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Lithium stocks one deal away from rocketing, says broker

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Original article by Alex Gluyas
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 16-Oct-24

Data from S&P Global Platts shows that the spot price of spodumene is currently trading at around $US760 per tonne. However, E&P Financial Group forecasts that the price of spodumene will rise to $US850/tonne in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, and $US1,000/tonne in the third quarter. E&P analyst Adam Martin is also upbeat about the outlook for Australian-listed lithium stocks in the wake of Rio Tinto’s $9.9bn deal to acquire Arcadium Lithium.

CORPORATES
S&P GLOBAL PLATTS, E&P FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX EP1, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM

Nine exec quits before cultural review hits

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 3 : 15-Oct-24

Nine Entertainment has lost another executive, with the departure of its director of communications and public relations, Victoria Buchan. Interim CEO Matt Stanton has indicated that her exit was by mutual agreement as part of a restructuring of the media group’s leadership team. Buchan’s departure is not believed to be linked to the upcoming release of the findings of an independent review of Nine’s workplace culture. The review was sparked by the exit of Darren Wick, the former director of news and current affairs; Buchan is said to have been close to Wick, who had been accused of inappropriate conduct.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Market backs Rio’s $10bn Arcadium play

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Original article by Glen Norris
The Australian – Page: 19 : 11-Oct-24

Citigroup estimates that Rio Tinto’s $9.9bn deal to acquire Arcadium Lithium will generate annual synergies of about $125m. The firm expects Arcadium shareholders to back the deal, contending that the downturn in the price of the battery mineral means that is it is currently cheaper to buy lithium assets rather than build new mines. The deal will make Rio Tinto one of the world’s biggest lithium producers, and CEO Jakob Stausholm says he believes that the transaction is a "risk worth taking". He has also rejected suggestions that Rio Tinto is paying too much for Arcadium.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM

Rio Tinto’s Argentina dream gets investor OK

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Original article by Peter Ker, Elouise Fowler
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 9-Oct-24

Shares in Arcadium Lithium have rallied in the wake of Rio Tinto’s takeover approach, and the company’s market capitalisation has risen to $6.5bn. However, some analysts regard the timing of the bid to be opportunistic, given that Arcadium’s market cap was $10.6bn in May, prior to a sharp fall in the lithium price. Arcadium has two lithium projects in Argentina, and investors are generally supportive of Rio Tinto’s bid, noting that the pro-business stance of the South American country’s new government will help to offset any sovereign risk.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM

A numbers game: how NRL can claim it’s the most watched sport

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Oct-24

Data from OzTAM shows that the NRL Grand Final on Sunday attracted a national television audience of 3.4 million. The AFL Grand Final a week earlier was watched by 4.06 million people. However, the NRL’s premiership showdown was viewed by 762,000 people via the Nine Network’s free 9Now streaming platform, compared with a streaming audience of 654,000 for the AFL season decider via the rival 7plus app. NRL CEO Andrew Abdo contends that rugby league has a larger TV audience than any other sports code in Australia. The NRL will soon begin to negotiate a new broadcasting rights deal beyond 2027.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, 9NOW, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, 7PLUS, OZTAM PTY LTD

Arcadium move could cost Rio $9b: investors

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Original article by Peter Ker, Joanne Tran
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 19 : 8-Oct-24

Wilson Asset Management’s Matt Haupt is "broadly supportive" of Rio Tinto’s takeover bid for Arcadium Lithium. He argues that the target is worth more as part of a larger company than a stand-alone business. Rio Tinto confirmed the takeover approach on Monday, and emphasised that there is no certainty that the talks will result in a deal. Arcadium’s market capitalisation was about $US3.3bn ($4.85bn) on Friday. However, Rob Stein from Morningstar estimates that Arcadium is valued at around $US8.5bn, based on the sum ‘of its parts’; he adds that Rio Tinto may need to offer a control premium to reflect the synergies arising from combining the companies’ lithium projects in Argentina.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARCADIUM LITHIUM PLC – ASX LTM, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD

Paladin’s $1.5b uranium deal slowed by national security probe

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 3-Oct-24

Paladin Energy had expected to complete a deal to acquire Toronto-listed Fission Uranium by the end of September. However, the timetable for closing the $1.5bn deal is uncertain following the Canadian government’s decision to initiate a national security review of the transaction. A Chinese state-owned entity has a 25 per cent stake in Paladin’s flagship Langer Heinrich uranium mine in Namibia; another such company holds an 11 per cent stake in Fission and tried to block the Paladin deal.

CORPORATES
PALADIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX PDN, FISSION URANIUM CORPORATION

Racism at ABC systemic, new report declares

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 7 : 2-Oct-24

The ABC’s MD David Anderson says the public broadcaster’s staff will be given anti-racism training following the belated release of a racism review. The independent review was commissioned in mid-2023 and found that ABC employees from Indigenous and culturally diverse backgrounds have been subject to systemic racism. The review has made 15 recommendations aimed at addressing the issue, while Anderson has apologised to current and former ABC employees who had been subjected to racist behaviour.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Liontown’s first shipment sets sale for China

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Original article by Chris Herde, Valerina Changarathil
The Australian – Page: 16 : 1-Oct-24

Liontown Resources has advised that the inaugural shipment of spodumene concentrate from its Kathleen Valley lithium project left the Port of Geraldton on Friday. The shipment comprised 11,855 wet metric tonnes of concentrate and is en route to China. Liontown has produced 28,000 WMT of concentrate since production at Kathleen Valley commenced several months ago. Liontown posted a loss of $64.9m for the 2023-24 financial year on Friday, following a loss of $22.2m in 2022-23.

CORPORATES
LIONTOWN RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX LTR

ABC fields on protest coverage

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Original article by James Dowling
The Australian – Page: 2 : 1-Oct-24

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has lodged a complaint against the ABC over its coverage of Lebanon and Gaza solidarity protests in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday. Its complaint related to multiple live crosses from the Sydney protest and an evening package covering the Melbourne rally, with the package of the Melbourne rally criticised for not telling viewers that Hezbollah is a registered terrorist organisation, or for mentioning the display of Hezbollah flags at the rally. In its response to criticism of the package covering the Melbourne rally, the ABC noted it was the third of three stories on the events in Lebanon commissioned for 7pm news bulletins, and that the earlier stories had provided full context on the conflict.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN JEWRY