Author: roymorgansocial

We should have cut bonuses: CBA chair

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Nov-18

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s executive remuneration came under scrutiny by the financial services royal commission on 21 November. CBA chair Catherine Livingstone has conceded that the bank failed to reduce or withhold bonuses in 2016, despite a series of compliance breaches. She also acknowledged that it might have been appropriate for CBA to note in its latest annual report that former chairman David Turner had declined the board’s request to repay 40 per cent of his directors’ fees as a result of the compliance breaches.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

BHP weighs options in pursuit of growth

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 20 : 22-Nov-18

BHP’s CFO Peter Beaven has told investors that the resources group has made changes to its capital allocation policy over the last five years, after several ill-fated investments. He added that BHP is ready to start investing again and stressed the need to ensure a balance between over-investing and under-investing, as both can destroy shareholder value. Beaven also indicated that BHP is looking at a number of growth options for its existing portfolio.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

Challenge emerges to inflation target regime

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Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 22-Nov-18

The Bank of Canada has signalled that it will undertake a review of alternatives to its inflation target of two per cent. Options that the central bank will consider include increasing the inflation target, targeting aggregate prices or nominal income, and adding a full employment objective. The move may increase pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia to reappraise its own inflation target of 2-3 per cent. Some economists have argued that the RBA’s inflation target is too high, although many advocate the status quo.

CORPORATES
BANK OF CANADA, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, BETASHARES CAPITAL LIMITED, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SYDNEY

ALP’s $2000 handout in battery plan

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Nov-18

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will announce key details of Labor’s energy policy on 22 November. Amongst other things, Labor will provide households with annual income of less than $180,000 with a rebate of up to $2,000 to install electricity storage batteries. Labor’s aim is for one million households to have storage batteries by 2025, as part of its commitment to a 50 per cent renewable energy target. Labor will also flag plans to implement the federal government’s national energy guarantee if it wins the next election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Labor’s franking policy would cost economy

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 22-Nov-18

Liberal MP Tim Wilson has warned that many retirees would lose up to a third of their income under Labor’s plan to abolish cash refunds for excess dividend imputation credits. Meanwhile, the Grattan Institute has noted in its submission to a parliamentary inquiry that there would be some cost to the economy if Labor’s policy is implemented. However, the think tank has concluded that the policy may be the best option.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, GRATTAN INSTITUTE

Mitchell gets ready to return ASIC tennis deal serve

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Original article by Ben Butler, John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 2 : 22-Nov-18

Free TV Australia chairman Harold Mitchell has stepped down in the wake of legal action arising from his former role as a director of Tennis Australia. He has described the Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s allegations as false and has vowed to "vigorously defend" the legal action. ASIC alleges that Mitchell withheld information from TA’s board about potential bids for tennis broadcasting rights. The rights were awarded to the Seven Network, which has disputed ASIC’s claim that it had received confidential information from Mitchell about rival bids.

CORPORATES
FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TENNIS AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, IMG AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Give us financial freedom: ABC chief

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 5 : 22-Nov-18

The ABC’s acting MD David Anderson says the public broadcaster’s independence has not been compromised. However, he has called for the ABC to have financial independence in addition to editorial independence, and he has called for an alternative to its current three-year funding cycle. The federal government’s May 2018 Budget effectively reduced the ABC’s funding by about $84m due to a three-year funding freeze. The ABC posted a loss of $71.2m in 2017-18.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Reasons to be grateful amid rout: Citi strategist

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 22-Nov-18

The Australian sharemarket shed 6.1 per cent in October, while bearish sentiment in the US saw the S&P 500 fall seven per cent. However, Tobias Levkovich of Citigroup is upbeat about the outlook for US equities in the year ahead, noting that the "sentiment metric" indicates a high probability that the S&P 500 will be higher in 12 months’ time. David Kostin of Goldman Sachs also expects the S&P 500 to rise over the next year.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, CITIGROUP INCORPORATED, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

Catalano reveals plans for $800m Fairfax asset sales

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 22-Nov-18

Former Domain CEO Antony Catalano has outlined his strategy for Fairfax Media if his legal challenge to its merger with Nine Entertainment Company succeeds. Catalano has proposed to divest the bulk of Fairfax’s assets, allowing it to focus on core assets such as its metropolitan mastheads and its controlling stake in Domain. Amongst other things, Catalano estimates that streaming video service Stan could fetch around $300m and Fairfax’s stake in Macquarie Media could be sold for at least $180m.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, THORNEY OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED – ASX TOP, THORNEY TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED – ASX TEK, UPDATER INCORPORATED

Employer bid to decouple union

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Age – Page: 15 : 21-Nov-18

A legal challenge to the merger between the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia will commence in the Federal Court on 21 November. The Australian Mines & Metals Association is seeking to have the merger declared invalid on the grounds that the two unions were subject to "quasi-criminal" legal proceedings when the merger was approved.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION