Author: roymorgansocial

Ten faces uphill task against Netflix, Stan

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 22 : 5-Dec-18

US media giant CBS Corporation has officially launched its subscription video-on-demand service in Australia. Consumers will be offered a one-month free trial of 10 All Access, which will then cost $9.99 per month. It will provide advertising-free access to a library of 7,000 titles from CBS and the Ten Network. However, rival SVOD service Stan has an exclusive agreement for content from CBS-owned Showtime. Brian Han of Morningstar says gaining a foothold in the local market will be a challenge for 10 All Access.

CORPORATES
CBS CORPORATION, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, 10 ALL ACCESS, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, SHOWTIME, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FOXTEL NOW, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED

Upbeat RBA welcomes higher wages

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by William McInnes, Tim Boyd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 5-Dec-18

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe notes that the outlook for the labour market is positive and the unemployment rate likely to fall further. In a statement accompanying the central bank’s monetary policy decision, Lowe also welcomed signs of wages growth. The RBA left official interest rates on hold at 1.5 per cent for a record 28th month on 4 December, and Sally Auld of JP Morgan says the timing of a rate rise will depend on the outlook for wages. The consensus of economists polled by Bloomberg is that the cash rate will remain unchanged until at least the December 2019 quarter.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BLOOMBERG LP, BIS OXFORD ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED

Ignore Trump tweetfest, says US envoy

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lisa Murray, Angus Grigg, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 5-Dec-18

James Carouso, the acting US ambassador to Australia, has told a national security summit that relations between the two countries are still strong, including their military alliance. He added that Australian policymakers should look at the "facts on the ground" rather than unduly focusing on President Donald Trump’s tweets regarding alliances with countries such as Australia. Carouso also emphasised that the US remains committed to retaining a presence in the Asia-Pacific, noting that bilateral trade with the region has increased by 10 per cent under Trump.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, LA TROBE UNIVERSITY, REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES), AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UNITED STATES), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Labor backs down over encryption laws

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Primrose Riordan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Dec-18

The federal government aims to pass its encryption legislation before parliament rises for the year after reaching a compromise with Labor. The Opposition has reached agreement with the government that only state anti-corruption commissions will not be given new powers to access encrypted data and devices. Labor had also sought to have state police excluded from the legislation, which is intended to target terrorists, paedophiles and organised crime.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ATLASSIAN CORPORATION PLC

Morrison’s energy big stick cut down to size

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 5-Dec-18

The federal government has agreed to a compromise on its proposal to intervene in the electricity market. Following a Coalition joint partyroom meeting, the government has advised that the Federal Court will be required to approve any application for the divestment of energy assets if a power company is found to have manipulated electricity prices. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says the policy would deter investment in the energy sector and have no impact on electricity prices. Several Liberal backbenchers have also expressed concern about the policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL

Avalanche of renewables may threaten power grid

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 5-Dec-18

Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates that clean energy will account for the bulk of investment in Australia’s electric power generation capacity in the next two decades or so. However, the International Energy Agency’s executive director Fatih Birol says the stability of Australia’s energy grid may be jeopardised if measures are not in place to ensure that it can cope with a big influx of renewables. Birol adds that increasing renewables’ share of the energy mix is not the sole solution to global warming. Labor proposes to implement the national energy guarantee as part of its climate change policy.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BLOOMBERG NEW ENERGY FINANCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED

Sparks fly in ex-PM’s energy war

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Benson, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Dec-18

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says the federal government should implement his signature national energy policy, noting that it had been strongly supported by his successor Scott Morrison. Turnbull has also rejected suggestions that the government had shelved the NEG shortly before he was ousted, stating that Cabinet had agreed to put it on hold until there was sufficient support in parliament to pass the legislation. A spokesman for Turnbull has also denied claims that he has discussed the NEG with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten since the leadership spill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SMART ENERGY COUNCIL

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence continues rises to 119.5

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Dec-18

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 0.8% to 119.5 in the week ended 2 December. Households’ views towards current financial conditions rose 7.2% while future financial condition rose by 2.3%. However, consumers’ views toward current and future economic conditions fell by 2.5% and 0.3% respectively. The ‘time to buy a household item’ sub-index was down 1.9%.

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

Lawyer X scandal: jailed gangsters could go free

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Ferguson, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 4-Dec-18

Premier Daniel Andrews has launched a royal commission into Victoria Police’s use of a defence barrister as a registered informant. The High Court was scathing on 3 December in its attack on Victoria Police’s actions, accusing it of "reprehensible conduct" and of potentially corrupt behaviour. Well-known criminals and underworld figures may have to be released as a result of Victoria Police’s actions, while having to compensate criminals is not out of the question.

CORPORATES
HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA POLICE, VICTORIA. INDEPENDENT BROAD-BASED ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION

Australia makes its mark on trade-barrier league table

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 2 : 4-Dec-18

G20 nations have imposed over 9,000 protectionist measures since 2008, according to a study by Global Trade Alert. The G20 leaders first gathered in that year, at which time they committed to resist protectionism; that commitment was abandoned at the most recent meeting. Global Trade Alert’s study looked at various trade-distorting measures, including anti-dumping actions, at which Australia leads the G20 in initiating. Global Trade Alert states the federal and state governments have implemented 50 trade-distorting measures in the first 10 months of 2018.

CORPORATES
GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)