K64 Auxiliary Finance and Insurance Services

Aussie wealth rockets despite virus

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 17 : 23-Jun-21

Just under one in 10 Australians are millionaires in US dollar terms, according to Credit Suisse’s latest global wealth report. Credit Suisse found that Australians increased their wealth by more than all other countries except Switzerland during the pandemic, while it estimates that the number of Australian millionaires will rise by 70 per cent over the next five years to three million. Credit Suisse found that Australia topped the list for median wealth per adult in 2020, while it placed fourth in terms of mean wealth.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE AG

Soul Patts in $11bn LIC merger

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 23-Jun-21

Shares in listed investment company Milton rose by as much as 16 per cent to $5.80 on 22 June after it was announced it would be merging with investment house Washington H. Soul Pattinson. Soul Patts, which already owns a three per cent stake in Milton, will acquire it in an all-scrip merger that will increase Soul Patts’ market capitalisation to $10.8 billion. Soul Patts owns major holdings in Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, Brickworks, TPG Telecom and New Hope Group, while both it and Milton are chaired by Robert Milner. Soul Patts CEO Todd Barlow says the merger will mean a larger war chest for future investments and increased portfolio diversification.

CORPORATES
MILTON CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX MLT, WASHINGTON H SOUL PATTINSON AND COMPANY LIMITED – ASX SOL, AUSTRALIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED – ASX API, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPG, NEW HOPE GROUP, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, WAM CAPITAL LIMITED – ASX WAM

Our biggest M&A boom: $83b and counting

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 35 : 9-Jun-21

Some market watchers believe that Australia’s mergers and acquisitions activity in 2021 could top the record $US134bn worth of deals in 2011. Data from Dealogic shows that some $US64.3bn ($82.8bn) worth of M&A deals have been announced in the year to date, compared with just $US56.9bn for the same period in 2011. The surge in M&A activity is being driven by factors such as strong balance sheets and access to low-cost debt, while the boards of target companies have become more willing to engage with suitors following a rebound in valuations in the wake of the pandemic.

CORPORATES
DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Banks, miners set for big payout boost

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by William McInnes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 26-May-21

Jane Shoemake of global asset manager Janus Henderson is upbeat about the outlook for Australian dividend payouts in 2021. She notes that mining companies and the major banks dominated the list of the 10 biggest dividend payers in 2019 and 2020, and investors are set to benefit from high commodity prices and a rebound in dividend payments in the banking sector. Shoemake also expects energy stocks and defensive retailers such as Coles Group and Woolworths to increase their dividends.

CORPORATES
JANUS HENDERSON GROUP PLC – ASX JHG, COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW

Budget 2021: Stock winners and losers

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 24 : 13-May-21

Macquarie Equities has identified stocks that are likely to benefit from measures in the federal government’s May 2021 Budget. The extension of the instant asset write-off for businesses should boost the sales of companies such as JB Hi-Fi and Wesfarmers, while CSR, CIMIC and Seven Group are among the stocks that should benefit from the government’s move to ramp up infrastructure investment and provide further stimulus for the housing sector. Meanwhile, travel-related stocks were sold down on 12 May after the government signalled that Australia’s international borders will not re-open for some time.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, CSR LIMITED – ASX CSR, CIMIC GROUP LIMITED – ASX CIM, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED

Challenge for AMP over pay, fund deal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 : 26-Apr-21

AMP’s proposal to spin off its private markets division is set to be a key focus of its virtual AGM on 30 April. Brett Le Mesurier of Velocity Trade has downgraded his share price target for AMP in response to the demerger proposal, which followed AMP’s decision to terminate negotiations with Ares Management over a full or partial sale of the business. Meanwhile, two proxy advisers have recommended that shareholders vote in favour of AMP’s remuneration report, while ISS has called for investors to reject it.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, ARES CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, INSTITUTIONAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES INCORPORATED

Options for investors as bourse nears record high

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 9-Apr-21

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is within striking distance of its record high of 7,197.2 points, set in February 2020. The index reached an intra-day high of 7,012.4 points on 8 April, having gained 60 per cent since falling to a pandemic-induced low in March 2020. The index has gained three per cent in the month to date, compared with an average gain of 2.5 per cent in April. Pieter Stoltz of UBS expects cyclicals and value stocks to outperform the broader sharemarket in the near-term; he also likes stocks with overseas earnings and those with exposure to the housing and mining services sectors.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

New chief confronts huge task at AMP

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Weekend Australian – Page: 21 & 25 : 3-Apr-21

Analysts are generally positive about the appointment of Alexis George to succeed Francesco De Ferrari as CEO of embattled wealth manager AMP, but note the challenges that she will face. George is currently deputy CEO at the ANZ Bank, and will take up her new role in the September quarter. AMP’s shares have fallen more than 45 per cent since De Ferrari became CEO in December 2018. AMP is still in talks with Ares Management regarding the sale of its private markets division.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ARES MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

Platinum fears bloody end to mania

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Richard Henderson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 & 33 : 1-Apr-21

Platinum Asset Management CEO Andrew Clifford warns that the ‘speculative mania’ in growth stocks is not sustainable and will eventually end. He believes that rising yields on long-dated bonds will be the catalyst for the demise of the boom at the speculative end of the sharemarket. Clifford expects investors to re-embrace cyclical stocks as the domestic economy opens up in the COVID-19 pandemic and hard-hit sectors such as travel and leisure recover.

CORPORATES
PLATINUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX PTM

Stocks on track for bumper year

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 1-Apr-21

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 3.1 per cent during the March quarter, and 15.1 per cent in the first nine months of 2020-21. The local sharemarket may be on track for its best financial-year performance since fiscal 2013, when it gained 17.3 per cent. Lynas Rare Metals, Virgin Money and Zip Co were the top performers during the quarter, each posting gains of at least 40 per cent. The benchmark index had shed 11 per cent in 2019-20, due to the coronavirus-induced slump in the second half.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX LYC, VIRGIN MONEY UK PLC – ASX VUK, ZIP CO LIMITED – ASX Z1P