Author: roymorgansocial

Rupert and the wolves at News Corp

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Feb-15

News Corporation’s succession plan does not consider the possibility of co-chairman Rupert Murdoch being incapacitated. The plan states that, on his death, four directors representing each of his adult children will assume responsibility for the company. Murdoch’s incapacity is not mentioned. The company could be an attractive takeover target, due to assets such as its stakes in REA Group and Foxtel

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, SOUTHEASTERN ASSET MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED

David Jones profit up 10.3 per cent under new owners

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

David Jones has posted an operating profit of $A107m for the five months to December 2014, which is 10.3 per cent higher than previously. Its department stores division recorded earnings of $A100m, an increase of 14.9 per cent. Woolworths Holdings stablemate Country Road posted 9.4 per cent growth in operating profit. South Africa-based Woolworths has reported a 2014-15 interim pre-tax profit of R9.2bn ($A320m), an increase of 29.8 per cent

CORPORATES
DAVID JONES LIMITED, COUNTRY ROAD LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED, AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY

Investors win with Telstra plan

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 13-Feb-15

Telstra has posted a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A2.1bn, which is 21.7 per cent higher than previously. The telco boasted revenue of $A13bn for the half-year, while its mobile subscriber base rose by 366,000 to 16.4 million. Shareholders will receive an interim dividend of $A0.15 per share, although some market watchers had anticipated a higher payout. Telstra will also resume its dividend reinvestment plan, which has been dormant since 2008

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED – ASX SGT, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, NIKKO ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP

Jobless jump points to rate cut

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Feb-15

The Australian economy shed more than 12,000 jobs in January 2015, with the unemployment rate rising to 6.4 per cent. The jobless rate’s rise to its highest level in 12 years weighed heavily on the Australian dollar, which reached a low of $US0.7662 on 12 February. The data also prompted speculation of further interest rate cuts, while business groups say the figures demonstrate the need for industrial relations reforms

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

CBA shares forecast to push $100 within a year

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Original article by Clancy Yeates, James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 13-Feb-15

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) shares peaked at $A93.96 in early February 2015. While the stock has since retreated slightly, some analysts are bullish about it. Macquarie Group has lifted its 12-month share price target to $A99 in the wake of CBA’s 2014-15 interim profit result, while Credit Suisse has a target price of $A96. However, PM Capital’s Uday Cheruvu says CBA’s earnings growth outlook does not justify its high forward price-earnings multiple

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, PM CAPITAL LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

$A plunges as investors bet on rate cut in March

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 13-Feb-15

The Australian dollar was buying $US0.7646 late in trading on 12 February 2015. The currency was sold down in response to data showing that Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 6.4 per cent in January, with the economy shedding more than 12,000 jobs during the month. The jobs data has heightened expectations of further easing of monetary policy, and Paul Bloxham of HSBC expects the currency to continue to retreat

CORPORATES
HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Rio Tinto leads $10b in payouts

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 13-Feb-15

Rio Tinto’s underlying earning for calendar 2014 were nine per cent lower than previously at $US9.3bn, although the result was better than analysts had expected. Rio will repurchase some $US2bn ($A2.6bn) worth of its shares, while a 12 per cent increase in its full-year dividend means a total of $US6bn ($A7.8bn) will be returned to shareholders. The resources group’s net debt has been reduced to $A12.5bn, compared with $US22bn in mid-2013

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED – ASX AFI, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

Apple’s pick of the crop as reality bites for other heroes

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Original article by Philip Baker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 12-Feb-15

The market capitalisation of Apple rose to $US711bn on 11 February 2015, and the IT giant may be on track to become the first company to achieve a market value of $US1trn. Apple shares have risen by more than 50,600 per cent since its IPO in 1980. Meanwhile, shares in Australian-listed Commonwealth Bank and CSL retreated on 11 February, although both remain close to record highs and are candidates to reach $A100 per share

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, APPLE INCORPORATED, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH

Atlassian fast tracks NYSE float

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Feb-15

Australian entrepreneurs Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes are currently in 35th and 36th place on the "BRW" Rich List. However, their personal wealth is likely to increase significantly if Atlassian Software lists on the US sharemarket. The company has recruited former eBay executive Erik Bardman to fill the post of CFO. Atlassian president Jay Simons has given indications that the group could pursue an IPO in 2015

CORPORATES
ATLASSIAN SOFTWARE SYSTEMS PTY LTD, EBAY INCORPORATED, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE, NASDAQ, ORACLE CORPORATION, SAP AG, IBM CORPORATION, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, T ROWE PRICE GROUP INCORPORATED, DRAGONEER INVESTMENT GROUP LLC, HORTONWORKS, NEW RELIC, BOX, CISCO SYSTEMS INCORPORATED, CITRIX SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

Common scents: younger women more likely to buy perfume

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Feb-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 11 per cent of Australian women aged 14+ bought perfume in an average four-week period in the year to September 2014. However, this rises to 18 per cent for women in the 14-24 age group, compared with 10 per cent of women in the 50-64 age demographic. The proportion of women in the 25-34, 35-49 and 65+ age groups who purchased women’s perfume in any given four weeks was fairly consistent, at around nine per cent

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED