Author: roymorgansocial

Comcast outbids Fox and Walt Disney Co. with $40-billion offer for Europe’s Sky TV

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Original article by Meg James
Los Angeles Times – Page: Online : 22-Sep-18

The independent directors of pan-European satellite broadcaster Sky plc have endorsed Comcast’s successful bid in a corporate auction that was organised by the UK’s Takeovers Panel. Comcast offered $US22.75 per share for Sky, valuing its bid at nearly $US40bn. The rival bid from Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox – which has a 39 per cent stake in Sky – was $US20.63 per share, which equates to about $US35bn. The auction followed a protracted bidding war for Sky, and Fox’s deal to sell the bulk of its entertainment assets to Walt Disney Company.

CORPORATES
SKY PLC, COMCAST CORPORATION, 21ST CENTURY FOX INCORPORATED, GREAT BRITAIN. THE TAKEOVER PANEL, WALT DISNEY COMPANY, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX NEWS CHANNEL, HULU LLC

Sport can save free-to-air: Netflix founder

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Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 24-Sep-18

Marc Randolph, the co-founder of subscription video-on-demand giant Netflix, says commercial free-to-air TV networks must adapt to changes in how consumers view content. Randolph notes that consumers increasingly prefer to binge-watch content such as drama; he has also stressed the importance of live content such as sports for traditional broadcasters, noting that viewers have not yet embraced such content via Netflix. Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner says that while live content is important for TV broadcasters, general entertainment remains a key element of the Seven Network’s programming.

CORPORATES
NETFLIX INCORPORATED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, OVO MOBILE

Record looms as dividends ready to soar

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 24-Sep-18

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 has gained around two per cent so far in 2018, and analysts are hopeful that the market will be bolstered by some $13bn worth of dividend payments in the last week of September. Richard Coppleson of Bell Potter estimates that listed companies will pay out around $18.9bn in dividends for the month, compared with $16.4bn in September 2017. The resources sector has accounted for four of the top five companies in terms of the size of dividend increases in 2017-18, and Shane Oliver of AMP Capital notes that this is having a flow-on effect across the broader market.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

Union funds call a truce

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Sep-18

Industry Super Australia CEO Bernie Dean says the lobby group has "shelved indefinitely" its anti-bank "fox and henhouse" advertisements. Dean, who has succeeded David Whiteley, was responsible for creating the commercials, which were launched in March 2017. AustralianSuper CEO Ian Silk had been queried by the banking royal commission as to why it had helped to finance what the commission described as political advertising. Silk stated that it was in the best interest of AustralianSuper’s members. Dean says this was a reasonable comment.

CORPORATES
INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, ACTU, VICTORIAN WORKCOVER AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Australian wealth growing faster than debt

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Sep-18

The first Roy Morgan Wealth Report shows that the value of assets held by Australians continues to grow faster than debts, resulting in average per capita net wealth being 30.5% higher in 2017 than it was in 2007 in inflation-adjusted terms. The report shows that average personal assets are now worth 7.9 times average debts, compared with 7.2 times debts in 2007, while 51.9% of Australia’s personal wealth is held in the form of housing, down from 52.4% in 2007. Superannuation assets now make up a slightly higher portion of personal wealth, rising from 19.6% to 21.8% since 2007. The report is drawn from over half a million in depth face-to-face interviews conducted over the last decade.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Wealth inequality in Australia is getting worse

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Sep-18

The first edition of the Roy Morgan Wealth Report shows that net wealth has grown strongly in Australia, but the biggest gains have been among the wealthiest 10% of Australians. They had an average per capita wealth of over $2 million and held 48.3% of net wealth in 2017, compared to 46.8% in 2007. Meanwhile, the poorest 50% of Australians have seen their total share of net wealth fall from 3.9% to 3.7% over the last decade. The report also shows that growing personal wealth is highly correlated to income level, with those earning over $130,000 having an average net wealth of $1.2 million, which is nearly five times those earning less than $15,000 ($248,000). The report is based on over half a million in depth face-to-face interviews conducted over the decade from 2007 to 2017 across Australia.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Wonder Woman top superhero for Young Australians

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Sep-18

New research from Roy Morgan shows that an estimated 368,000 Australians aged 6-13 years old picked Wonder Woman as their favourite superhero in the year to June 2018, while 303,000 named former leader Batman. Wonder Woman’s popularity as a superhero has more than doubled over the past two years (up by 192,000 to 368,000) following the release of the highly successful Wonder Woman film in 2017. In contrast, DC Comics stablemate Batman fell in popularity over the last two years, down 80,000 to 303,000. Overall, DC Comics characters filled four of the top five superhero spots in the latest Roy Morgan Young Australian Survey, with Superman in fourth on 118,000 and The Flash in fifth on 90,000. The top-rating superhero for rival Marvel comics was Spiderman, picked by 170,000 kids and up an impressive 36,000 from two years ago. Three other Marvel comics superheroes made the top eight favourite superheroes in 2018, including The Incredible Hulk (76,000), Iron Man (73,000) and Captain America (61,000).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, DC COMICS, MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP INCORPORATED

Inflation Expectations for employed Australians lower than a year ago

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Aug-18

Australians aged +14 expect inflation of 4.3% per year over the next two years, according to the Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations Index for August 2018. This is unchanged on a month ago, but down 0.2% from August 2017. Inflation Expectations have now tracked in a narrow range between 4.3-4.5% for 14 straight months. Inflation Expectations remain well below the eight-year average of 5.0%. Analysis by employment status shows that Inflation Expectations for employed Australians dropped to 3.9% in August 2018, down 0.4% on a year ago. In comparison, Australians who are not employed – including retirees, students, those on home duties, those choosing to not work and the unemployed – increased by 0.1% to 4.9%. August Inflation Expectations are based on a nationwide face-to-face survey of 4,385 Australians aged 14+.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Fintechs outpacing banks in digital payments

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Sep-18

The Roy Morgan Digital Payment Solutions Currency Report shows that 6.5% of Australians aged 14+ now use non-bank contactless/cardless mobile payment system, while 6.4% use bank-owned digital payment solutions. The report also shows that 93.6% of Australians are aware of at least one digital payment solution, and 72.4% have used at least one digital payment solution in the last 12 months. Some 57.3% of Australians are aware of "tap and go" payment systems, 39.6% are aware of bank-owned mobile payment systems, 46.4% are aware of non-bank tap-and-go systems and 35.2% are aware of "buy-now-pay-later" payment systems. However, usage is lagging awareness considerably, with only 11.5% of Australians having used a tap-and-go payment system in the last 12 months, and only 6.7% having used a buy-now-pay-later digital solution over the same period. The report is based on more than 50,000 face-to-face consumer interviews during the year to June 2018.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

4K AFL on Foxtel’s Netflix of sport

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Original article by David Swan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 21-Sep-18

Foxtel has advised that it will broadcast some Australian Football League matches in the 4K ultra-high-definition format during the 2019 season. Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany says one match per round is likely to be initially broadcast in the new format, with additional 4K coverage to be added as more of the high-definition cameras become available in Australia. Delany has also indicated that Foxtel will unveil details of a new sport-focused streaming video service in the next several months.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NETFLIX INCORPORATED