Ratings pain as tennis fails to shine for Nine

Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 3 : 29-Jan-19

The Nine Network’s coverage of the 2019 Australian Open men’s final attracted an average national audience of 2.085 million. It was the lowest combined audience since 2007, while Seven attracted an audience of 2.37 million for its last men’s final broadcast in 2018. The women’s final attracted a combined average of 1.57 million. Nine spent $55m on its coverage of the 2019 Australian Open, and boasted advertising revenue of $45m. In contrast, Nine had spent $105m a year on broadcasting cricket, with ad revenue of $70m.

CORPORATES
NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED

Canberra swamp costs $8bn

Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 29-Jan-19

The Institute of Public ­Affairs has estimated that the direct cost of the federal government in 2016-17 was $8.1bn. Public sector wages accounted for the bulk of the cost of government, with the average weekly earnings of public servants being significantly higher than their peers in the private sector. The analysis also shows that government departments spend $585m on consultants’ fees in 2016-17, while international organ­isations received $440m of taxpayers’ money.

CORPORATES
INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, CANCER COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, RECONCILIATION AUSTRALIA, ETHNIC COMMUNITIES COUNCIL OF QUEENSLAND, BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL, AIDS COUNCIL OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Sharemarkets burst out of blocks

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 29-Jan-19

The S&P/ASX 200 has gained 4.6 per cent so far in January 2019, and it has risen eight per cent since reaching a two-year low in December. Jason Steed of JP Morgan says the benchmark index could test the 6,300-point level by the end of 2019, which implies a 12 per cent gain for the year. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank expects the S&P/ASX 200 to finish the year at 6,150 points. Overseas sharemarkets have also started the year strongly, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average having risen for five consecutive weeks.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED – ASX ALL, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, BRAMBLES LIMITED – ASX BXB, RELIANCE WORLDWIDE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX RWC, TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE

Declining intentions to take out health insurance

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Jan-19

The latest Roy Morgan ‘Private Health Insurance Intender Profile Report’ September 2018 shows that 1.31 million Australians who currently do not have private health insurance intend to take it out over the next 12 months. This represents the lowest number over the last five years and is down by 17.1% (from 1.58 million) from the intention level over the same period 12 months ago. In order to improve the chances of converting health insurance intenders to fund members there is a need to understand in-depth who they are and what drives them. Intenders are dominated by the under-35 age groups with 55.4%. The 14-to-24 segment is the largest group with 28.4%, followed by the 25-to-34 year olds with 27.0%. Both of these age groups are well over-represented compared to their overall population share.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Inflation Expectations down 0.1% to 4.2% in December

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Jan-19

Australians aged +14 expect inflation of 4.2% per year over the next two years, according to the Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations Index for December 2018. This is down 0.1% on a month ago and down 0.3% on December 2017. Inflation Expectations have now tracked in a narrow range between 4.2-4.5% for over two years. Inflation Expectations have dropped further below the eight-year average of 5.0%. Inflation Expectations fell in December for supporters of all political parties. L-NP supporters again had the lowest Inflation Expectations of supporters of any party, now at only 3.6%, down 0.1% in December. L-NP supporters have now had the lowest Inflation Expectations of any supporters since April 2018. Inflation Expectations for ALP supporters were down 0.2% to 4.0% in December and are now at their lowest since November 2016. December Inflation Expectations are based on a nationwide face-to-face survey of 4,104 Australians aged 14+.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Why have private health insurance?

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Jan-19

New research by Roy Morgan shows that 70.9% of Australians aged 14+ with health insurance agree that ‘above all else, private health insurance is about knowing that you will be able to cover the cost of big medical expenses if they arise’. This has declined from 77.5% over the past four years, but it remains the top priority for fund members. The number of people who agree that ‘health insurance gives me peace of mind’ has fallen from 74.5% to 68.1% over the last four years. The biggest drop in agreement over the last four years was for ‘it is essential to have private health insurance’, which has declined by 10.0% points to 56.2%. Roy Morgan’s Single Source Survey is based on in-depth personal interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 Australians per annum in their own homes, including detailed questioning of over 8,000 with members of health insurance funds.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Heat stress: power crisis hits home

Original article by Perry Williams, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 25-Jan-19

The Australian Energy Market Operator asked power users in Victoria and South Australia to cut their electricity usage on 24 January as the electricity grid struggled to cope with soaring temperatures. Households were urged not to use appliances such as washing machines during peak periods, while Alcoa was asked to cut production at its aluminium smelter in Victoria for around two hours in the evening. Around 20,000 households in Adelaide were hit by blackouts, although no blackouts are expected on 25 January, with a cool change due for both states.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, ALCOA OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Small biz bosses in fear of Labor

Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 25-Jan-19

The Executive Connection’s CEO Confidence Index fell 10 points to 112 in December, the first consecutive decline in two years. The Index is based on responses from around 110 small business owners, with nearly 60 per cent stating that a Labor government would be bad for their business. Labor has foreshadowed a series of tax increases that are tipped to raise $200 billion over a decade, although it has proposed a more generous investment allowance. Over 70 per cent of small business leaders surveyed expect that property prices will continue to fall.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY, MYOB GROUP LIMITED – ASX MYO, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Housing faces year of downturn

Original article by Turi Condon
The Australian – Page: 17 : 25-Jan-19

National Australia Bank now expects dwelling prices in Sydney and Melbourne to fall by 15 per cent from peak to trough. NAB’s latest survey of property industry professionals shows that respondents generally expect New South Wales and Victoria to incur the biggest fall in housing prices over the next several years, although prices are also tipped to fall or remain flat outside of the two largest capitals. NAB’s separate survey of consumers shows that they are more upbeat about the outlook for the housing market than property professionals.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED

December jobs growth beats forecasts

Original article by Tim Boyd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 25-Jan-19

Official data shows that Australia’s unemployment rate eased from 5.1 per cent to five per cent in December, with a net gain of 21,600 jobs during the month. Some 24,600 new part-time jobs were created, although the number of full-time positions fell by 3,000. The general consensus of economists had been for the unemployment rate to remain at 5.1 per cent and for 18,000 new jobs to have been created in December. Meanwhile, the labour market’s under-utilisation rate has fallen by 0.2 per cent to 13.3 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, BIXWOOD PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA