Author: roymorgansocial

Crisis spurs a rush to raise capital

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Original article by Ben Wilmot, Glenda Korporaal, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 28-Apr-20

National Australia Bank, Charter Hall Retail REIT and Monash IVF are among the latest companies to undertake capital raisings. Australian-listed companies have now raised more than $15bn from investors during the coronavirus pandemic, and Simon Ranson of JP Morgan expects this trend to continue. However, some companies have attracted criticism for giving preference to certain investors in the allocation of new shares.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, CHARTER HALL RETAIL REIT – ASX CQR, MONASH IVF GROUP LIMITED – ASX MVF, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Coal, alumina prices look sick on virus effects

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 28-Apr-20

The prices of Australia’s key commodity exports have retreated in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The price of premium hard coking coal was recently trading at $US122.8 per tonne, compared with $US210 per tonne in early May 2019. Likewise, the price of premium thermal coal shipped through the port of Newcastle has fallen to $US56 per tonne, down from more than $US120 per tonne in mid-2018. The alumina price has in turn fallen to $US226 per tonne, compared with more than $US600 per tonne in 2018. Increased supply from China after the nation’s lockdown restrictions were eased has contributed to the price weakness.

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Greedy banks protect profits: ACCC

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd, David Ross
The Australian – Page: 15 : 28-Apr-20

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has released the interim report of its Home Loan Price Inquiry. It has concluded that the nation’s four major banks failed to pass on the full 75 basis point reduction in the cash rate during 2019 in order to protect their profits. The ACCC also found that existing home loan customers tend to pay higher interest rates than new borrowers. Steve Mickenbecker of Canstar says it is a ‘lethargy tax’ rather than a ‘loyalty tax’, and the onus should be on existing customers to actively request a lower interest rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, CANSTAR PTY LTD

BGH’s Team Australia appeal for Virgin

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Original article by Patrick Durkin, Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 20 : 24-Apr-20

Twelve parties are believed to have expressed interest in acquiring or investing in Virgin Australia. They include Australian private equity firm BGH Capital, which contends that a local buyer would be in the best interests of the airline and its employees. Foreign private equity firms and hedge funds are said to be interested in Virgin. Meanwhile, former Ansett Australia chairman Rod Eddington has backed calls for Virgin to cease servicing international routes and focus on the domestic market.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, BGH CAPITAL PTY LTD, ANSETT AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED

Portland smelter survives cuts but future uncertain

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 15 : 24-Apr-20

Alcoa announced a review of its loss-making aluminium smelters in September, with its Portland smelter in Victoria one of the smelters under scrutiny. Alcoa advised on 22 April that it would be closing its Intalco smelter in the US, as well as indicating it will speed up its review of loss-making assets because of the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Alcoa CFO Bill Oplinger said the pandemic was making it harder for the company to sell its unwanted assets, reducing the prospect of finding a ‘white knight’ for Portland should Alcoa’s review of it be unfavourable.

CORPORATES
ALCOA INCORPORATED, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC

Post-pandemic world a great chance to turbocharge growth

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Original article by Patrick Commins, Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 24-Apr-20

Professor Ian Harper says Australia should pursue micro-economic reforms once the coronavirus pandemic abates. He argues that the priority should be on smaller regulatory changes that will boost productivity over the long-term, rather than wholesale reform. Amongst other things, Harper has proposed an overhaul of urban planning and zoning laws to ensure consistency across jurisdictions, and greater use of road user charges to combat traffic congestion as people begin to return to work. Harper chaired the federal government’s competition review in 2015.

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PM roasts banks over Covid fail

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Original article by Simon Benson, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 24-Apr-20

Australia’s four major banks will fast-track applications for bridging finance by companies that are struggling to pay their wages bills after Prime Minister Scott Morrison intervened. He has criticised the banks for taking too long to process such applications, with employers’ groups warning that some businesses have been forced to lay off employees while they wait to receive JobKeeper payments. tax commissioner Chris Jordan raised the issue with bank executives following a telephone conference with Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, COMMONWEALTH AGRICULTURAL BUREAU INTERNATIONAL, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

AAP closure and AFP raids see Australia slide in World Press Freedom Index

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Original article by Hannah Blackiston
Mumbrella – Page: Online : 24-Apr-20

Australia has ranked 26th in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, down from 19th place in 2019. The index is compiled by Reporters Without Borders, which has indicated that the decline was largely due to the proposed closure of newswire service AAP and police raids on the ABC’s head office and the home of a News Corporation journalist in mid-2019. Numerous national security laws brought in since the September 11 terror attacks in the US and defamation laws passed in 2018 were also seen as of concern by Reporters Without Borders.

CORPORATES
REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Billions of early super released

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 24-Apr-20

The Australian Taxation Office has already approved 456,000 applications from superannuation fund members who want to utilise the federal government’s early access scheme. Some $3.8m worth of withdrawals have been approved since the scheme opened on 20 April; more than 900,000 people had previously registered interest in the scheme, which is restricted to fund members who have experienced financial hardship due to the pandemic. Association of Super Funds of Australia CEO Martin Fahy has downplayed concerns that some super funds may face liquidity issues due to the early access scheme.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

CBA delays all SME repayments

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Original article by Max Maddison
The Australian – Page: 17 : 24-Apr-20

The Council of Small Business Organisations’ deputy chairman David Gandolfo has welcomed the Commonwealth Bank’s decision to defer loan repayments for many small business customers until the end of June. The loan deferral will automatically apply to small business accounts that have lending limits of less than $5m, although these customers can opt to continue making repayments. Business customers with loans of between $5m and $10m will be able to defer repayments for six months due to the impact of the pandemic.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED