Author: roymorgansocial

Home quarantine should be widespread once vaccination target is hit, PM says

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Original article by David Crowe, Rachel Clun
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is continuing to urge the states and territories to support the national plan for reopening the economy when the COVID-19 vaccination target has been reached. He contends that Australians who are returning from overseas should be allowed to quarantine at home rather than in a hotel once 70-80 per cent of eligible adults have been vaccinated. However, he has conceded that internal border closures are a matter for the states; Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan is maintaining a tough stance on border closures.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Roy Morgan Business Confidence plunges by 15.7pts (-13.4%) to 101.5 as Sydney and Melbourne endure extended lockdowns

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

In August 2021, Roy Morgan Business Confidence fell 15.7pts (-13.4%) to 101.5. Despite the fall Business Confidence is 18.4pts (+18.1%) higher than a year ago (83.1), but it is 12.3pts below the long-term average of 113.8. Despite the third straight monthly fall in August, Business Confidence has now averaged 120.9 during the first eight months of 2021, which is still the best ever start to a year for the Index. Business Confidence was down in all six Australian States, but it is still lowest in New South Wales. Some 46.2% (down 13.7ppts) of businesses now expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 51.2% (up 13.7ppts), expect ‘bad times’ (the highest figure for this indicator since October 2020). Meanwhile, 47.9% (down 4.4ppts) say the next 12 months is a ‘good time to invest in growing the business’ (the lowest figure for this indicator since September 2020), while 43.4% (up 5.4ppts) said it will be a ‘bad time to invest’. The latest Roy Morgan Business Confidence results for August are based on 1,301 detailed interviews with a cross-section of Australian businesses from each State and Territory.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Movement in the Brisbane CBD recovers quickly after recent lockdown, but Sydney & Melbourne lockdowns extended again

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows movement in the Brisbane CBD continuing to recover after the recent lockdown in early August. The average 7-day movement level in the Brisbane CBD was at 54% of pre-pandemic levels in late August, up from a low of 23% in early August and its highest since late May. In contrast, movement levels in the two largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne remain at only a fraction of pre-pandemic levels in late August as both cities endure extended Winter lockdowns which are set to continue well into September and even October. In late August average movement levels in the Sydney CBD were at only 12% of pre-pandemic averages and at only 13% of pre-pandemic levels in the Melbourne CBD. Movement levels in both cities is slightly above the record low of 8% reached in both cities in late July. The two cities closest to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ are the Adelaide CBD with average movement levels at 68% of pre-pandemic averages and the Perth CBD with average movement levels at 63% of pre-pandemic averages. In third place is the Hobart CBD at 55% of pre-pandemic averages. Roy Morgan has partnered with leading technology innovator UberMedia to aggregate data from tens of thousands of mobile devices to assess the movements of Australians as we deal with the restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UBERMEDIA

Board must act on ABC editorial failures

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Original article by Troy Bramston
The Australian – Page: 2 : 1-Sep-21

The ABC continues to attract scrutiny over a controversial documentary on the 1979 ghost train fire at Sydney’s Luna Park. An independent review found that allegations raised in the documentary with regard to former NSW premier Neville Wran were unsubstantiated. The ABC’s former MD David Hill has criticised the public broadcaster’s management for defending the documentary and failing to acknowledge its shortcomings. Hill contends that the documentary breached the ABC’s editorial policies with regard to accuracy and fairness.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence virtually unchanged at 101.8 as vaccination levels rise but lockdowns continue

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 0.2% to 101.8 on August 28/29, despite rising COVID-19 case numbers in New South Wales and Victoria. Consumer Confidence is still well below the 2021 weekly average of 109, but it is now 11.6 points higher than the same week a year ago (90.2). Consumer Confidence is again lowest in Victoria and NSW, just below the neutral level of 100. Consumer Confidence in South Australia and Queensland is just above 100 while it is significantly higher in Western Australia at over 110. Now 26% (down 3ppts) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 26% (unchanged) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 37% (up 2ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and only 14% (unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 12% (unchanged) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 29% (down 4ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 35% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 33% (also unchanged) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Harvey repays JobKeeper

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 15 : 1-Sep-21

Consumer electronics and furniture retailer Harvey Norman has posted a 2020-21 net profit of $841.41m, which is 75.1 per cent higher than previously. Revenue rose by 14.9 per cent to $9.721bn, while its Australian sales were up 12.8 per cent at $6.95bn. Harvey Norman’s stores in seven overseas markets recorded profit growth of 58.3 per cent, to $240.79m. Meanwhile, chairman Gerry Harvey has advised that the group will repay some $6.02m worth of taxpayer support that it received via the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. Harvey Norman received about $22m worth of JobKeeper payments in total.

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HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

Cashed-up Forrest trumps BHP in nickel bidding war

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Original article by Brad Thompson, Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 & 16 : 1-Sep-21

Andrew Forrest’s Wyloo Metals has increased its takeover bid for Canadian nickel explorer Noront Resources to $C0.70 per share. Wyloo had initially offered just $C0.315 per share, before BHP upped the ante with an offer of $C0.55 per share. Wyloo holds a stake of about 25 per cent in Noront, although this could be increased to 37 per cent via a convertible loan. Forrest has indicated that Noront could potentially remain a listed company if Wyloo’s takeover bid succeeds.

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WYLOO METALS PTY LTD, NORONT RESOURCES LIMITED, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Investors rewarded with bumper dividends, buybacks

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Original article by John Collett
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

CommSec’s chief economist Craig James is cautious about the outlook for the Australian sharemarket in the wake of the August reporting season. He notes that the recent strong performance of many listed companies has already been priced into sharemarket valuations. Capital management was a key feature of the reporting season, with listed companies announcing some $20bn worth of share buybacks, while investors will receive more than $34bn worth of dividend payments. Peter Warnes of Morningstar says investors should expect lower dividend payouts in 2022.

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COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD

Victoria records two COVID-19 deaths ahead of modest easing of restrictions

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Original article by Sumeyya Ilanbey, Melissa Cunningham
The Age – Page: Online : 1-Sep-21

Victoria has recorded 76 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, including 31 mystery cases. The state has also recorded its first COVID-19 deaths since 30 November, a woman in her 60s and a 49-year-old woman; it is not yet known whether they had been vaccinated or had underlying health conditions. Meanwhile, the state government is expected to relax some lockdown restrictions after conceding that its ‘COVID-zero’ strategy is no longer feasible. However, Premier Daniel Andrews says the aim will to get daily case numbers to as close to zero as possible to avoid overwhelming the hospital system. The state has 841 active cases, including 52 in hospital.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Australians turn to magazines during lockdowns with Food & Entertainment, Home & Garden, General Interest and Mass Women readership up year on year

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Aug-21

The Roy Morgan Australian Readership report for the 12 months to June 2021 shows that a total of 15,201,000 Australians aged 14+ (72.0%) read magazines in print or online either via the web or an app. This is down 4 per cent, or 628,000, from a year ago. Readership of print magazines was 12.0 million Australians aged 14+ (56.8 per cent), down 2.2% from a year ago. Although overall industry readership figures are down slightly compared to a year ago, this is largely due to the closure or suspension of many titles during 2020 as the industry grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation-wide lockdown. The good news is that many magazine titles have resonated with new audiences during a tough year and are thriving, with solid readership increases seen across many categories. Readership of the Food & Entertainment category increased by 10.8 per cent to over 7.1 million, General Interest was up 6.1 per cent to over 4.1 million, Home & Garden increased by 17.8 per cent to over 3.8 million and Mass Women’s was up 3.8 per cent to over 3 million. These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey of 64,973 Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months to June 2021.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED