Author: roymorgansocial

Have yoga mat, will travel

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that the number of Australians who practise yoga either regularly or occasionally has more than doubled from 910,000 to 1,836,000 in the last decade. The survey, which was carried out between January 2013 and December 2014, shows that Australians who practise yoga are almost 150 per cent more likely than the average Australian aged 14+ to want to go to India on holiday. Yoga-practising Australians are also 142 per cent more likely than the average Australian to visit domestic destinations such as the Mt Buffalo, Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain region

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Nine profit takes hit as $150m buyback launched

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Original article by Dominic White, Jared Lynch
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 27-Feb-15

Australian-listed Nine Entertainment Company has posted a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A88.8m, which is 6.4 per cent lower than previously. The media group’s revenue fell by 1.9 per cent to $A829m. Nine Entertainment will undertake an on-market share buyback worth $A150m over the next year, but CEO David Gyngell says the group is still interested in acquisitions

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML

Law graduates undeterred by dire job hopes

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 27-Feb-15

The latest Australian Law Students Survey has highlighted the challenging job market for law graduates. The Survive Law website’s survey found that 33 per cent of law students are not confident that they will gain a job after graduating, while more than 50 per cent say that universities should offer greater assistance in searching for jobs. In addition, more than 50 per cent of law students indicated their desire to practice law after graduating

CORPORATES
SURVIVE LAW, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Boomers will keep Ramsay’s hospital beds full

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 27-Feb-15

Australian-listed Ramsay Health Care has posted a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A191.4m, which is 21.3 per cent higher than previously. The private hospitals group recorded revenue of $A3.3bn for the half-year, an increase of 41.6 per cent. Its Australian division’s EBIT was up 12.6 per cent at $A282.8m and revenue was eight per cent higher at $A2bn. Ramsay expects core net profit for the full year to be 18-20 per cent higher than previously

CORPORATES
RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, GENERALE DE SANTE SA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HYPERION ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED

IOOF still on hunt for takeover targets

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 27-Feb-15

Australian-listed IOOF Holdings has posted a 2014-15 underlying net profit of $A80.58m, which is 39 per cent higher than previously. The financial services group’s statutory net profit rose by 37 per cent to $A65.9m, and revenue was 24 per cent higher at $A458.49m. Shareholders will receive an interim dividend of $A0.25 per share. CEO Chris Kelahar says IOOF is keen for further acquisitions after buying SFG Australia in 2014

CORPORATES
IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, SFG AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Bank price bubble fear

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 27-Feb-15

Minack Advisors’ Gerard Minack says valuations in Australia’s banking sector would be severely affected by a sharp downturn in the nation’s economy. He also warns that bank stocks could face a major bubble as investors increasingly turn to equities in search of better yields than those available from cash investments such as term deposits. The shift to equities is likely to accelerate amid expectations of further official interest rate cuts

CORPORATES
MINACK ADVISORS PTY LTD, MAPLE-BROWN ABBOTT LIMITED

Qantas on target for $1b profit

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 27-Feb-15

Qantas has reported a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A204m, compared with a loss of $A235m in the first half of 2013-14. The carrier’s underlying result for the half-year rose from a loss of $A252m to a pre-tax profit of $A367m. Qantas is now tipped to achieve a full-year underlying profit of around $A1bn, following a loss of $A646m in 2013-14. CEO Alan Joyce says the airline’s focus remains on debt reduction, but adds that it could resume paying dividends at some stage

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, FIJI AIRWAYS, JETSTAR AIRLINES PTY LTD

Outrage over PM’s property hit

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 26-Feb-15

The Australian Government’s proposals to crack down on foreign investors in the residential property market has the support of Master Builders Australia CEO Wilhelm Harnisch. However, buyers advocate David Morrell says the proposed application fees should be higher, although the Real Estate Institute of Australia believes that the fees are too high. The Government plans to introduce a fee of up to one per cent of the value of new or established residential properties bought by foreign investors

CORPORATES
MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, THE REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RAY WHITE REAL ESTATE, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY, PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CBRE PTY LTD

Lowy to stay on at top of Westfield

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Original article by Robert Harley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 26-Feb-15

Westfield Corporation says its funds from operations will be $A0.377 per security for calendar 2015. The listed property group’s shareholders will receive a distribution of $A0.123 per security for the second half of 2014, and it will pay a distribution of $A0.251 in 2015. Meanwhile, joint CEO Peter Lowy has advised that he intends to remain in the role "indefinitely", having previously planned to step down and become a non-executive director

CORPORATES
WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, O’CONNOR CAPITAL PARTNERS

ASIC used legal powers to extract NAB information

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 26-Feb-15

The corporate regulator is reviewing compensation paid to clients of National Australia Bank who received inappropriate financial advice. Greg Medcraft, the chairman of the Australian Securities & Investments Commission, said on 25 February 2015 that the regulator asked the bank for more information about compensation. The bank paid between $A10 million and $A15 million to aggrieved customers

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG