATION, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL

Besieged Vocation crashes to $273m loss

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 3-Mar-15

Australian-listed Vocation has posted a 2014-15 interim loss of $A273m, following a loss of $A4m for the first half of 2013-14. The latest result was marred by impairment charges totalling $A241m. The vocational education provider has also been affected by a downturn in enrolments, and is seeking to offload some of its assets. Revenue rose by 9.3 per cent to $A57.7m

CORPORATES
VOCATION LIMITED – ASX VET, LEARNING VERVE PTY LTD, CUSTOMER SERVICE INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA, BAWM GROUP PTY LTD, ENDEAVOUR COLLEGE OF NATURAL HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, 333 CAPITAL PTY LTD, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD, LAUREATE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES

Myer’s new British CEO gets a tough welcome from investors

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 11 : 3-Mar-15

Shares in Myer Holdings shed 11 per cent to close at $A1.1655 on 2 March 2015 following the resignation of CEO Bernie Brookes. He will be succeeded by former Woolworths executive Richard Umbers, while Daniel Bracken has been appointed deputy CEO. Umbers was previously Myers’ chief information and supply chain officer. He says the new management team will adopt a customer-centric focus and look at the type of customers Myer has now and people who are likely to be customers in the future. Myer CFO Mark Ashby has also resigned

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA POST, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, TPG CAPITAL LP, DAVID JONES LIMITED, EZCORP INCORPORATED, ZARA, TOP SHOP, UNIQLO COMPANY LIMITED, SEPHORA USA LLC, HENNES OCH MAURITZ AB, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEBENHAMS RETAIL PLC

Stunned traders caught in the glare of ASX200’s headlights

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Original article by John Wasiliev
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 3-Mar-15

The Australian sharemarket reached its highest level in seven years on 2 March 2015, ahead of the Reserve Bank’s monthly board meeting. More than 50 per cent of economists expect the central bank to reduce the cash rate again, after a 25 basis point cut in February. However, opinion is divided as to whether the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 will breach the 6,000-point level in the near-term

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CMC MARKETS PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, WORLEYPARSONS LIMITED – ASX WOR, TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TOL, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, IG MARKETS LIMITED, OANDA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THINKFOREX

Bets mount on second cash rate cut in weeks

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Original article by Mark Mulligan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 2-Mar-15

Futures traders expect the Australian sharemarket to lose ground when trading resumes on 2 March 2015. With the reporting season over, investors are likely to focus on economic data to be released in the coming week, as well as the Reserve Bank’s monthly board meeting. The recent release of disappointing capital expenditure data has heightened speculation that the central bank could reduce the cash rate again in March, following a 25-basis point cut in February

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, PEOPLE’S BANK OF CHINA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW

Abbott claws back losses

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Mar-15

A Fairfax/Ipsos poll, which was carried out from 26-28 February 2015, has found that support for the federal Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has risen to 49 per cent, compared with 51 per cent for the Australian Labor Party. The previous poll in January had Labor ahead 54 to 46 on a two-party preferred basis. The Coalition’s primary vote has increased from 38 per cent to 42 per cent, and Labor’s has fallen from 40 per cent to 36 per cent. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has downplayed speculation of an imminent leadership spill

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. MEDICARE AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NEWSPOLL, MILLWARD BROWN AUSTRALIA, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Equity volumes soar on low rates

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 2-Mar-15

Data from IRESS shows that equity trading volumes in Australia rose by 15 per cent to $A438.9bn during the first two months of 2015. This is the highest level of trading activity for the first two months of the year since 2008, and the S&P/ASX 200 Index is close to breaching the 6,000-point level. Meanwhile, a number of companies are slated to undertake IPOs in the near-term, including MYOB, Fleetpartners and GenesisCare

CORPORATES
IRESS LIMITED – ASX IRE, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, MYOB TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD, FLEET PARTNERS PTY LTD, GENESIS CARE PTY LTD, TOUCHCORP LIMITED, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, CHI-X AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, VEDA GROUP LIMITED – ASX VED, EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, EUROZ LIMITED – ASX EZL, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE SECURITIES PTY LTD