Author: roymorgansocial

Craft beer gives big brewers competition

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Original article by Julie-Anne Sprague
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 17-Feb-15

Australians’ enthusiasm for craft beer continues to grow. Big breweries, such as Lion and CUB, are trying to retain market share by offering attractive incentives to pubs. Their behaviour is being monitored by the Australia Competition & Consumer Commission. Great Northern Hotel owner Alistair Carragher prefers not to be restricted in his choice of beers. He believes that craft beers offer a point of difference for his business

CORPORATES
FOSTER’S GROUP LIMITED, CARLTON UNITED BREWERS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, COOPERS BREWERY LIMITED, SABMILLER PLC, LION PTY LTD, KIRIN HOLDINGS COMPANY LIMITED

Good news expected for Macquarie Group

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 17-Feb-15

Macquarie Group is tipped to post a 2014-15 profit of $A1.46bn, and there has been speculation that the group could again upgrade its earnings forecast. Macquarie upgraded its full-year earnings guidance in January, due to factors such as the lower Australian dollar and a high level of volatility in commodity prices. Macquarie posted a profit of $A1.27bn for the year to 31 March 2014. Its shares have gained 17.5 per cent so far in 2015

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 FINANCIALS INDEX, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, GE CAPITAL CORPORATION, JEFFERIES LLC, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Steadfast set for Asian buy

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 17-Feb-15

Australian-listed Steadfast Group has reported a 2014-15 interim profit of $A21m, which is 11.5 per cent higher than previously. The insurance broking group’s cash earnings per share also rose by 11.5 per cent, to $A4.18. Steadfast has secured a deal to acquire Body Corporate Brokers and two underwriting agencies from QBE Insurance Group for $A290m. It is keen to pursue further acquisitions in Australia, as well as in Singapore

CORPORATES
STEADFAST GROUP LIMITED – ASX SDF, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, BODY CORPORATE BROKERS, UNDERWRITING AGENCIES OF AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CHU UNDERWRITING AGENCIES PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, IC FRITCH, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Challenges ahead may thwart ASX 200 tilt at the 5900 level

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Original article by John Wasiliev
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 17-Feb-15

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index closed just below the 5,900-point threshold on 16 February 2015. OANDA’s Stuart McPhee notes that 5,800 has been a key resistance level for the index, which he believes will find support at that level. Factors such as the corporate reporting season and the imminent closure of Asian markets for Chinese New Year are likely to influence the S&P/ASX 200 in the near-term, and its ability to rise above 5,900 points

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, OANDA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CMC MARKETS PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, LEIGHTON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LEI, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, IG MARKETS LIMITED

Goodman gets big tick

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Original article by Sue Mitchell, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 17-Feb-15

Goodman Fielder shareholders will vote on a proposed $A1.3bn takeover bid by Wilmar International and First Pacific on 26 February 2015. Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board approved the deal in late 2014, and the Chinese Government gave the green light on 16 February. The offer of $A0.675 per share also requires approval in New Zealand. Hedge funds bought about 160 million of the target’s shares in early February, and stand to make a healthy profit from the transaction

CORPORATES
GOODMAN FIELDER LIMITED – ASX GFF, WILMAR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, FIRST PACIFIC COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, CHINA. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, NEW ZEALAND. OVERSEAS INVESTMENT COMMISSION, ELLERSTON CAPITAL PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION

Fuel efficiency still top priority for Aussie motorists

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 79 per cent of Australians aged 14+ who are motorists consider fuel efficiency to be more important in a vehicle than high performance. The survey, which was carried out in the year to November 2014, also shows that 75 per cent will only buy a car with a proven track record, and 72 per cent spend a lot of time researching their options before deciding which car to buy. Meanwhile, 69 per cent of drivers agree that "I usually only consider the main car manufacturers as I don’t like to take the risk of a lesser known make"

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MAZDA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JEEP AUSTRALIA

Women watching cricket and going to matches – but it’s still a boy’s club online

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that about 450,000 Australians aged 14+ visit the ESPN Cricinfo website in any average four weeks throughout the year, but just 9.5 per cent of visitors (or 43,000) are women. However, women account for 19 per cent (or 121,000) of the 640,000 monthly visitors to the Cricket Australia site. Meanwhile, more than a million women "almost always" watch Test or One-Day matches on TV, and around 800,000 watch Twenty20 matches. Women also comprise a third of Australians who went to a Twenty20 match in the past year, 29 per cent of those who attended a One-Day match and 26 per cent of those who attended a Test match

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, CRICKET AUSTRALIA, ESPN INCORPORATED, CRICINFO

Interest rate cut has instant impact at property auctions

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Original article by Larry Schlesinger
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 16-Feb-15

Preliminary data shows that Sydney’s residential property market achieved an auction clearance rate of 77.9 per cent on the weekend of 14-15 February 2015, down from 80.5 per cent for the previous week. Melbourne’s preliminary auction clearance rate rose from 66.3 per cent to 67.4 per cent, while the national clearance rate rose from 67.3 per cent to 70 per cent. Mortgage Choice notes that the interest rate cut in February has resulted in a sharp rise in applications for home loans

CORPORATES
MORTGAGE CHOICE LIMITED – ASX MOC, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RP DATA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY MONITORS PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, McGRATH ESTATE AGENTS, JELLIS CRAIG AND COMPANY

Telstra chief hopeful that pay TV market will reach 70 per cent

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Original article by Max Mason, Dominic White
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 16-Feb-15

Just 30 per cent of Australian households currently have access to subscription-based TV. Telstra CEO David Thodey is optimistic about the outlook for the sector, forecasting that the launch of video streaming services will lift market penetration to around 70 per cent. Thodey expects US-based Netflix, which will formally enter the Australian market in March 2015, will eventually introduce advertisements. He also refutes suggestions that Telstra will scrap its T-Box device

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, FETCHTV PTY LTD, STAN, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ

Super must do better for women: Corboy

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

The assets of the HESTA superannuation fund have increased from $A1.4bn to $A30bn during Anne-Marie Corboy’s 15-year tenure as CEO. The industry super fund for healthcare workers now boasts about 800,000 members. Meanwhile, Corboy says more action is needed to boost the retirement income of women, noting that the super system was not designed to take into account the fact that women typically spend more time out of the workforce than men. Corboy will retire in late February 2015

CORPORATES
HEALTH EMPLOYEES’ SUPERANNUATION TRUST AUSTRALIA LIMITED, THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, UTILITIES TRUST OF AUSTRALIA, NETBALL AUSTRALIA, MOTHERS DAY CLASSIC FOUNDATION