K64 Auxiliary Finance and Insurance Services

Regulator eyes bloated goodwill

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Original article by Ben Butler, Sarah Danckert
The Australian – Page: 22 : 17-Nov-14

A growing number of Australian-listed groups, especially in the private education and health services sectors, show excessive levels of goodwill. Those with a ratio of 70% or above on their balance sheets include Affinity Education, Vocation, Primary Health Care, iBuy Group, Vision Eye Institute, Allmine, Asaplus Resources and G8 Education. The issue has prompted a warning to companies about increased scrutiny of such accounting claims by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission

CORPORATES
AFFINITY EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED – ASX AFJ, VOCATION LIMITED – ASX VET, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, IBUY GROUP LIMITED – ASX IBY, ASAPLUS RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX AJY, G8 EDUCATION LIMITED – ASX GEM, VISION EYE INSTITUTE LIMITED – ASX VEI, ALLMINE GROUP LIMITED – ASX AZG, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, FIL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, FIDELITY AUSTRALIAN EQUITIES FUND, K CAPITAL PTY LTD, NM ROTHSCHILD AND SONS (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, ENDEAVOUR COLLEGE OF NATURAL HEALTH, BAWM GROUP PTY LTD, ASPIN PTY LTD, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, FORGE GROUP LIMITED, LIVINGSOCIAL

Global dividends tipped to hit $1.4 trillion in 2015

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 17-Nov-14

Henderson Global Investors forecasts that $US1.19trn worth of dividends will be paid to shareholders globally in 2014, rising to $US1.24trn in 2015. Some $US288.1bn worth of dividends were paid globally during the September 2014 quarter, according to the Henderson Global Dividend Index. Australian-listed Westpac, ANZ Bank, BHP Billiton and Telstra were among the world’s 20 leading stocks in terms of dividend payouts during the period

CORPORATES
HENDERSON GLOBAL INVESTORS LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK, GAZPROM, CHINA MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION

Councils target ANZ on sale of toxic debt

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 31 : 14-Nov-14

Australian local government bodies led by Coffs Harbour City Council are launching legal action in the Federal Court against ANZ Bank. They allege misleading and deceptive conduct, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties and breach of the banking code of practice. ANZ had sold the claimants risky collateralised debt obligations between 2006 and 2008, without disclosing its own stake in the instruments. A co-respondent to the suit is credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings, which had given "AAA" status to the Credit Sail II product

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, FITCH RATINGS LIMITED, COFFS HARBOUR CITY COUNCIL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, STANDARD AND POOR’S (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, LEHMAN BROTHERS INCORPORATED, GLOUCESTER SHIRE COUNCIL

Top directors skip the scrip

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 14-Nov-14

A survey by the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors shows that many directors of listed groups do not have equity in the company. One per cent of executive directors of companies in the ASX 100 do not directly hold shares, while 9.7 per cent of non-executive directors are not on the share register. Ian Curry of the Australian Shareholders’ Association says ownership of the company’s shares should be mandatory for all directors

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 100 ACCUMULATION INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, SONIC HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SHL

Shareholders target Voelte in Nexus bid

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Original article by Matt Chambers, Sharri Markson, Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 12-Nov-14

Conglomerate Seven Group Holdings plans to take over Nexus Energy for $A180m, following the latter’s collapse after its board rejected an offer by Seven worth just $A0.02 a share. The fact that Seven CEO Don Voelte also had the role of chair at the gas group has sparked complaints by Nexus investors to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. Legal action is being launched by stockholders such as Bechtel CEO Andrew Greig, ­Liberal Party president Richard Alston, Karoon Gas executive chair Bob Hosking and Michael Fowler, another ex-Nexus chair

CORPORATES
NEXUS ENERGY LIMITED – ASX NXS, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, KAROON GAS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX KAR, BECHTEL PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

A-REITs outperform

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 12-Nov-14

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index gained 6.8 per cent in October 2014, recovering from a sharp sell-off early in the month. Morgan Stanley has an overweight position on a number of listed property trusts, while Goldman Sachs has a "buy" rating on Mirvac Group, DEXUS Property Group, GPT Group, Hotel Properties Investments and Goodman Group

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 A-REIT INDEX, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – ASX DXS, GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, HOTEL PROPERTIES INVESTMENTS – ASX HPI, BWP TRUST – ASX BWP, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, NOVION PROPERTY GROUP – ASX NVN, FEDERATION CENTRES – ASX FDC, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, NATIONAL STORAGE REIT – ASX NSR, ARENA REIT – ASX ARF, STANDARD AND POOR’S (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, INVESTA OFFICE FUND – ASX IOF, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, CHARTER HALL RETAIL REIT – ASX CQR, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Citi, ANZ price forecast grim for high-cost iron ore

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 12-Nov-14

The ANZ Bank’s Mark Pervan doubts that the iron ore price will return to $US100 per tonne, and forecasts that the steel input will trade at $US78/tonne in 2015. Citigroup expects the iron ore price to trade at $US65/tonne in 2015 and 2016. The firm has downgraded its recommendation on Atlas Iron and Mount Gibson Iron stock from "neutral" to "sell", and Fortescue Metals Group has been downgraded from "buy" to "neutral"

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, MOUNT GIBSON IRON LIMITED – ASX MGX, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

Outlook for deals healthy as vendors eye valuations

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 11-Nov-14

Data from Dealogic shows that Australian companies have been involved in $US77.3bn ($A89.1bn) worth of mergers and acquisitions so far in 2014, which is nine per cent higher than previously. Meanwhile, a new report from Grant Thornton forecasts further growth in mergers and acquisitions activity in the next 12 months, following 105 deals in the 18 months to 30 June 2014

CORPORATES
DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, GRANT THORNTON AUSTRALIA, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, GRESHAM PRIVATE EQUITY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Fund’s bid to cut costs, lift returns

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 19 : 10-Nov-14

The 2014 annual report of industry superannuation fund AustralianSuper shows growth in investment income from $A2.08bn to $A2.9bn and funds under management from $A65bn to $A78bn. Head of equities Innes McKeand also notes that $A8.8bn of the latter has been reallocated to internal managers during the past year, with a target of around $A40bn by 2019. At the moment, all overseas equities are still managed by external providers, such as MFS Institutional Investors, Baillie Gifford Overseas and State Street Global Advisers

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, MFS INSTITUTIONAL ADVISORS (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, BAILLIE GIFFORD AND COMPANY, STATE STREET GLOBAL ADVISORS AUSTRALIA LIMITED, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, ISPT PTY LTD, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, FIL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AIRLIE FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BENTHAM ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PORT BOTANY, PORT KEMBLA, QUEENSLAND MOTORWAYS LIMITED, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL

Local hedge funds better than ASX, global peers

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Original article by Bianca Hartge-Hazelman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 6-Nov-14

Australian hedge funds achieved an average return of 4.3 per cent in the first nine months of 2014, according to Australian Fund Monitors. The firm also notes that 63 per cent of these funds outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index, while 95 per cent did so in September, when the market fell sharply. Local hedge funds have also outperformed their global counterparts, with the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Hedge Fund Index achieving a return of 2.3 per cent

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FUND MONITORS PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 ACCUMULATION INDEX, BLOOMBERG GLOBAL AGGREGATE HEDGE FUND INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, REGAL FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD