Chinese investment in property tipped to surge

Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 22-Jul-15

The Chinese Government’s decision to make the nation’s sharemarket more accessible to international investors has prompted a rally in Shanghai Composite Index over the last year. However, some economists expect the relaxation of rules governing capital outflows from China to have a bigger impact in the long-term. Stephen Halmarick of Colonial First State Global Asset Management expects this to include a big rise in Chinese investment in Australia’s property market.

CORPORATES
COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SUPERANNUATION TRUSTEES, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX, CHINA. NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS, MACQUARIE ASSET MANAGEMENT

Upbeat run-in to reporting season puts 6000 target back on radar

Original article by Rose Powell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 22-Jul-15

Just 16 Australian-listed companies have issued earnings downgrades in the lead-up to the August 2015 profit-reporting season. Nader Naeimi of AMP says there is potential for the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index to reach the 6,000-point level during the reporting season, although he doubts that it will rise much further. Meanwhile, Credit Suisse has scaled back its end-of-year forecast for the S&P/ASX 200 from 6,500 to 6,000 points.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, AFFINITY EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED – ASX AFJ, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Perpetual takes $1.6 billion hit

Original article by Ruth Liew, Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 16-Jul-15

Listed wealth manager Perpetual has advised that its funds under management fell from $A34.7bn to $A30.2bn in the June 2015 quarter. Equities accounted for the bulk of the $A1.6bn worth of net outflows for the quarter. The group had reported net inflows for each of the previous seven quarters. CEO Geoff Lloyd has refuted suggestions that the rise in outflows is linked to the resignation of Matt Williams as head of equities. Perpetual shares closed 6.6 per cent lower at $A45.60 on 15 July.

CORPORATES
PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT

IPO still draw for retailers

Original article by Sue Mitchell, Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 15-Jul-15

KPMG’s Robert Bazzani notes that a number of retailers and consumer-oriented businesses are looking at an Australian IPO, despite recent sharemarket turmoil. However, he questions whether companies should consider an IPO if their market capitalisation would be less than $A100m, arguing that they risk being overlooked by fund managers and equities analysts, Upcoming IPOs include Beston Global Food Company, Costa Group and Amaysim.

CORPORATES
KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BESTON GLOBAL FOOD COMPANY LIMITED, COSTA GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX CGC, AMAYSIM AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX AYS, ADAIRS LIMITED – ASX ADH, BURSON GROUP LIMITED – ASX BAP, BEACON LIGHTING GROUP LIMITED – ASX BLX, GODFREYS GROUP LIMITED – ASX GFY, LOVISA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX LOV, BELLAMY’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX BAL, THE PAS GROUP LIMITED – ASX PGR, GREEN’S FOODS LIMITED, PACIFIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX PBG, BRAND COLLECTIVE, KATHMANDU HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX KMD, MACPAC WILDERNESS EQUIPMENT, URBAN PURVEYOR GROUP PTY LTD

Stocks to watch as the $A drops

Original article by Rose Powell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 15-Jul-15

The Australian dollar has shed almost 10 per cent since mid-May 2015, and more than 20 per cent in the last year. Macquarie forecasts that a number of stocks will benefit from the recent downturn in the value of the currency, including CSL, Ramsay Health Care, Telstra and Brambles. On the other hand, stocks that are tipped to fall as a result of currency weakness include SEEK, Fortescue Metals Group, WorleyParsons and Rio Tinto.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, BRAMBLES LIMITED – ASX BXB, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, WORLEYPARSONS LIMITED – ASX WOR, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ALS LIMITED – ASX ALQ, TRANSPACIFIC INDUSTRIES GROUP LIMITED – ASX TPI, SIMS METAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX SGM, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, SONIC HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SHL, COMPUTERSHARE LIMITED – ASX CPU, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, CHALLENGER LIMITED – ASX CGF, MACQUARIE WEALTH MANAGEMENT, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Mirrabooka forks out 7c a share special dividend

Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 14-Jul-15

Mirrabooka Investments has reported a 2014-15 profit of $A7.1m, compared with $A7.8m previously. The listed investment company has posted a return of 6.8 per cent for the financial year, and a five-year return of 15.5 per cent. Stocks in its portfolio that performed well in 2014-15 include Toll Holdings, Ansell, Nufarm and Blackmores. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $A0.065 per share, plus a special dividend of $A0.07 per share.

CORPORATES
MIRRABOOKA INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX MIR, TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED, ANSELL LIMITED – ASX ANN, NUFARM LIMITED – ASX NUF, BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKL, LIFESTYLE COMMUNITIES LIMITED – ASX LIC, COVER-MORE GROUP LIMITED – ASX CVO, ISELECT LIMITED – ASX ISU, VEDA GROUP LIMITED – ASX VED, AMA GROUP LIMITED – ASX AMA, SIMS METAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX SGM, JAPAN POST COMPANY LIMITED, CITADEL GROUP, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX MIDCAP 50 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX SMALL ORDINARIES GROSS ACCUMULATION INDEX

Bell Financial Group rings in strong first half

Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 10-Jul-15

Australian-listed Bell Financial Group has posted an $A8m consolidated unaudited profit for the first six months of 2015. This was 300 per cent higher than its result for the same period in 2014. Group revenue was 18 per cent higher, with equity capital markets and equities execution revenue up 37 per cent and 16 per cent respectively. The group’s shares closed 11.6 per cent higher at $A0.48 on 9 July.

CORPORATES
BELL FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX BFG, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, CHI-X AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BELL DIRECT

ASX back on track after a scorching quarter

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 7-Jul-15

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index shed 5.5 per cent in June 2015, which Chris Caton of BT Financial Group attributes to the debt crisis in Greece. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank estimates that the Australian sharemarket is trading at around fair value again, with the price-earnings ratio now at 15.25 times. The market had peaked at 16.5 times earlier in 2015.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

IOOF pays out compensation to 57 clients

Original article by Adele Ferguson, Sarah Danckert
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 7-Jul-15

IOOF CEO Chris Kelaher will appear before a Senate committee on 7 July 2015 to answer questions over allegations of misconduct at the financial services group. Meanwhile, IOOF has indicated that 57 clients have been paid a total of $A2.8m in compensation since mid-2013, after lodging complaints about its financial planners. A number of IOOF’s authorised financial planners have also been banned from working in the sector during the last decade.

CORPORATES
IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, AUSTRALIAN WEALTH MANAGEMENT LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, CONSULTUM FINANCIAL ADVISERS PTY LTD, MFS PREMIUM INCOME FUND, MY ADVISER PTY LTD, BRIDGES FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, PLAN B FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED, LONSDALE FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED, ORD MINNETT GROUP LIMITED, THE WEALTH MANAGERS

Strong start to year buoys optimism

Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 6-Jul-15

Data from IRESS shows that equity trading volumes on the Australian Securities Exchange and Chi-X Australia have totalled around $A1.5bn so far in 2015. This compares with about $A1.2bn for the same period in 2014. Bruce Rolph of Citigroup expects trading volumes to remain strong in the second half of the calendar year, citing factors such as the potential for greater mergers and acquisitions activity and the August reporting season.

CORPORATES
IRESS LIMITED – ASX IRE, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, CHI-X AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, PATERSONS SECURITIES LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, GREENSTONE LIMITED, IVE GROUP LIMITED, CARTER HOLT HARVEY LIMITED