Consumer Confidence highest for L-NP supporters

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jul-20

New research into the weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index shows L-NP supporters have far higher Consumer Confidence in June at 103.3 than either ALP supporters (91.8) or Greens supporters (85.9). In fact, the Consumer Confidence of L-NP supporters has been consistently higher than either ALP or Greens supporters over the last year following the unexpected victory of the L-NP at last year’s Federal Election. Consumer Confidence for supporters of all three parties bottomed during the height of the national lockdown in April but the lowest Consumer Confidence for L-NP supporters, of 87.3 in April, was still higher than for Greens supporters during either of the last two months in both May and June. Consumer Confidence for ALP supporters hit a low of only 73.0 in April, lower than for supporters of either the L-NP or Greens. L-NP supporters have consistently been more confident than both ALP and Greens supporters across all five indicators of the index. The biggest contributors to the higher L-NP scores relate to views on the Australian economy and whether now is a good or bad time to buy major household items.

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

Revamp will push 2.5m off JobKeeper

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Jul-20

The federal government’s revised JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme is expected to cost $16.6bn over six months. The new tiered JobKeeper scheme will feature two levels of payment based on the number of hours worked, rather than the existing fortnightly payment of $1,500 for all eligible workers. The lower JobKeeper payments will take effect from 28 September and will be further reduced from early January. Treasury has forecast that the number of people receiving JobKeeper will fall from 3.5 million at present to 1.4 million in the December quarter, and just one million in the March quarter.

CORPORATES

Subscription TV viewers soar during Aussie lockdown – Netflix, Foxtel, Stan, Disney+ & Amazon Prime all up significantly

Original article by Roy Morgan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 22-Jul-20

New data from Roy Morgan reveals Australians were adding new subscription TV services at an astonishing rate during the lockdown period which started in late March. Now almost 15.74 million Australians have access to a subscription TV service, up 878,000 (+5.9%) in only three months. All the major subscription TV services have been big winners out of the lockdown with big increases in viewers for Netflix, Foxtel, Stan, Disney+ and Amazon Prime in the three months to May 2020 compared to the prior three month period to February 2020 (pre COVID-19 lockdown). Netflix remains by far the nation’s most watched subscription television service, with 13.28 million viewers, an increase of over 1 million in only three months (+8.8%). Foxtel has also experienced its best growth for many years with over 5.5 million viewers, up 658,000 (+13.6%) since the pre-COVID-19 period. Also growing strongly during lockdown have been third-placed Stan which grew 729,000 (+19.7%) to 4,434,000 viewers, newcomer Disney+ which was up 689,000 (+38.2%) and Amazon Prime Video now with 2,166,000 viewers – an increase of 678,000 (+45.5%) since February.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, STAN ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, DISNEY+, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence slips 0.9 pts to 90.7 but down 2.6pts to 84.8 in Melbourne as COVID-19 cases surge

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jul-20

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence dropped 0.9pts to 90.7 this week – and is now at its lowest for over two months since May 9/10, 2020 (90.3). The drop in Consumer Confidence was driven by a decline of 2.6pts in Melbourne to only 84.8. The Victorian capital is now well below the national average as it battles a renewed outbreak of COVID-19. Consumer Confidence in Adelaide (92.8) and Sydney (91.0) was also down, although both are slightly above the national figure. Perth is the most confident city in Australia with Consumer Confidence surging 7.3pts to 103.4 as the city welcomed the AFL and football crowds back on the weekend. Consumer Confidence is now 25.6pts lower than a year ago on the comparable weekend of July 20/21, 2019 (116.3) and 4.1pts below the 2020 weekly average of 94.8.

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

Support SMEs in crisis: Comyn

Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 : 17-Jul-20

Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn says the federal government’s coronavirus stimulus measures have been very effective. However, he argues that further support for small businesses should be a priority in future stimulus, and he expects the sector to be a key focus of the government’s upcoming economic update. Comyn has also expressed support for the government’s focus on suppressing COVID-19, noting that completely eliminating the virus will be difficult.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Infrastructure fund extended for five years

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 17-Jul-20

The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility was due to expire on 30 June 2021. However, the federal government has advised it will now run until 30 June 2026 to assist with Australia’s economic recovery. Established to provide low-cost loans for infrastructure projects across the Northern Territory, Western Australia and northern Queensland, the NAIF was originally worth $5 billion. To date 19 projects have been approved for a total of $2 billion in loans, but only $130 million has been spent so far.

CORPORATES
NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY

Old IR ways would cost jobs in recovery: PM

Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Jul-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned that temporary changes to the Fair Work Act will need to be retained beyond the JobKeeper wage subsidy’s scheduled end date of late September. The amendments enable bosses to vary the hours that an employee works and the duties they perform. Morrison says more jobs will be lost if the nation reverts to the inflexible industrial relations regime that was in place before JobKeeper was introduced. He argues that many companies will continue to benefit from the more flexible arrangements even when their revenue has returned to pre-coronavirus levels.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Pink-collar recession: Data reveals women have borne brunt of pandemic

Original article by Euan Black
The New Daily – Page: Online : 17-Jul-20

Women’s working hours fell by 7.3 per cent between March and June, according to figures released on 16 July, while men’s working hours fell by 6.5 per cent. Women suffered a 5.2 per cent drop in full-time employment between February and June, compared to a fall of only 3.8 per cent for men. Equity Economics economist Angela Jackson says the government has not focused enough on female jobs during the recession, and she has urged the government to boost female employment by providing more funds for the aged-care sector. Childcare advocates and economists note the return to fee-paying child care will result in many women being compelled to stay at home and work less shifts.

CORPORATES
EQUITY ECONOMICS

PM’s rebuke to Andrews over contact tracing

Original article by Phillip Coorey Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 17-Jul-20

Victoria reported 317 new coronavirus cases on 16 July, eclipsing the previous daily record. The state also recorded another two deaths from the respiratory illness, lifting the national death toll to 113. Prime Minister Scott Morrison notes that contact tracing procedures continue to be problematic in Victoria, noting that the New South Wales government has managed this much more effectively than its Victorian counterpart. Morrison has also warned of the economic consequences of shifting coronavirus policy from one of suppression to elimination.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Unemployment jumps through June

Original article by Lachlan Maddox
investordaily.com.au – Page: Online : 17-Jul-20

Unemployment in Australia rose to 7.4 per cent in June, according to the Australian Bureau Statistics, up from 7.1 per cent in May. However, Roy Morgan’s unemployment figures indicate that the unemployment rate has already reached 14.5 per cent, while the underemployment rate is 10.1 per cent. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the federal government needs to seriously consider extending the JobKeeper scheme beyond September, given Treasury figures that indicate around 3.5 million working Australians are relying on it.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS ROY MORGAN LIMITED