BUSINESS – AUSTRALIA

Australian Roy Morgan Business Confidence boosted in September with change of PM but remains below average

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Oct-15

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that Australian business confidence rose by 9.9 per cent to 112.8 in September 2015. This improvement in confidence for Australia’s economic outlook was generally expected as a result of the change in Prime Minister. However, business confidence still remains below the five-year average (116.8) and the level of 12 months ago (122.9). The increase in Roy Morgan Business Confidence in September was a result of improvements across all components of the index. The strongest gains were in how businesses feel about the economy over the next 12 months and the next five years, and the encouragement this would give them to invest in their business.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Fortescue slumps but talks up asset values

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 25-Aug-15

Fortescue CFO Stephen Pearce says the company’s "world class" mining and port and rail assets in the Pilbara region of Western Australia are worth more than the $A20 billion it cost to develop them. Fortescue CEO Nev Porter put the 14.6 per cent fall in Fortescue’s share price down to a "flighty" market. UBS calculates the net valuation of the assets at $A12 billion.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, HEBEL, TEWOO GROUP

Negative outlook for the Australian economy over the next 12 months causes decline in July business confidence

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Aug-15

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that Australian business confidence declined by 2.2 per cent to 112.3 points in July 2015. Business confidence is now down 6.8 points (5.7 per cent) from 12 months ago and remains below the five-year average of 117.2. The proportion of businesses that are pessimistic about the economic conditions in Australia over the next 12 months increased to 49 per cent in July (up from 40 per cent in June), compared to 36 per cent in July 2014.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Business confidence steadies in June – but for how long?

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Jul-15

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that Australian business confidence rose slightly to 114.8 in June 2015, compared with 114.7 in May. While business confidence is now at its highest level since January (114.9), it remains below the five-year average of 117.2 and well below the peak of 136.3 in October 2013. Although business confidence remained steady in June, there was some deterioration in the outlook for how businesses feel regarding their own financial position over the next 12 months, as well as increasing concern that Australia will be facing economic difficulties over the next five years.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Business satisfaction with banks shows small improvement in May

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Jun-15

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that the satisfaction level of Australian business banking customers rose by 0.2 per cent to 65.8 per cent in May 2015. However, it remains well below the peak of 69.6 per cent in November 2014. Westpac still has the highest customer satisfaction rating among business customers of the four major banks, at 68.2 per cent, ahead of National Australia Bank (64.9 per cent). Meanwhile, smaller banks continue to outperform the "big four", with Bendigo Bank boasting a business customer satisfaction rating of 81.1 per cent.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BENDIGO BANK, SUNCORP BANK, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL

RBA reveals why boards won’t invest

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Jemima Whyte, Jenny Wiggins, Anne Hyland, Yolanda Redrup, Perry Williams, Agnes King
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 19-Jun-15

Research by the Reserve Bank of Australia has examined factors that deter companies from making capital investments. Some 90 per cent of companies said they would only commit to new investment if the hurdle rate is at least 10 per cent. However, the central bank notes that some companies are applying outdated hurdle rates that do not reflect current interest rates. Computershare tries to maintain its return on capital at a certain level, according to CFO Mark Davis, but is open to revising it when this is deemed to be necessary.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, COMPUTERSHARE LIMITED – ASX CPU, TECHNOLOGY ONE LIMITED – ASX TNE, ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED – ASX ALL, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD

Business confidence in May boosted by budget – but remains fragile

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Jun-15

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that Australian business confidence rose by 9.1 per cent to 114.7 in May 2015. This is the highest level since January 2015 (114.9), but business confidence remains below the five-year average of 117.3 and the peak of 136.3 in October 2013. The increase in business confidence in May occurred across all components of the index, but stemmed mainly from an increase in the proportion of businesses believing that Australia will experience good economic conditions over the next 12 months.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Business confidence in March shows tentative improvement

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Apr-15

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that Australian business confidence rose by 6.3 per cent to 112.4 in March 2015. Despite the improvement, business confidence remains below its level before the 2013 federal election and the average for the last four years of 117.6. The rise in business confidence occurred across all components of the index, but it stemmed mainly from an increase in the proportion of businesses that believe the next 12 months will be a good time to invest in growing their business

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Fear of failure stifles innovation: McKeon

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 26-Mar-15

Australian companies must become more innovative, AMP chairman Simon McKeon said on 25 March 2015. He noted that local businesses are more risk-averse than their US counterparts. He said foreign investors like Australia’s "AAA" credit rating. McKeon is also the chairman of CSIRO, whose funding was reduced in the 2014 federal Budget

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CSIRO, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

Fear of failure stifles innovation: McKeon

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 26-Mar-15

Australian companies must become more innovative, AMP chairman Simon McKeon said on 25 March 2015. He noted that local businesses are more risk-averse than their US counterparts. He said foreign investors like Australia’s "AAA" credit rating. McKeon is also the chairman of CSIRO, whose funding was reduced in the 2014 federal Budget

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CSIRO, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG