Rival hits at Medibank for no share giveaway

Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 3-Oct-14

Westfund COO Phillip Berner believes that Medibank Private customers’ loyalty should have been rewarded in the health fund’s IPO. Medibank policyholders who pre-register for the IPO may receive a priority allocation of shares, but Berner says they should have been given free shares or some other form of compensation. He adds that some Medibank customers who are unhappy with their treatment in the privatisation may opt to switch funds

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED, WESTFUND HEALTH INSURANCE, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, QR NATIONAL LIMITED

Trilogy takes action against KPMG, partner

Original article by Sarah Danckert
The Australian – Page: 18 : 2-Oct-14

A lawsuit is being launched by Trilogy Funds Management against KPMG partner Jillian Richards, as well as the accounting firm. They are accused of unconscionable, misleading and deceptive conduct, in relation to the City Pacific First Mortgage Fund. Trilogy assumed management duties for the entity when parent City Pacific collapsed in 2008-09, and claims that KPMG performed a flawed audit. However, no action over the affair has been taken by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission

CORPORATES
TRILOGY FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED, PACIFIC FIRST MORTGAGE FUND, CITY PACIFIC LIMITED, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

REITs in major sell-off

Original article by Mercedes Ruehl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 35 : 1-Oct-14

Australia’s listed real estate investment trusts index shed more than five per cent in September 2014. However, Freehold Investment Management’s Andrew Smith notes that a pullback was likely given the sector’s strong gains in the year to date. Stocks that were hard hit include Charter Hall Group, BWP Trust, Mirvac and Scentre Group. Lend Lease and GDI Property Group are among the stocks that posted gains

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 A-REIT INDEX, CHARTER HALL GROUP – ASX CHC, BWP TRUST – ASX BWP, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, GDI PROPERTY GROUP – ASX GDI, GROWTHPOINT PROPERTIES AUSTRALIA – ASX GOZ, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – ASX DXS, INVESTA OFFICE FUND – ASX IOF, FREEHOLD INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT, INGENIA COMMUNITIES GROUP – ASX INA

Lynas plunges on $83m raising

Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 19 : 30-Sep-14

The stock of Australian-listed rare earths mining group Lynas Corporation on 29 September 2014 closed 25.22% lower at $A0.086. Investors reacted negatively to news that the company was staging a share issue designed to source $A83m in fresh capital, after posting a 2013-14 loss of $A13.1m. The issue price for the shares will be $A0.08. New institutional stockholders are set to account for $A12m, which Lynas will allocate to servicing of its current liabilities

CORPORATES
LYNAS CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX LYC, SOJITZ CORPORATION, JAPAN OIL GAS AND METALS NATIONAL CORPORATION

Medibank may deliver $5.7b at sale

Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Sep-14

Analysts have previously valued Medibank Private at between $A4bn and $A4.5bn. Goldman Sachs has suggested that the health insurer could potentially be worth between $A4.1bn and $A5.7bn, while Deutsche Bank values it at $A4.2bn to $A5.3bn. Watermark Funds Management’s Omkar Joshi says the Australian Government is likely to place a lower valuation on the stock in the hope that it will rise on the first day of trading on the sharemarket

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, WATERMARK FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED – ASX HSO

Skin cancer drug developer plans to list

Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 29-Sep-14

Melbourne-based Ascend Biopharmaceuticals will offer its shares at $A0.35 in an IPO that aims to raise between $A9m and $A11m. Proceeds of the float will be used to finance clinical trials of drugs that are intended to treat skin cancer and breast cancer. Ascend shares are slated to list on the Australian sharemarket on 14 November 2014

CORPORATES
ASCEND BIOPHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED, ONYVAX, ALCHEMIA LIMITED – ASX ACL, AMRAD CORP LIMITED, F HOFFMAN-LA ROCHE LIMITED, F HOFFMAN-LA ROCHE AG, IMMATICS, LODGE CORPORATE PTY LTD, TRANSGENE

Medibank flags cost cuts after float

Original article by Jessica Gardner, Georgia Wilkins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 29-Sep-14

Retail investors can pre-register for the upcoming sharemarket float of Medibank Private, which is expected to be Australia’s largest IPO since QR National in 2010. The Federal Government has indicated that Medibank customers who pre-register will be given priority when shares are allocated in the IPO, although they will not be given any free shares in the health insurer. Meanwhile, Medibank CEO George Savvides says the health fund will seek to reduce costs following the IPO

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, NRMA LIMITED, INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION

Scales tipped in favour of $400m Huon IPO

Original article by Bridget Carter
The Australian – Page: 18 : 29-Sep-14

Huon Aquaculture, which has a share of 40% of the salmon market in Australia, is staging an IPO worth more than $A400m. Simon Marais, MD of fund management firm Allan Gray Australia, notes that with Tassal commanding 50% the industry is a virtual duopoly, and this will underpin good earnings prospects for Huon. However there are some doubts by others, based on the long maturation period of three years for salmon stocks. Also planning a float is jewellery company Lovisa

CORPORATES
TASSAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX TGR, HUON AQUACULTURE COMPANY PTY LTD, LOVISA PTY LTD, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PETUNA AQUACULTURE PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, CIMB SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED

Sydney’s financial dreams fall flat as Asian cities climb ranks

Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 26-Sep-14

The importance of Sydney as an international financial centre is diminishing, while big Asian cities are becoming more important. The Global Financial Centres Index, published by the Z/Yen Group, ranks Sydney 23th and Melbourne 24th. Sydney was ranked ninth in 2007. More must be done to strengthen the Australian funds management industry. The Financial Services Council supports the introduction of an investment manager regime which offers tax incentives to foreign investors

CORPORATES
FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, Z/YEN GROUP LIMITED

Medibank Private’s $4bn float is given a clean bill of health

Original article by Michael Bennet
The Australian – Page: 21 : 26-Sep-14

Morningstar is upbeat about Australia’s private health insurance sector, and believes that Medibank Private has scope to increase its margins and profits as a listed company. The independent research firm says investors should pre-register for the Medibank prospectus. Brokers will begin marketing the $A4bn-plus IPO to fund managers in late September 2014

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, BUPA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, HOSPITAL BENEFIT FUND OF WA INCORPORATED, HBF HEALTHFUNDS INCORPORATED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG