BUSINESS FORECASTING – AUSTRALIA

Dividends keep climbing despite weak corporate profits

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 4-Mar-15

Data from JP Morgan shows that the dividend payout ratio for companies in the S&P/ASX 200 increased by about five per cent overall during the February 2015 reporting season. Deutsche Bank in turn estimates that underlying earnings growth rose by about two per cent overall. The benchmark index gained 6.1 per cent during February. Meanwhile, JP Morgan and Citigroup have both scaled back their expectations for growth in earnings per share for the full year

CORPORATES
JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CONTANGO ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, FIDELITY INVESTMENTS AUSTRALIA LIMITED, S&P CAPITAL IQ

Boomers will keep Ramsay’s hospital beds full

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 27-Feb-15

Australian-listed Ramsay Health Care has posted a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A191.4m, which is 21.3 per cent higher than previously. The private hospitals group recorded revenue of $A3.3bn for the half-year, an increase of 41.6 per cent. Its Australian division’s EBIT was up 12.6 per cent at $A282.8m and revenue was eight per cent higher at $A2bn. Ramsay expects core net profit for the full year to be 18-20 per cent higher than previously

CORPORATES
RAMSAY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX RHC, GENERALE DE SANTE SA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, HYPERION ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED

Qantas on target for $1b profit

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 27-Feb-15

Qantas has reported a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A204m, compared with a loss of $A235m in the first half of 2013-14. The carrier’s underlying result for the half-year rose from a loss of $A252m to a pre-tax profit of $A367m. Qantas is now tipped to achieve a full-year underlying profit of around $A1bn, following a loss of $A646m in 2013-14. CEO Alan Joyce says the airline’s focus remains on debt reduction, but adds that it could resume paying dividends at some stage

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, FIJI AIRWAYS, JETSTAR AIRLINES PTY LTD

Monash IVF confident on revenue

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 26-Feb-15

Australian-listed Monash IVF has posted a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A11m, while enquiries from prospective patients rose by four per cent. CEO James Thiedeman forecasts that around 70 per cent of these enquiries will result in new patients for the group. Monash IVF shares closed $A0.05 higher at $A1.405 on 25 February 2015

CORPORATES
MONASH IVF GROUP LIMITED – ASX MVF, FLINDERS FERTILITY

Brighter skies give lift to Flight Centre

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 25-Feb-15

Australian-listed Flight Centre Travel Group has posted a 2014-15 interim underlying profit before tax of $A137.6m, which is 5.6 per cent lower than previously. The travel group had advised in late 2014 that its profit for the half-year would be between $A136m and $A142m. Flight Centre expects its underlying profit for the full year of $A360m to $A390m. Shareholders will receive a half-year dividend of $A0.55 per share

CORPORATES
FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH

Strong M&A tipped for 2015

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 24-Feb-15

Data from Dealogic shows that some $US13.9bn ($A17.7bn) worth of mergers and acquisitions have been proposed in Australia so far in 2015. M&A experts are generally upbeat about the outlook for 2015, with Minter Ellison partner Ron Forster anticipating strong activity in the gold and iron ore sectors in particular. Karen Evans-Cullen of Clayton Utz notes that the downturn in the value of the Australian dollar may attract more bids from offshore groups

CORPORATES
DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, MINTER ELLISON, CLAYTON UTZ, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TOL, JAPAN POST, NOVION PROPERTY GROUP – ASX NVN, FEDERATION CENTRES – ASX FDC, PORT OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. DEFENCE HOUSING AUSTRALIA, BOART LONGYEAR LIMITED – ASX BLY, CENTERBRIDGE PARTNERS LP, GRESHAM PARTNERS LIMITED, MIZUHO BANK LIMITED

Australia Post hopes $1-a-letter strategy can avoid loss

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Patrick Durkin, Tony Boyd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 24-Feb-15

Australia Post has reported a 2014-15 interim profit of $A98m, which is 56 per cent lower than previously. Its letters division made a loss of $A151m for the half-year, and Australia Post has forecast a group loss for the full year, which would be its first since 1982. CEO Ahmed Fahour has stressed the need for regulatory reform to ensure that its letters division is viable. Australia Post wants to adopt a two-tiered pricing structure for mail deliveries

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA POST, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, JAPAN POST, TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TOL, SINGAPORE POST PTE LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, COURIERS PLEASE, DHL CORPORATION, DEUTSCHE POST AG, UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INCORPORATED, FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION, TNT

Cleaning frenzy buoys Godfreys

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 24-Feb-15

Listed vacuum cleaner retailer Godfreys has posted a 20140-15 interim underlying pro-forma net profit of $A6.4m, with sales of $A90.6m. Godfreys has forecast a full-year profit of $A12.2m. CEO Tom Krulis notes that sales of cleaning products tend to be higher during the month of January, as consumers typically clean more often. He adds that Godfreys plans to expand its product range to include air purifiers

CORPORATES
GODFREYS GROUP LIMITED – ASX GFY, ARCADE FINANCE PTY LTD

BHP under pressure to lift returns

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 23-Feb-15

BHP Billiton has not reduced its dividend since 1988, and analysts generally agree that a reduced payout is unlikely when the resources giant releases its 2014-15 interim results on 24 February 2015. Paul Young of Deutsche Bank does not expect BHP to increase its dividend for at least another two years, arguing that it should focus on growth rather than improving returns to shareholders. Paul McTaggart of Credit Suisse also says a share buyback is unlikely in the next several years

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, SOUTH32 LIMITED

Coal prices ‘unlikely’ to recover in 2015

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 20-Feb-15

ANZ Bank analysts Mark Pervan and Rajneet Kaur are bearish about the long-term outlook for the price of coal. ANZ has downgraded its forecast for coking coal to $US115 per tonne at the end of 2015 and $US130/per tonne at the end of 2018. It is currently trading at around $US117/tonne. Australia exported $A22.9bn worth of coking coal in 2013

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ