Author: roymorgansocial

Cat’s plan for regional powerhouse

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, John Durie
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 28 : 31-Oct-19

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will scrutinise Seven West Media’s takeover bid for regional affiliate Prime Media Group, with a decision on the $64m deal to be made on 18 December. Meanwhile, Antony Catalano and Alex Waislitz have built a 10.26 per cent stake in Prime, which would prevent Seven from compulsorily acquiring the company. Catalano says the Seven deal is not in the best interests of regional media. Catalano has also revealed that he held merger talks with Prime Media earlier in 2019. Catalano and Waislitz recently bought Nine Entertainment’s regional newspapers.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SPHERIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WA CHESS INVESTMENTS

Figures show Australia’s wealth is growing but benefits are not spread evenly

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Original article by Charis Chang
News.com.au – Page: Online : 31-Oct-19

The Roy Morgan Wealth Report shows that Australia’s net wealth has increased by 90.5 per cent, or $4107bn, between 2007 and 2019. The nation’s wealth increased by 47.6 per cent when the CPI is taken into account. The net wealth of individual Australians has also increased since the global financial crisis, but this increase has not been spread evenly across the population. Median net wealth has increased by 26.3 per cent to $1.7m, although this has fallen by 2.2 per cent when adjusted for the CPI. However, the top decile of Australians have increased their wealth by 60 per cent since 2007, while the lowest decile remains in negative wealth, with their net wealth rising from -$20,000 to -$19,000. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says wealth inequality can breed distrust in society.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

‘Admission is not absolution’: FWO warns Woolies after $300m wage theft revelations

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Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 31-Oct-19

Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci has apologised after the retail giant became the latest company to be embroiled in the wage underpayment scandal. Woolworths has advised that it faces remediation costs of up to $300m after revealing that some 5,700 employees across its supermarkets and Metro stores have been underpaid, potentially since 2010. Woolworths will also review its non-grocery businesses, such as Big W and Dan Murphy’s. Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker says the size of a company’s underpayment will be taken into consideration when the FWO considers penalties in the future.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, WOOLWORTHS SUPERMARKETS, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, DAN MURPHY’S, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, SUPER RETAIL GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUL, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Banks face a crisis: former Westpac chief Morgan

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 31-Oct-19

Former Westpac CEO David Morgan says the Australian banking sector is experiencing its fourth crisis, due to factors such as slowing economic growth, the misconduct exposed by the Hayne royal commission, and the Banking Executive Accountability Regime. The banking industry veteran, who is currently CEO of Chi-X Australia, cautions against over-regulating the sector, noting that the nation has a world-class banking system by global standards.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, CHI-X AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Core strategy will remain: BHP

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 20 : 30-Oct-19

BHP’s chief transformation officer Jonathan Price will address the IMARC mining conference in Melbourne on 30 October. He will argue that while technology such as automation and big data will have a key role in the mining sector in the future, BHP’s focus will continue to be on large resources projects with long production lives. In contrast, Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques recently suggested that big mining companies may shift their focus to developing smaller projects that can upscaled later on.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

RBA urges boards: cut hurdle rates

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 30-Oct-19

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe has used a speech in Canberra to argue that businesses should reduce their return hurdle rates on new investments in response to historically low interest rates. He contends that many business investments that did not make sense commercially when interest rates were much higher should now proceed. Lowe also emphasised that negative interest rates are unlikely in Australia.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Forrest baulks at sugar hit pledges

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 30-Oct-19

Fortescue Metals Group chairman Andrew Forrest has criticised iron ore rivals such as BHP and Rio Tinto for their stance on issues such as Scope 3 emissions and gender parity. He has described their announcements on such issues as "sugar hits" that have no real substance. Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines has told the pure-play miner’s AGM that its own Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are a priority, rather than the emissions of its customers. Meanwhile, 24.72 per cent of votes cast at the AGM rejected Fortescue’s remuneration report.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Nine chases NZ media assets in QMS carve-up

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Original article by Bridget Carter, Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 30-Oct-19

QMS Media’s board has recommended that shareholders accept a cash offer of $1.22 per share from Quadrant Private Equity, in the latest deal in Australia’s outdoor advertising sector. Meanwhile, Nine Entertainment Company has declined to comment on speculation that it could be interested in buying some of QMS’s assets in New Zealand, including radio stations and its outdoor advertising business. QMS has a 40 per cent stake in MediaWorks, which owns New Zealand TV stations such as TV3 and Bravo, and radio stations such as Magic and The Edge.

CORPORATES
QMS MEDIA LIMITED – ASX QMS, QUADRANT PRIVATE EQUITY PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MEDIAWORKS (NZ) LIMITED, TV3 NETWORK LIMITED, BRAVO, MAGIC, THE EDGE, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, KKR AND COMPANY LP, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, NZME LIMITED – ASX NZM, STUFF LIMITED, JC DECAUX SA, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED, ADSHEL PTY LTD, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1

Foxtel customers get the loyal treatment

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 30-Oct-19

Subscribers who sign up to Foxtel’s new customer loyalty program will receive a range of exclusive offers. The Foxtel First loyalty scheme will reward customers based on the length of time they have been a subscriber. The launch of the customer loyalty program comes ahead of the impending entry of Disney+ and Apple TV+ into Australia’s streaming video market, where they will compete with established players such as Foxtel, Netflix and Stan.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DISNEY+, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, APPLE INCORPORATED, FOXTEL NOW, KAYO SPORTS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence slips to 110.4

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Oct-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 1.1% to 110.4 in the week ended 27 October. Households’ views towards current financial conditions rose 5%, reversing much of the recent falls; views towards future financial conditions gained 0.4%, a third weekly rise. Consumers’ views toward current economic conditions fell 4% to the lowest level since early 2017, and views towards future economic conditions lost 3.8%. The ‘time to buy a major household item’ was down 3.3%, compared to a gain of 5.1% previously. The four-week average for inflation expectations was stable at 4.1%, although the weekly reading fell below 4% after five weeks of stability.

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