Brett Kavanaugh: Hopes of confirmation rise as Democrats label FBI report a whitewash

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by
The New Daily – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

The FBI’s report into sexual misconduct claims against Brett Kavanaugh appears to have been favourably received by Republican Senators Jeff Flake and Susan Collins. Kavanaugh is Donald Trump’s nominee for the US Supreme Court, with the FBI’s report being sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee "in the middle of the night". However, the Democrats have labelled the report a "whitewash", with Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein noting that neither Kavanaugh or his accuser Christine Blasey Ford were interviewed by the FBI.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES), DEMOCRATIC PARTY

TCCC, Coca-Cola Amatil take 45pc stake in beverage maker Made Group

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

Coca-Cola Amatil and The Coca Cola Company are to acquire a 45 per cent stake in beverages company Made Group for an undisclosed amount. The Melbourne-based Made Group was founded in 2005 and makes brands such as Impressed cold-pressed juices, Rokeby Farms smoothies, and Cocobella coconut water. It currently sells its products through outlets such as Woolworths and Coles, and is due to move into a new $45 million manufacturing facility in South Dandenong in Melbourne before the end of 2018

CORPORATES
COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, MADE GROUP, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Pilbara gold believer Novo Resources plans to start bulk-mining next year

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Angela East
stockhead.com.au – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

Novo Resources chairman Quinton Hennigh has told the recent Precious Metals Investment Symposium in Perth that it plans to start bulk-mining in the Pilbara region in 2019. However, it is yet to advise markets as to possible grades or reserves for its conglomerate gold projects. Canadian billionaire Eric Sprott, who is Novo’s second biggest shareholder, told the symposium that the best way to find out what sort of gold resources the Pilbara has is to probably just start mining. The Pilbara has similar geological formations to the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa, which is the world’s most productive gold region.

CORPORATES
NOVO RESOURCES CORPORATION, KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD LIMITED – ASX KLA

InvoCare and Propel set to win from Hayne royal commission

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

The Hayne royal commission has slammed the funeral insurance sector, and has urged the Australian Securities & Investments Commission to use new product intervention powers to close down "junk funeral insurance". Listed funeral companies InvoCare and Propel Funeral Partners, which offer only pre-paid funeral contracts, are likely to benefit from the commission’s attack on funeral insurance. InvoCare CEO Martin Earp says funeral insurance does not offer value for money, while Propel CEO Albin Kurti contends funeral insurance ends up costing consumers more when compared to pre-paid contracts.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, INVOCARE LIMITED – ASX IVC, PROPEL FUNERAL PARTNERS LIMITED – ASX PFP

Stoked US pushes rates up, $A down

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by John Kehoe, Jacob Greber, Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 10 : 5-Oct-18

The Australian dollar fell to a 2.5 year low of $US0.7078 on 4 October, with analysts tipping it could soon fall to below $US0.70 on the back of rising US interest rates. A combination of higher oil prices and a falling Australian dollar could push petrol prices up above $2 per litre, although a weaker dollar could help to make Australian exports more competitive and lead to reduced demand for more expensive imports. Fitch Solutions Macro Research suggested a rise in oil prices could trigger inflation, which could force the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates sooner than expected.

CORPORATES
FITCH AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, GRANT SAMUEL AND ASSOCIATES PTY LTD, OUTLOOK ECONOMICS, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Seven-year ratings high for kings of morning radio, Alan Jones and Ray Hadley

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

Alan Jones continues to have the most popular breakfast radio show in Sydney, with the latest GfK survey showing he had a 19 per cent audience share with his 2GB program. Macquarie Media, which owns 2GB, stated it was his best result since 2011, while 2GB colleague Ray Hadley secured a 20.2 per cent audience share for the 9am to midday slot. 2GB was the most listened to radio station in Sydney, with 15.4 per cent of the market, while the Macquarie Radio Network-owned 3AW retained top spot in Melbourne, with 13.5 per cent audience share.

CORPORATES
GFK PTY LTD, 2GB, MACQUARIE MEDIA LIMITED – ASX MRN, 3AW SOUTHERN CROSS RADIO PTY LTD, MACQUARIE RADIO NETWORK, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ILLYRIA PTY LTD

Queensland gas drilling at record levels

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

EnergyEdge has reported that 193 gas wells were drilled in Queensland in the June quarter, while daily gas production exceeded 4,000 terajoules for the first time on 15 September, when 4,019 terajoules were produced. Daily gas production had exceeded 1,000 terajoules for the first time in December 2014. Meanwhile, LNG exports from Queensland for August came in at a seven month high of 1.76 million tonnes, the third highest monthly total on record.

CORPORATES
ENERGY EDGE, SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG

Victoria sets Fishermans Bend population at 80,000, rejects calls for more

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

The Victorian government has set the population target for Fishermans Bend, Australia’s biggest urban regeneration project, at 80,000. In doing so, it has rejected a recommendation that the target for the 480-hectare site be set at 120,000. Danni Addison from the Urban Development Institute of Australia was critical of the government’s decision, saying the planning framework for Fishermans Bend represents a "missed opportunity". Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne claims the government is "fixing the mess Matthew Guy created".

CORPORATES
URBAN DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, LAND, WATER AND PLANNING

New home sales have fallen 27pc from their 2014 peak, HIA says

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

The Housing Industry Association has reported that new home sales posted a 2.9 per cent month-on-month decline in August, following a 3.1 per cent fall in July. New home sales fell by 7.3 per cent in New South Wales and by 7.1 per cent in Victoria, although Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia all recorded increases. New home sales are now down 27.1 per cent since their April 2014 peak, while the HIA is tipping that new home construction will fall by 10.6 per cent in 2019.

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Australia likely to be fringe player in next LNG boom

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 4-Oct-18

Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden expects global demand for LNG to double by 2035. Shell has positioned itself to be a key player in the next LNG boom after making a final investment decision on its $C40bn ($43bn) LNG Canada project. Wood Mackenzie estimates that LNG projects with an annual production capacity of 50-60 million tonnes will receive final approval in 2019. However, Australia is not expected to play a major role in the new LNG boom, as only the Prelude and Ichthys projects are currently being developed.

CORPORATES
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, WOOD MACKENZIE, INPEX CORPORATION, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH