Author: roymorgansocial

Bowen touts $200b tax hike buffer

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Jan-19

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen identifies Australia’s high level of household debt and low wages growth as key issues that concern him. Bowen adds that Labor’s proposed $200bn package of tax increases is necessary to provide the nation with a "fiscal buffer" in the event of a global economic downturn. He has also defended Labor’s plan to direct the bulk of tax relief to low- and middle-income earners, arguing that they tend to spend more than people on high incomes. Bowen has also downplayed fears that Labor’s negative gearing reforms would have an adverse effect on residential property values.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

Runaway train set to derail BHP earnings

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 15 & 16 : 23-Jan-19

BHP has advised that it produced 135 million tonnes of iron ore in the first half of 2018-19, with output falling by four million tonnes due to a train derailment in the Pilbara in early November. BHP’s copper output in turn was affected by problems at the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia and the Spencer mine in Chile. Shaw & Partners says BHP can still meet its full-guidance provided it has a strong second half. BHP shares closed 1.3 per cent lower at $32.77 on 22 January.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, VERTIUM ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, ORD MINNETT GROUP LIMITED

Tax strike on Airbnb, Uber users

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Jan-19

The federal government is planning a tax crackdown on the 11 million Australians who earn income from platforms such as Uber and Airbnb. It is estimated that income from shared-economy platforms now totals around $15bn a year, but at present the Australian Taxation Office is not able to determine the extent of underpayment or non-payment of tax on such income. The government proposes the introduction of a mandatory tax liability reporting regime for people who work in the shared economy. It will release a discussion paper on the issue on 23 January.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UBER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AIRBNB AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AIRTASKER PTY LTD, DELIVEROO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, UBER EATS

The great Aussie dream severely unaffordable

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ben Wilmot
The Australian – Page: 17 : 23-Jan-19

Demographia’s latest International Housing Affordability survey shows that residential property in Australia’s five largest capital cities remains expensive, relative to income. Sydney now ranks third behind Hong Kong and Vancouver among the least affordable housing markets of the 91 that were surveyed; Sydney’s median house multiple is 11.7, ahead of Melbourne with a median multiple of 9.7. Gladstone and Rockhampton are now the most affordable housing markets in Australia, with median multiples of 3.2 and 3.9 respectively.

CORPORATES
DEMOGRAPHIA

Majority of Australians now use digital payments – a potential threat or opportunity?

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Jan-19

New research by Roy Morgan shows that awareness of digital payments among Australians aged 14+ has reached 93.9%, and 72.4% have used at least one digital payment method over an average 12 months. The survey also shows that 7.2% of Australians have used ‘buy now, pay later’ systems such as Afterpay in the last 12 months, while 6.8% have used fintechs such as Android Pay and Google Wallet. Banks’ own mobile payments systems were used by 5.8% of Australians over this period. Meanwhile, 59.1% used bill payment services and 33.9% used online payment platforms such as PayPal. Roy Morgan’s ‘Digital Payment Solutions Currency Report’ November 2018 represents some of the findings from the Single Source survey, which is based on in-depth interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 consumers in their home.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Industry funds the likely beneficiaries of proposed superannuation changes

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Jan-19

New findings from Roy Morgan show that the level of satisfaction with the financial performance of industry superannuation funds was 61.8% in the six months to November 2018, compared with 57.2% for retail super funds. Satisfaction with industry funds has increased by 2.6% over the last year, while satisfaction with retail funds has declined by 0.3%. Eight of the top 10 performing funds, based on satisfaction with financial performance, were industry funds over the six months to November. The highest rating was for Catholic Super with 70.5%, followed by Unisuper on 69.7%. The only retail funds to make it into the top 10 were ASGARD with 65.1% and Macquarie with 63.7% satisfaction, but both were below the average of 65.5% for the top 10. These are the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s ‘Satisfaction with Financial Performance of Superannuation in Australia Report’ November 2018, which is based on in-depth interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 consumers per annum in their homes, including over 30,000 with superannuation.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, CATHOLIC SUPER, UNISUPER LIMITED, ASGARD SUPER, MACQUARIE SUPER

Merivale reviewing viability due to EBA determination on wages

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 22-Jan-19

Employees of hospitality group Merivale will be shifted to the industry award after the Fair Work Commission terminated an enterprise agreement that had been struck in 2007. Merivale’s submission to the FWC had warned that some of its business practices may not be viable under the industry award, and that some employees may need to be reclassified as a result of the ruling. About 71 per cent of Merivale’s employees are casuals, who did not receive penalty rates and overtime pay under the enterprise agreement.

CORPORATES
MERIVALE GROUP, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, UNITED VOICE

More New Zealanders than Australians expect a troubled 2019

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-19

A special Roy Morgan web survey taken in mid-December shows that 42% of New Zealanders aged 18+ think 2019 will be a ‘more troubled year’ for the world than 2018. Only 10% say 2019 will be a ‘more peaceful year’, while 42% expect 2019 to be ‘the same’ as 2018 and 6% don’t know. Analysis by gender shows that 44% of New Zealand men expect 2019 to be a ‘more troubled year’ than 2018, compared with 41% of women. Meanwhile, 12% of men and 8% of women expect 2019 to be a ‘more peaceful year’ than 2018. CEO Michele Levine notes that when Roy Morgan last asked this question in late 2009 just 25% of New Zealanders believed that 2010 would be a ‘more troubled year’ than 2009.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Far more Australians expect a troubled than a peaceful 2019

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-19

A special Roy Morgan web survey shows that 38% of Australians aged 18+ think 2019 will be a ‘more troubled year’ for the world than 2018. The survey, which was undertaken in mid-December, shows that just 10% of Australians expect 2019 to be a ‘more peaceful year’. Some 40% of Australian men expect 2019 to be a ‘more troubled year’ than 2018, compared with 35% of women; in contrast, 11% of women and 10% of men expect 2019 to be a ‘more peaceful year’ than 2018. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine notes that the historical trend over the last 35 years shows that respondents in Australia are always convinced the next year will be a ‘more troubled year’ rather than a ‘more peaceful year’.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Robb anoints O’Dwyer successor

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 22-Jan-19

Coalition MPs Julie Bishop and Kevin Andrews say they intend to contest the 2019 federal election. Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett recently called for other long-serving Coalition MPs to follow the example of Kelly O’Dwyer and step down at the election. Meanwhile, former trade minister Andrew Robb has backed his ex-chief of staff Zoe McKenzie to replace O’Dwyer in the seat of Higgins. Other contenders for the seat are said to include Katie Allen and Jess Wilson.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NBN CO LIMITED, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA