Author: roymorgansocial

Brighter skies give lift to Flight Centre

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 25-Feb-15

Australian-listed Flight Centre Travel Group has posted a 2014-15 interim underlying profit before tax of $A137.6m, which is 5.6 per cent lower than previously. The travel group had advised in late 2014 that its profit for the half-year would be between $A136m and $A142m. Flight Centre expects its underlying profit for the full year of $A360m to $A390m. Shareholders will receive a half-year dividend of $A0.55 per share

CORPORATES
FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH

BHP and QBE drive index closer to 6000

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 25-Feb-15

The Australian sharemarket posted solid gains on 24 February 2015, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.3 per cent to close at 5,927. The Commonwealth Bank was 0.7 per cent higher at $A91.04 and BHP Billiton rose by 2.9 per cent to end the session at $A33.06. However, National Australia Bank shed 0.2 per cent to finish at $A37.58 and MMA Offshore was 11.7 per cent lower at $A0.87

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MMA OFFSHORE LIMITED – ASX MRM, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, PM CAPITAL LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, BLOOMBERG LP, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

QBE swings to profit after North American sell-off

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 22 : 25-Feb-15

QBE Insurance Group has posted a 2014 profit of $US742m ($A950m), following a loss of $US254m previously. Revenue was six per cent lower at $US18.23bn, while it boasted an insurance profit margin of 7.6 per cent. QBE will gain $US95m from the sale of its workers’ compensation business in Argentina, which follows asset sales in 2014. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $A0.22 per share

CORPORATES
QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, STEADFAST GROUP LIMITED – ASX SDF, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, GENWORTH MORTGAGE INSURANCE AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX GMA, NIKKO ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP

Oil Search prospects defy oil price collapse

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 25-Feb-15

Australian-listed Oil Search has posted a 2014 net profit of $US353.2m ($A454.5m), which is 72 per cent higher than previously. The oil and gas group’s full-year accounts include a write-down of nearly $US130m. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $US0.08 per share, plus a special dividend of $US0.04 per share. Oil Search shares closed $A0.01 higher at $A8.29 on 24 February 2015

CORPORATES
OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, INTEROIL CORPORATION, TOTAL SA, BERNSTEIN RESEARCH, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION

BHP defies price crashes

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 25-Feb-15

BHP Billiton has posted 2014-15 interim underlying earnings of $US5.4bn ($A6.9bn, which is 31 per cent lower than previously. The group’s earnings were hit by the sharp decline in the price of iron ore and crude oil. Meanwhile, BHP intends to reduce its capital expenditure by $US3.8bn in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Shareholders will receive an interim dividend of $A0.62 per share, and CEO Andrew Mackenzie says that maintaining its dividend payout ratio is one of the group’s priorities

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, NIKKO ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, BC IRON LIMITED – ASX BCI, ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, SOUTH32 LIMITED

ALP lead trimmed but still hold clear election winning lead as leaks emerge to damage Abbott’s leadership

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 24-Feb-15

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has risen by 1.5 per cent to 44 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 14-15 and 21-22 February 2015, also shows that support for the Australian Labor Party has fallen by 1.5 per cent to 56 per cent. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that following a number of damaging leaks, the New South Wales election will be the next test for Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and a close result or a loss for Premier Mike Baird would increase the pressure on Abbott once again

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

New car intention starts the year on a positive note

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that the number of Australians aged 14+ who intend to buy a new car in the next four years rose to 2,249,000 in January 2015. Likewise, the number of people who plan to buy a new car in the next 12 months has risen by 56,000 to 537,000. Despite recent growth, the current pool of people in the market for a new car remains marginally below the equivalent period in 2014, but it has moved back above the long-term average

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

More capital might lead to lower Westpac dividends

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 24-Feb-15

Westpac has regularly increased its interim dividend by $A0.02 since the first half of 2012, but this policy might be reviewed if regulators decide to introduce new capital levels. Morgan Stanley analyst Richard Wiles says such a review would also be necessary if economic conditions deteriorate in Australia. Morgan Stanley has a share price target on the stock of $A33.00

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Battling Vocation in $245m write-down

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 24-Feb-15

Australian-listed education group Vocation insists that it will still be a viable business entity even after the sale of assets, which will reduce its size by two-thirds. The company’s shares resumed trading on 23 February 2015, after having been in a trading halt for five weeks. Vocation revealed that it has received more than 30 expressions of interest from potential buyers. The sale is likely to be completed in April

CORPORATES
VOCATION LIMITED – ASX VET, ENDEAVOUR COLLEGE OF NATURAL HEALTH, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Strong M&A tipped for 2015

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 24-Feb-15

Data from Dealogic shows that some $US13.9bn ($A17.7bn) worth of mergers and acquisitions have been proposed in Australia so far in 2015. M&A experts are generally upbeat about the outlook for 2015, with Minter Ellison partner Ron Forster anticipating strong activity in the gold and iron ore sectors in particular. Karen Evans-Cullen of Clayton Utz notes that the downturn in the value of the Australian dollar may attract more bids from offshore groups

CORPORATES
DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, MINTER ELLISON, CLAYTON UTZ, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TOL, JAPAN POST, NOVION PROPERTY GROUP – ASX NVN, FEDERATION CENTRES – ASX FDC, PORT OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. DEFENCE HOUSING AUSTRALIA, BOART LONGYEAR LIMITED – ASX BLY, CENTERBRIDGE PARTNERS LP, GRESHAM PARTNERS LIMITED, MIZUHO BANK LIMITED