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Outdoor advertiser reaps growth rewards

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 27 : 21-Aug-18

Australian-listed oOh! Media has posted a 2018 interim net profit of $9.2m, which is three per cent higher than previously. The outdoor advertising group’s EBIT was up 11 per cent at $37.9m and revenue increased by 11 per cent to $192m. CEO Brendon Cook says oOh! Media will ramp up its investment in digital billboards and an online trading platform as part of its growth strategy. Shareholders will receive a fully franked interim dividend of $0.035 per share.

CORPORATES
OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, ADSHEL PTY LTD, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, JUNKEE MEDIA PTY LTD, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, JC DECAUX SA, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Domain sees considerable upside to proposed Fairfax-Nine merger

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 14-Aug-18

Domain Holdings’ executive chairman Nick Falloon says the merger between Nine Entertainment Company and Fairfax Media will help to grow Domain’s business. Falloon is also the chairman of Fairfax, which owns 60 per cent of Domain. He notes that both Domain and Nine have lots of useful data that when combined would be of benefit to both businesses. The property listings company has a posted a statutory net loss of $6.2m for 2017-18, while revenue was 11.5 per cent higher at $357.3m.

CORPORATES
DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MARTIN CURRIE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED

SEEK warns of flat profits, seeks loyalty

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 14 : 7-Aug-18

Shares in employment classifieds and services company SEEK fell by 8.8 per cent on 6 August, after it announced a profit downgrade and writedown. SEEK will write down $178 million on its investments in Mexico and Brazil, while its expects its 2018-19 net profit after tax to be around the $200 million result it achieved in 2017-18. A survey of analysts by Bloomberg had forecast a 2018-19 result of $240 million. SEEK CEO Andrew Bassat notes that it is reinvesting revenue in preference to targeting profit growth; SEEK expects its 2018-19 revenue to grow by between 16 and 20 per cent.

CORPORATES
SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, BLOOMBERG LP, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ZHAOPIN LIMITED

Backing for new Domain chief

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 4-Jul-18

Domain Holdings’ shares closed 0.63 per cent lower at $3.15 on 3 July, after the property listings group advised that Google Australia MD Jason ­Pellegrino will succeed Antony Catalano as CEO. Pellegrino will be paid $1.2m a year in his new role, plus a $500,000 sign-on bonus and $2m worth of Domain shares. Institutional investors are largely positive about his appointment, although some note his lack of experience in the real estate sector.

CORPORATES
DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHG, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MARTIN CURRIE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, LEGG MASON ASSET MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT

JCDecaux’s APN buy shrinks market

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Original article by Bridget Carter
The Australian – Page: 19 : 27-Jun-18

APN Outdoor Group’s board has recommended that shareholders accept JCDecaux’s revised offer of $A6.70 per share, which values the bid at $A1.217bn. France-based JCDecaux had initially offered $A6.52 per share. APN Outdoor MD James Warburton says digital disruption is unlikely to have much impact on the outdoor advertising sector. APN Outdoors’ shares closed three per cent higher at $A6.42 on 26 June.

CORPORATES
APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, JC DECAUX SA, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, ADSHEL PTY LTD, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, YARRA TRAMS, NEW SOUTH WALES. ROADS AND MARITIME SERVICES

Class warfare digs won’t work: Coalition

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 26-Jun-18

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull claims that Labor is attacking him because he is wealthy and successful. Labor will run commercials which contend that Turnbull will benefit from the federal government’s plans to reduce the company tax rate because of the large number of companies in which he has investments. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has accused Labor of engaging in class warfare, while Labor’ finance spokesman Jim Chalmers has accused Turnbull of siding with millionaires.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

APN hopes for more from JCDecaux

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Original article by Bridget Carter
The Australian – Page: 29 : 22-Jun-18

APN Outdoor Group has advised shareholders to take no action at present regarding JCDecaux’s $A1.1bn takeover bid. Dion Hershan of Yarra Capital has described the cash offer of $A6.52 per share as "opportunistic". Shares in the out-of-home advertising group closed 12.14 per cent higher at $A6.56 on 21 June. Based on APN’s current valuation, the offer represents an 11.5 per cent premium to its closing share price on 20 June, and it is believed that a premium of 30 per cent will be required for APN directors to endorse the bid.

CORPORATES
APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, JC DECAUX SA, YARRA CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, CADENCE ADVISORY, ADSHEL PTY LTD, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1

French in $1.1bn APN Outdoor bid

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Original article by Bridget Carter, Scott Murdoch
The Australian – Page: 17 & 19 : 21-Jun-18

JCDecaux has made a cash offer of $A6.52 per share for Australian-listed APN Outdoor Group. France-based JCDecaux is a major player in Australia’s street furniture advertising market, and it says APN’s outdoor advertising businesses would complement its local operations. The $A1.1bn takeover bid is likely to affect APN’s own proposal to acquire the Adshel business from rival HT&E. APN was seen as the leading contender to acquire Adshel, although oOh!media is also believed to be in contention.

CORPORATES
APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, JC DECAUX SA, ADSHEL PTY LTD, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, YARRA TRAIL PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Break-up an option for HT&E

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 8-May-18

Broadcast media and outdoor advertising group HT&E has appointed CLSA and Credit Suisse to review its business as part of its strategy to increase shareholder value. Chairman Peter Cosgrove has told the company’s AGM that its board will consider all options, including selling some assets or the entire company. HT&E recently rejected an approach from rival oOh!media to acquire its Adshel business. HT&E shares closed 0.9 per cent higher at $A2.28 on 7 May.

CORPORATES
HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, ADSHEL PTY LTD, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD, KIIS 101.1, KIIS1065, MEDIACAP, CITY OF BRISBANE, YARRA TRAMS, JC DECAUX AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Under-pressure HT&E rejects oOh!Media offer for Adshel

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Original article by Dana McCauley, Bridget Carter, Scott Murdoch
The Australian – Page: 19 : 12-Apr-18

Australian-listed HT&E has advised that oOh!Media has made a non-binding and conditional offer for its Adshel outdoor advertising division. However, HT&E’s board has deemed that the offer undervalues Adshel. Meanwhile, the company has indicated that Adshel’s revenue for the March quarter was consistent with guidance issued in February. HT&E has forecast that EBITDA for 2018 will be within the range of $A113m to $A114m.

CORPORATES
HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, ADSHEL PTY LTD, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, AUSTRALIAN RADIO NETWORK PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS