ANZ says credit card late fees won’t rise after court win

Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 28-Jul-16

Andrew Watson of law firm Maurice Blackburn has warned that banks may increase their credit card late payment fees after the High Court dismissed a class action case. Watson says the Federal Government should step in to protect consumers from unfair fee increases, but the ANZ Bank says such intervention is unnecessary as the court has ruled that its fees are fair. The bank has also ruled out increasing its late payment fees, which it had reduced in 2009. The class action commenced in 2010.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, IMF BENTHAM LIMITED – ASX IMF, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence ticks up to 115.5 (up 0.6pts)

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 27-Jul-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence has risen by 0.5 per cent to 115.5 in the week ending 24 July 2016. Lower financial market volatility and buoyant equity markets are likely the main factors behind the improvement. Consumers’ views of their current finances fell two per cent, but households’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months rose by 1.5 per cent.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

ASX listing rule changes pushed back after flood of feedback

Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 27-Jul-16

Stock exchange operator ASX Limited has advised that new listing rules that were to have been introduced on 1 September 2016 will now take effect on 19 December. The ASX has opted to delay the starting date for the new rules in response to the significant feedback it has received during the consultation phase. The revised listing rules will make it harder for business start-ups to undertake IPOs.

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, WISETECH GLOBAL LIMITED – ASX WTC, CONNEXION MEDIA LIMITED – ASX CXZ, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION

Big miners, banks lift bourse

Original article by Daniel Palmer
The Australian – Page: 28 : 27-Jul-16

The Australian sharemarket posted a small gain on 26 July 2016, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 3.9 points to close at 5,537.5. Fortescue Metals Group was 1.7 per cent higher at $A4.12 and Qantas advanced 0.66 per cent to end the session at $A3.03. However, Woolworths shed 3.3 per cent to finish at $A23.50 and Santos was 2.4 per cent lower at $A4.56.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, ALS LIMITED – ASX ALQ, SAI GLOBAL LIMITED – ASX SAI, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, YAHOO! INCORPORATED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

Buoyant Woolies drives gains

Original article by Daniel Palmer
The Australian – Page: 32 : 26-Jul-16

The Australian sharemarket posted solid gains on 25 July 2016, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.64 per cent to close at 5,533.6. Woolworths advanced 7.8 per cent to end the session at $A24.19 and Telstra was 0.35 per cent higher at $A5.82. However, BHP Billiton shed 0.31 per cent to finish at $A19.24 and Santos was 3.3 per cent lower at $A4.67.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, REGIS RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX RRL, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WAM CAPITAL LIMITED – ASX WAM, IG MARKETS LIMITED, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

Investors focus on inflation, central banks

Original article by Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 25-Jul-16

Futures traders expect the Australian sharemarket to gain about four points when trading resumes on 25 July 2016. The local bourse is likely to benefit from a positive lead from Wall Street, having lost ground in the previous trading session. Investors will be awaiting the upcoming release of inflation data for the June quarter, which could provide guidance on the Reserve Bank’s next move on the interest rate front. The US Federal Open Market Committee’s monetary policy statement will also be closely scrutinised by investors.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL OPEN MARKET COMMITTEE, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, BANK OF JAPAN

Bourse climbs past 5500 level

Original article by Daniel Palmer
The Australian – Page: 30 : 22-Jul-16

The Australian sharemarket posted solid gains on 21 July 2016, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.43 per cent to close at 5,512.4. Rio Tinto was 1.1 per cent higher at $A48.52 and Oil Search also rose by 1.1 per cent to end the session at $A7.41. However, Regis Resources shed 5.3 per cent and South32 was down 1.1 per cent.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, REGIS RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX RRL, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, QUBE HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX QUB, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, IG MARKETS LIMITED, HOME TIMBER AND HARDWARE, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AQUILA RESOURCES LIMITED, INTEROIL CORPORATION, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence edges lower to 114.9 (down 0.3pts)

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 20-Jul-16

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence has fallen for the fourth week in a row, down 0.3 per cent to 114.9 in the week ending 17 July 2016. The headline index is now 3.3 per cent lower than four weeks ago. Consumers’ views of their current finances edged 0.2 per cent higher last week, while consumers’ views of the economic outlook in the next 12 months rose by 3.1 per cent.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Australian bourse charts course higher but big tests ahead

Original article by Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 19-Jul-16

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 has rallied in the wake of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, rising above 5,400 points. Listed gold producers in particular have risen strongly amid the global trend toward "safe haven" assets, although the broader materials sector has also performed well. Meanwhile, the local market may benefit from the US equities rally, while the upturn in commodity prices in 2016 and Australia’s upcoming August corporate reporting season bode well for domestic shares.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, IG MARKETS LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, JP MORGAN AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, RESMED INCORPORATED – ASX RMD, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, BRAMBLES LIMITED – ASX BXB, RIVKIN SECURITIES PTY LTD

ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence slips to 118.2 in July (down 0.7pts)

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Jul-16

The ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence Index has fallen from 118.9 to 118.2 in July 2016. However, it is holding in at levels of elevation, and in line with its historical average. In seasonally adjusted terms confidence rose from 118 to 119, the second monthly rise in a row. The Current Conditions and Future Conditions indices were both down by a small amount, but they were up marginally in seasonally adjusted terms.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ