CONGLOMERATE CORPORATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Wesfarmers makes $US100m oil, gas play

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Original article by Julie-anne Sprague, Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 25-Jun-15

Wesfarmers will pay $US100m ($A129m) for a 27.4 per cent stake in a special-purpose vehicle that holds the Quadrant Energy stakes of Angela Bennett and Macquarie Capital. This in turn will give Wesfarmers a 13.7 per cent stake in Quadrant, which was previously known as Apache Australia and owns oil and gas assets in Western Australia. Wesfarmers MD Richard Goyder describes the Quadrant stake as a stand-alone investment for the conglomerate.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, QUADRANT ENERGY PTY LTD, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, APACHE CORPORATION, AMB HOLDINGS PTY LTD, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CSBP LIMITED, BROOKFIELD ASSET MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, NEXUS ENERGY LIMITED, BEACH ENERGY LIMITED – ASX BPT, DRILLSEARCH ENERGY LIMITED – ASX DLS

Seven Group new boss set to take helm

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 23-Jun-15

Seven Group Holdings’ incoming CEO Ryan Stokes will receive an annual salary of $A1.6m when he succeeds Don Voelte in July 2015. Stokes has been an executive director of the conglomerate since 2010, and became COO in 2012. His remuneration also includes both short- and long-term incentive plans. Voelte revealed his intention to step down in April.

CORPORATES
SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, WESTRAC HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Wesfarmers moves to back Coles over coal

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 22-May-15

Financial market analysts have downgraded Wesfarmers’ profit and earnings per share forecasts for 2015, although there is widespread support for the conglomerate’s move to focus capital investment on its Coles and Bunnings chains. Ben Gilbert of UBS says the Bunnings hardware business in particular still offers huge growth potential, noting that its return on capital exceeds 30 per cent.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES GROUP LIMITED, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PACIFIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX PBG, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED

Wesfarmers’ Chaney looks to long-term gains

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 12-May-15

Wesfarmers has downplayed concerns about the appropriateness of its decision to appoint former MD Michael Chaney to the post of chairman. Chaney himself says Wesfarmers has changed significantly since he stepped down in 2007. He adds that a priority will be to look after the interests of long-term shareholders rather than hedge funds and investors who are short-term stockholders. Chaney will succeed Bob Every in November 2015.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COLES GROUP LIMITED, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, OFFICEWORKS SUPERSTORES PTY LTD, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD

Seven set for uptick

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Original article by Tess Ingram, Anthony Macdonald
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 26-Feb-15

Seven Group Holdings has posted a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A69.2m, which is 74 per cent lower than previously. The WesTrac division’s sales revenue was down 47 per cent at $A323m, although revenue from equipment servicing and parts sales rose by 16 per cent to $A750m. Meanwhile, Seven Group will undertake an on-market share buyback via Goldman Sachs. The group’s shares closed 11 per cent higher at $A6.85 on 25 February 2015

CORPORATES
SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, WESTRAC HOLDINGS PTY LTD, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, CATERPILLAR, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL

Seven ‘too small to take out Beach’

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 4-Feb-15

Seven Group Holdings has built up a 13.4 per cent stake in Beach Energy, after initially purchasing 3.5 per cent of the group’s shares in late January 2015. The share raid has prompted speculation of a takeover play, but Tim Mann of Morningstar believes that Seven Group lacks sufficient financial firepower to effect a takeover. Martin Kronborg of Credit Suisse suggests that the move may be in expectation that Beach will attract another suitor

CORPORATES
SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, BEACH ENERGY LIMITED – ASX BPT, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, WESTRAC HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BAILLIEU HOLST LIMITED

Caterpillar’s sales crawl backwards hits Seven

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Original article by Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 18 : 29-Jan-15

The profit for the final three months of calendar 2014 at US mining machinery manufacturer Caterpillar has fallen 25%, prompting it to also predict declines of 9% and 22% respectively for sales and earnings per share in 2015. The slump due to the ending of the resources boom will have a negative impact on Australian-listed conglomerate Seven Group Holdings as well. It owns the WesTrac distributor of Caterpillar products in parts of Australia and China

CORPORATES
SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, CATERPILLAR INCORPORATED, WESTRAC HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Wesfarmers off to good start: Goyder

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Original article by Sue Mitchell, Julie-Anne Sprague
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 20 : 21-Nov-14

Wesfarmers chairman Bob Every has told the group’s annual meeting that its total shareholder return has significantly outperformed the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 over the last decade. MD Richard Goyder said the conglomerate’s retail operations have generally performed well so far in 2014-15, particularly the Coles and Bunnings businesses. Goyder also downplayed speculation that the cashed-up group could pursue acquisitions. Wesfarmers shares closed $A0.79 lower at $A42.10

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, PACIFIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX PBG, AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND GROCERY COUNCIL, HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED – ASX HSO, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, COATES HIRE LIMITED, ELDERS LIMITED – ASX ELD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, THE GOOD GUYS, THE MUIR ELECTRICAL COMPANY PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COSTCO WHOLESALE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TESCO PLC, MORRISONS, ASDA GROUP PLC, PERTH CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

Nexus investors lash ASIC inaction

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 20-Nov-14

Piper Alderman lawyer Amanda Banton, who represents investors in Nexus Energy opposed to its acquisition by Seven Group Holdings, has criticised the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. The watchdog has taken no action after Seven made a low offer of $A0.02 and then moved to buy the collapsed Nexus following the rejection by stockholders of the original bid. A major issue is the dual role of Don Voelte as Seven CEO and Nexus chair

CORPORATES
SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, NEXUS ENERGY LIMITED – ASX NXS, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, PIPER ALDERMAN, AZURE CAPITAL PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Shareholders target Voelte in Nexus bid

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Original article by Matt Chambers, Sharri Markson, Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 12-Nov-14

Conglomerate Seven Group Holdings plans to take over Nexus Energy for $A180m, following the latter’s collapse after its board rejected an offer by Seven worth just $A0.02 a share. The fact that Seven CEO Don Voelte also had the role of chair at the gas group has sparked complaints by Nexus investors to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission. Legal action is being launched by stockholders such as Bechtel CEO Andrew Greig, ­Liberal Party president Richard Alston, Karoon Gas executive chair Bob Hosking and Michael Fowler, another ex-Nexus chair

CORPORATES
NEXUS ENERGY LIMITED – ASX NXS, SEVEN GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SVW, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, KAROON GAS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX KAR, BECHTEL PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA