Author: roymorgansocial

Streaming services deliver surge in internet data downloads

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 22-Jan-20

Data from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission shows that internet users’ data downloads increased by 47 per cent in 2018-19. The ACCC has indicated that growing use of subscription video-on-demand services was a major contributor to the sharp increase in data usage. The ACCC also notes that 88 per cent of the data downloaded during the financial year was via fixed broadband services, while the proportion of broadband plans with unlimited data has risen from six per cent in 2014-15 to 57 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, OPTUS SPORT

Rate cuts not working says CBA economist

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 22-Jan-20

National Australia Bank’s chief economist Alan Oster says the Reserve Bank needs to reduce official interest rates twice in 2020 in order to stimulate the economy. He expects the first rate cut to be in February. The Commonwealth Bank’s chief economist Michael Blythe also anticipates a rate cut in February, although he opposes such a move. Blythe contends that the three rate cuts in 2019 have not been effective, and they have resulted in outcomes such as a decline in consumer confidence.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Music to replace sport talk at Nine

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 17 : 22-Jan-20

Nine Entertainment Company intends to phase out its Macquarie Sports Radio network, which has not resonated with consumers. Nine will instead relaunch former radio station brands such as 2UE in Sydney and Magic in Melbourne. The Macquarie Sports Radio stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane will adopt a music format, featuring songs from the 1970, 80s and 90s. Nine has advised that the stations will honour their existing sports broadcasting rights contracts.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MACQUARIE SPORTS RADIO, RADIO 2UE SYDNEY PTY LTD, MAGIC FM

Bushfire experts say it’s time to revisit Black Saturday recommendations and stop people rebuilding in highly dangerous areas

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Original article by Loretta Florance, Norman Hermant
abc.net au – Page: Online : 21-Jan-20

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s 2009 Black Saturday bushfires recommended a voluntary buy-back of properties in high-risk areas. However, then-premier John Brumby did not accept the recommendation, although the buyback idea was adopted with significant modifications by new premier Ted Baillieu after the Coalition was voted into government in 2010. Melbourne University fire ecologist Kevin Tolhurst says there are some parts of the Australian bush where houses should never have been constructed – or rebuilt.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Bushfires affect habitat of more than 100 threatened species, department estimates

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Original article by Mike Foley
The Age – Page: Online : 21-Jan-20

The federal Department of the Environment has released an initial analysis of the impact of the bushfires on the habitat of threatened species. It shows that more than 80 per cent of the known habitat of 49 listed species was within bushfire zones, as well as at least 50 per cent of the habitat of another 65 listed species. Professor Glenda Wardle from the University of Sydney warns that some threatened species will be even more at risk due to the bushfires, while the status of some species is likely to be upgraded to threatened. She adds that the majority of threated species that were hit by bushfires are plants rather than wildlife.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

Big business, blazes put heat on surplus

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 21-Jan-20

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has stressed that it is too soon to estimate the likely impact of the bushfires crisis on the economy and the federal government’s projected Budget surplus for 2019-20. He is believed to be considering whether to include new tax incentives for the business sector in the May Budget. However, Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox says the government should introduce an investment allowance immediately in order to stimulate the economy. The Business Council of Australia also recently called for a new investment allowance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Share surge elevates Forrest to $13bn man

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 15 & 16 : 21-Jan-20

Shares in pure-play iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group have gained more than 10 per cent so far in 2020, reaching a new intra-day high of $11.92 on 20 January. The rally has lifted Fortescue’s market capitalisation to more than $36bn, and it now ranks as Australia’s 13th largest company in terms of market cap. The stake of founder Andrew Forrest is now worth about $13bn, while his net wealth has increased by about $1bn since the start of the year and $7bn since March.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Under-employment up in December

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 21-Jan-20

The latest data for the Roy Morgan employment series shows that 12,691,000 Australians were employed in December 2019, up 617,000 over the last year. The rise was driven by a significant increase in full-time employment of 367,000 over the last year (to 8,326,000); part-time employment increased by 250,000 (to 4,365,000). The figures also show that 1,205,000 Australians (8.7% of the workforce) were unemployed in December, down 97,000 on a year ago, and the unemployment rate was down 1%. An additional 1,383,000 Australians (9.9% of the workforce) were under-employed, working part-time and looking for more work, up 205,000 in a year (up 1.1%). In total, 2,588,000 Australians (18.6% of the workforce) were either unemployed or under-employed in December, up 108,000 on a year ago. Roy Morgan’s real unemployment figure of 8.7% is higher than the current ABS estimate for November of 5.2%. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says we have seen consistently during recent years that strong growth in employment has not resulted in sustained drops in unemployment and under-employment. This trend continued throughout 2019.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Singapore Airlines rises into first position for customer satisfaction

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 21-Jan-20

Singapore Airlines is the winner of Roy Morgan’s International Airline of the Month Award for November 2019, with a customer satisfaction rating of 87%. It was followed by Emirates (85%), Qatar Airways (85%) and Air New Zealand (84%). Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the top three performers in the latest ratings have been the clear customer satisfaction standouts throughout the year, with Singapore Airlines and Emirates having challenged each other month by month for top position. The customer satisfaction ratings are drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, derived from in-depth face-to-face interviews with over 1,000 Australians each week in their homes.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, SINGAPORE AIRLINES LIMITED, EMIRATES AIRLINES, QATAR AIRWAYS

The Athlete’s Foot satisfied 84% of its customers

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 21-Jan-20

The Athlete’s Foot has won Roy Morgan’s Shoe Store of the Month award for November 2019, with a customer satisfaction rating of 84%. The Athlete’s Foot has won seven straight monthly satisfaction awards since winning its first award for 2019 in May. It had a comfortable lead over both Williams (74%) and Spendless Shoes (71%) in November. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says that The Athlete’s Foot has been rewarded for maintaining stable customer satisfaction ratings over the past three years, in an industry that is experiencing considerable fluctuations in satisfaction levels. Its satisfaction rating of 84% is only down 2% compared with three years ago. This is in contrast to Williams on 74%, which has decreased 10% over the same period, and Spendless Shoes on 71%, dropping 16%. The customer satisfaction ratings have been taken from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, compiled by in-depth face-to-face interviews with over 50,000 Australians each year in their homes.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, THE ATHLETE’S FOOT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WILLIAMS SHOES, SPENDLESS SHOES PTY LTD