Author: roymorgansocial

LNG shortage to hit soon, says Woodside

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 24-May-18

Woodside Petroleum now expects a global shortage of LNG to occur in 2021, with CEO Peter Coleman warning that supply and demand could be in deficit even earlier. Woodside had previously flagged an LNG shortage in 2023, but it has revised this forecast due to factors such as rising demand in Asian countries other than China. Coleman also says contract prices for LNG buyers on Australia’s east coast are likely to rise.

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, CHEVRON CORPORATION

Santos share price now at right level

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 28 : 24-May-18

Troy Angus of Paradice Investment Management says Santos’s rejection of a takeover offer from Harbour Energy was justified, saying it did not reflect the growth potential of some assets. Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher has also defended the decision to spurn the $A14.4bn bid, after Harbour Energy questioned the oil and gas group’s medium-term growth opportunities. Santos shares closed 8.4 per cent lower at $A5.90 on 23 May, but Gallagher says the stock is now at an appropriate after rising in recent months.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, HARBOUR ENERGY LIMITED, PARADICE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CONOCOPHILLIPS, ENN ECOLOGICAL HOLDINGS COMPANY LIMITED, HONY CAPITAL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Australia rises to 19th in IMD rank of competitiveness

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 24-May-18

Australia has risen from 21st to 19th in the International Institute for Management Development’s latest "World Competitiveness Yearbook". The IMD has attributed Australia’s improved global competitiveness to factors such as population growth, a stable exchange rate and a strong investment environment. However, Committee for Economic Development of Australia CEO Melinda Cilento notes that the nation is still underperforming with regard to metrics such as productivity and tax rates.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA

ACCC has no power to break up AGL

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Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 24-May-18

AGL Energy’s market power has come under scrutiny in the wake of its refusal to back down on plans to shut down the Liddell coal-fired power station in 2022. However, former Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Allan Fels says neither the competition regulator or the federal government have the power to force a company to sell assets or take action to reduce its market share. Fels says there may be a case for adding divestiture powers to section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act, although the Harper review in 2015 rejected this in favour of an "effects test".

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ORIGIN ENERGY ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, ENGIE SA, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Aunty coy about how budget affects news

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Original article by Dana McCauley
The Australian – Page: 2 : 24-May-18

The ABC’s CFO Louise Higgins has warned that the Federal Government’s looming funding freeze will force the public broadcaster to decide which services it continues to provide. The three-year funding freeze announced in the May 2018 Budgets takes effect in mid-2019, and Higgins says the ABC will negotiate with the government in the interim. Meanwhile, SBS CEO Michael Ebeid says there is no scope for further joint cost-saving initiatives by the public broadcasters.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS), AUSTRALIA. SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS

Westfield done deal for Unibail

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Original article by Turi Condon, Ben Wilmot
The Australian – Page: 23 : 24-May-18

Westfield Corporation’s shareholders are widely tipped to vote in favour of its acquisition by Unibail-Rodamco on 24 May. Winston Sammut of Folkestone Maxim Asset Management says factors such as the support of proxy advisers and the absence of a rival bid suggests that the $A30bn deal will be approved. He attributes the recent fall in Westfield’s share price to investors replacing the stock in their portfolios in expectation of the deal proceeding.

CORPORATES
WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, UNIBAIL-RODAMCO, FOLKESTONE MAXIM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, DEXUS – ASX DXS, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT

Senate showdown looms on tax cuts

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 24-May-18

Treasurer Scott Morrison has revealed that the Federal Government’s three-stage personal income tax package will cost $A143.95bn in total, with the first two stages to cost $A102.35bn. The tax bill was passed by the House of Representatives on 23 May, although it is likely to face resistance in the Senate. Labor and crossbench senators have urged the Government to legislate the first stage of the tax cuts separately. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the company tax cuts package will be part of the Coalition’s policy agenda for the next election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ONE NATION PARTY

Minister lambasts CBA fee gouge

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Original article by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
The Age – Page: 8 : 24-May-18

Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer has criticised the Commonwealth Bank’s move to impose a "regulatory reform fee" on members of its superannuation and pension funds. Super fund members have been told that the fee is to cover the cost of unspecified but "highly technical and complex" regulatory reforms. O’Dwyer says there appears to be no justification for the fee, and argues that customers’ retirement savings should not be used to meet compliance requirements.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GROUP LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH PRIVATE BANK, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Financial adviser exodus puts $900b of savings in flux

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Original article by Alice Uribe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 20 : 24-May-18

Research by consumer group Adviser Ratings shows that 7,000 Australian financial advisers have left the industry since 2015. An additional 14,000 are expected to do so in the next five years, primarily due to reforms that are likely to be implemented in response to the banking royal commission. The large number of advisers leaving the industry will affect around $A900m worth of clients’ funds, and Mark Hoven of Adviser Ratings says more than 25 per cent of these funds may end up not being under advice.

CORPORATES
ADVISER RATINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AZ NGA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, NETWEALTH GROUP LIMITED – ASX NWL, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Industry baulks at Pauline’s gas pact

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-May-18

The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association has warned that oil and exploration costs would rise under proposals put forward by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. The Federal Government had agreed to a number of concessions in return for One Nation’s support for its company tax package, including changes to the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax and a gas reservation scheme in Western Australia. One Nation subsequently withdrew its support for the tax package, although LNG producers still anticipate some changes to the PRRT.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED, ONE NATION PARTY, CHEVRON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE