Author: roymorgansocial

News Corp set to gain increased visibility with over 4.8 million Chemist Warehouse customers

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-May-20

New research from Roy Morgan shows that 11.4 million Australians in NSW, Victoria, Queensland or South Australia either read one of the print editions of the local News Corp metropolitan daily newspapers or were customers of Chemist Warehouse during the March quarter. News Corp and Chemist Warehouse recently announced a trial to sell the media company’s four leading metro dailies at 100 Chemist Warehouse stores over the next few months. Analysing the two separately shows that 6.6 million Australians currently read one of the News Corp metropolitan dailies in print in an average four weeks and almost 7.2 million in NSW, Victoria, Queensland or South Australia shop at Chemist Warehouse in an average four weeks. Of the 11.4 million who either read print editions of the News Corp dailies or shop at Chemist Warehouse 4.82 million (42%) only shop at Chemist Warehouse. A further 21%, or 2.35 million, read one of the print editions of the News Corp metropolitan dailies and shop at Chemist Warehouse, while 4.23 million (37%) only read a print edition of one of the News Corp metropolitan dailies. The findings are from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, derived from in-depth interviews with 50,000 Australians each year.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, CHEMIST WAREHOUSE

Utility companies have a significant consumer distrust problem

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-May-20

As part of its extensive, continuous measurement of consumer trust and distrust in Australia, Roy Morgan tracks 44 brands in the Utilities sector: gas, electricity and water providers. The latest results for March 2020 show the amount of distrust felt towards Utilities brands as a group significantly outweighs the trust they generate, resulting in the industry falling deep into Net Distrust territory – ranked 22nd of 25 industry sectors. This finding will undoubtedly concern many in the sector, particularly with federal and state energy watchdogs monitoring providers more closely than ever, given the number of customers now experiencing financial hardship. There are exceptions among the 44 brands being tracked: Red Energy, Aurora and Simply Energy are all trusted brands, while Alinta Energy has a neutral score. But some of Australia’s biggest energy brands are its most distrusted.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, RED ENERGY PTY LTD, AURORA ENERGY PTY LTD, ALINTA ENERGY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Foxtel to Binge on seismic change

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 18-May-20

Foxtel has yet to confirm speculation that its new entertainment-focused streaming service will be called Binge. Internally codenamed Project Ares, the new subscription video-on-demand service will debut on 25 May, featuring movies and full seasons of TV shows. It is expected to cost between $10 and $14 a month, while people who already use the Kayo Sports streaming service will be offered discounts and free trials. The new product is part of Foxtel’s shift in focus from traditional pay-TV to streaming services.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS

Pandemic pain to hit wage rises

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-May-20

Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO James Pearson says the latest jobs data underlines the need for the minimum wage to remain unchanged in 2020. He warns that an increase in the minimum wage would jeopardise more jobs. Fair Work Commission president Ian Ross has flagged the possibility that a minimum wage rise could be delayed for companies that are receiving the JobKeeper wage subsidy. However, the ACTU opposes any delay; it is pushing for a minimum wage rise of four per cent, or $30 a week.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

PM plays a long game with China, US cashes in

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 15-May-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia will never "trade away its values" and will continue to pursue calls for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 despite China’s trade threats. The government holds the view that it is being tested by China, and that China is seeking to create division between the government and business by targeting important trade sectors such as agriculture. With China threatening 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley, China is now allowing barley imports from the US as part of its commitment under the easing of its trade war with the Trump administration.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Caltex investors back Ampol rebirth

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 15-May-20

Some 99.8 per cent of Caltex Australia’s shareholders have supported a resolution to change its name to Ampol. The company aims to complete the rebranding of its petrol stations by the end of 2022. Caltex’s interim CEO Matt Halliday has noted the impact of coronavirus-induced travel restrictions; he says that convenience retail fuel volumes fell 16 per cent year-on-year in the 12 months to April, while demand for jet fuel has fallen by up to 90 per cent. Caltex is still looking to sell a 49 per cent stake in a portfolio of petrol stations, via an IPO or a trade sale.

CORPORATES
CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX

Farmers still waiting for government bushfire loan applications to be assessed

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Original article by Lucy Carter
The New Daily – Page: Online : 15-May-20

Farmers on the New South Wales south coast say they are still waiting for applications for federal government bushfire recovery loans to be assessed, some months after the fires hit. Free-range chicken farmer Dan Tarasenko says he could hire "10 people tomorrow" if his two loan applications went through. Figures from the National Bushfire Recovery Agency show that of the 681 applications received for concessional loans, just 288 have been approved. Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud says it is the job of the states and territories to distribute the loans, even though it is federal government money.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL BUSHFIRE RECOVERY AGENCY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Google’s gross revenue dwarfs tax bill again

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Original article by Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 15-May-20

Google Australia had gross revenue of $4.8 billion in 2019, of which around $4.3 billion came from advertisers, according to accounts lodged with the corporate regulator on 14 May. However, the top line in its accounts shows revenue of just $1.2 billion; Google Australia says it sees itself as just as an agent that sells advertising product created by its US parent, only booking the commission it earns on each sale as revenue. Accordingly, its gross profit only amounted to $823 million, while its tax bill came in at just $100 million.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Singapore, BGH lead Virgin race

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal, Damon Kitney
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 15-May-20

Deloitte’s Vaughan Strawbridge is expected to receive four serious non-binding indicative bids for Virgin Australia on 15 May. They are tipped to include a consortium that is headed by AustralianSuper and private equity firm BGH. Singapore’s Temasek will not be a member of the consortium, although it would gain indirect exposure to Virgin via its investment in BGH’s $2.5bn equity fund. Queensland government-owned QIC has ruled out making an indicative bid on 15 May, although it might join a consortium in the second round of the bidding process.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, BGH CAPITAL PTY LTD, TEMASEK HOLDINGS (PTE) LTD, QIC LIMITED

Beijing options limited to Australian iron ore

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Original article by Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 15-May-20

China imported 62 per cent of its iron ore from Australia in 2019, compared to only 21 per cent from Brazil. However, a report in a state-owned Chinese newspaper has raised the possibility that China could replace iron ore from Australia with iron ore from Brazil as part of the growing trade tensions. However, Glyn Lawcock of UBS notes that the global iron ore market is very tight at the moment. Fortescue Metals Group CEO Elizabeth Gaines expects Chinese demand for Australian iron ore to continue to rise.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG