Author: roymorgansocial

Australia’s economy slows to levels last seen during the GFC

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Original article by Stephen Letts, Michael Janda
abc.net au – Page: Online : 6-Jun-19

Official data shows that Australia’s GDP growth was just 0.4 per cent in the March 2019 quarter, and 1.8 per cent in the year to March. Annual growth was the lowest in almost a decade, heightening concerns about a GDP per capita recession. The national accounts data also shows that household spending grew by just 1.8 per cent in the year to March, although government spending increased by 5.1 per cent. Shane Oliver of AMP Capital says the near-term outlook for the economy remains positive, but he cautions that the outlook for 2020 is "challenging".

CORPORATES
AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

ABC raid sparks battle between government and media

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: Online : 6-Jun-19

There are further concerns about freedom of the press following an Australian Federal Police raid on the Sydney offices of the ABC on 5 June. AFP officers were seeking document relating to the public broadcaster’s 2017 report on allegations of misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan. The report was based on secret Defence documents that were leaked to the ABC. The AFP has indicated that the raid was not linked to a separate raid on the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst on 4 June. The Greens have called for a Senate inquiry into the decline of press freedom in the wake of the police raids.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Real unemployment at 10.3% as L-NP starts new term in Government

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Jun-19

The latest data for the Roy Morgan employment series shows that 11,926,000 Australians were employed in May 2019, down 219,0000 over the past year. The fall in employment was driven by a significant decrease in part-time employment of 375,000 over the past year (to 3,911,000); full-time employment was up by 156,000 (to 8,015,000). The figures also show that 1,369,000 Australians (10.3% of the workforce) were unemployed in May, up 53,000 on a year ago, and the unemployment rate was up by 0.5%. An additional 1,223,000 Australians (9.2% of the workforce) were under-employed, working part-time and looking for more work, a decrease of 28,000 in a year (down 0.1%). In total, 2,592,000 Australians (19.5% of the workforce) were either unemployed or under-employed in May, an increase of 25,000 in a year (up 0.4%). Roy Morgan’s real unemployment figure of 10.3% for May is significantly higher than the current ABS estimate for April 2019 of 5.2%. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the first priority for the re-elected Coalition government is to pass the promised income tax cuts as soon as Parliament resumes. Other legislative priorities should include tackling the ‘cash economy’ which undermines law-abiding businesses, reducing the penalty rates for businesses opening on weekends and public holidays, and cutting the regulatory ‘red tape’ that discourages businesses from hiring new workers.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Rare Earths Battle Looms as U.S. Aims to Counter China Export Threat

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Original article by
Bloomberg – Page: Online : 6-Jun-19

The US-China trade war may escalate after China’s National Development & Reform Commission signalled that it will look at imposing export controls on rare earths. The US Commerce Department has responded by releasing a report which outlines a range of options to ensure continued supply of rare earths minerals, which are used in many consumer goods. China accounts for more than 70 per cent of global production of rare earths.

CORPORATES
CHINA. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM COMMISSION, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF COMMERCE, CITIGROUP INCORPORATED, MP MATERIALS, LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, CHINA RARE EARTH HOLDINGS LIMITED, CHINA NORTHERN RARE EARTH GROUP HIGH-TECH COMPANY LIMITED, JL MAG RARE-EARTH COMPANY LIMITED

Dacian downturn bodes ill for WA gold producers

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 19 : 6-Jun-19

Dacian Gold has advised that it now expects production at its Mount Morgans mine to be within the range of 36,000 to 38,000 ounces in the June quarter, compared with previous guidance of 50,000 to 55,000 ounces. Dacian has also warned that longer-term production at the mine will also fail to meet expectations, at an of average 160,000 to 180,000 ounces annually over a five-year period. Shares in Dacian closed 67.5 per cent lower at $0.515 on 5 June.

CORPORATES
DACIAN GOLD LIMITED – ASX DCN, GASCOYNE RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GCY, MILLENNIUM MINERALS LIMITED – ASX MOY, ST BARBARA LIMITED – ASX SBM, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, ATLANTIC GOLD CORPORATION, NORGES BANK

Odds of trade accord ‘less than 50pc’: Rudd

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 5-Jun-19

Asia Society Policy Institute president and former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd says the US and China still have a strategic and economic interest in securing a trade deal. However, Rudd estimates that there is now less than a 50 per cent chance of a trade deal, down from 90 per cent earlier in the year. Rudd added that the US-China trade dispute will be a "particularly challenging time" for Australia’s relationship with China.

CORPORATES
ASIA SOCIETY POLICY INSTITUTE, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Telstra set to axe 10,000 contractors

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Original article by James Fernyhough, Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 5-Jun-19

Telstra CEO Andy Penn has advised that the focus of the telco’s ‘T22’ strategy cost-cutting will shift to its indirect workforce from 2019-20. Telstra boasts about 40,000 indirect workers, who include contractors, call-centre workers and customer service staff. Penn has signalled that the telco will shed about 25 per cent of these workers over the next two years. Telstra unveiled plans in mid-2018 to retrench some 8,000 direct employees over the next several years. The ACTU has accused Telstra of putting profits ahead of people, jobs and service.

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, ACTU, NEW STREET RESEARCH

Antitrust woes mount for tech giants

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Original article by Cecilia Kang, David Streitfeld, Annie Karni
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 5-Jun-19

US lawmakers will investigate major digital platforms for possible breaches of anti-trust laws. The House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee will undertake hearings on the issue over the next 18 months, which could lead to a formal investigation by regulators. The Federal Trade Commission would be given the task of investigating possible anti-competitive behaviour by Facebook and Amazon, while Google and Apple would be subject to scrutiny by the Department of Justice. The investigation could potentially result in changes to anti-trust laws.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF JUSTICE

Banks defy the Treasurer, RBA

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Jun-19

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has criticised the ANZ Bank for reducing its variable mortgage interest rates by just 0.18, after the Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate by 0.25 per cent to a record low of 1.25 per cent. Westpac has cut its variable rates by 0.20 per cent, while National Australia Bank and the Commonwealth Bank have passed the central bank’s full rate cut on to customers. RBA governor Philip Lowe also says the major banks should reduce their mortgage rates by the full amount, given that their wholesale funding costs have fallen significantly.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

GDP forecasts upgraded on record trade surplus

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 5-Jun-19

Australia has posted a current account deficit of just $2.9bn for the March quarter, compared with $7.2bn in the previous three months. The trade surplus has risen to a record $13.6bn, with the value of goods and services exports rising by $4.24bn and imports falling by $514m. The trade surplus was bolstered by higher iron ore prices, although iron ore export volumes fell during the quarter. National Australia Bank and BIS Oxford Economics have upgraded their GDP growth forecasts for the March quarter.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BIS OXFORD ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ