CORPORATE PROFITS – AUSTRALIA

Banks among those at risk of downgrade

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 30-Jun-15

Citigroup has identified a number of Australian companies that could potentially issue earnings downgrades during the upcoming reporting season. They include Myer Holdings, BlueScope Steel, Fairfax Media, Bank of Queensland and Boart Longyear. Several companies have already issued earnings downgrades, including Flight Centre, Woolworths and SEEK. However, Citigroup believes that Caltex Australia and Wesfarmers could upgrade their earnings expectations.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP PTY LTD, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, BOART LONGYEAR LIMITED – ASX BLY, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, PACIFIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX PBG, MONADELPHOUS GROUP LIMITED – ASX MND, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, REECE AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX REH, McMILLAN SHAKESPEARE LIMITED – ASX MMS, TRADE ME GROUP LIMITED – ASX TME, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, SPARK NEW ZEALAND LIMITED – ASX SPK, ECHO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX EGP, GWA GROUP LIMITED – ASX GWA, NEXTDC LIMITED – ASX NXT, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

GWA Group cuts earnings guidance

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 30-Jun-15

GWA Group has advised that it will write down the value of the Gliderol garage doors business by around $A25m in its 2014-15 accounts. GWA has agreed to sell the business to Reliance Doors for about $A7m, after buying it for $A42m in 2010. Meanwhile, GWA now anticipates that its trading EBIT for the financial year will be within the range of $A67m to $A69m, compared with earlier guidance of about $A70m.

CORPORATES
GWA GROUP LIMITED – ASX GWA, GLIDEROL ROLLER DOORS PTY LTD, RELIANCE DOORS PTY LTD, DUX HOT WATER, BRIVIS, CAROMA INDUSTRIES LIMITED, GAINSBOROUGH, FOWLER, HUNTER GREEN PTY LTD

Big four rank high for profitability: BIS

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 29-Jun-15

The Bank for International Settlements’ annual report shows that Australia’s four major banks outperformed their peers in developed countries in terms of profitability in 2014. The banks’ pre-tax profits were 1.28 per cent of their assets during the calendar year, ahead of the US and Canada. TS Lim of Bell Potter notes that Australia’s comparatively high interest rates contributed to the profitability of local banks.

CORPORATES
BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Share price slumps after profit warning

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Matt O’Sullivan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 24-Jun-15

Australian-listed Flight Centre Travel Group has advised that its 2014-15 underlying profit before tax will be within the range of $A355m to $A365m. Its previous guidance was for earnings of $A360m to $A390m, with the downgrade attributed to factors such as competition from online travel groups and slowing growth in Australia’s domestic travel market. Flight Centre shares closed nearly 14 per cent lower at $A37.51 on 23 June 2015.

CORPORATES
FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, AIRBNB AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BOOKING.COM BV, PRICELINE.COM, GAINSDALE PTY LTD, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED

Metcash is crunched in retail wars

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 5-Jun-15

Australian-listed Metcash has indicated that its financial accounts for 2014-15 will include asset write-downs totalling $A640m. The grocery group has also advised that dividends will be put on hold for 18 months. The revelations prompted a sharp fall in Metcash’s share price, which finished $A0.245 lower at $A1.14 on 4 June 2015. Metcash expects its full-year underlying EBIT to be within its forecast range of $A315m to $A330m.

CORPORATES
METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COSTCO WHOLESALE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NIKKO ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND GROCERY COUNCIL, McPHERSON’S LIMITED – ASX MCP

Ainsworth looks to lift its international game

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 5-Jun-15

Ainsworth Game Technology has advised that its 2014-15 after-tax net profit will be line with the previous financial year. The listed gaming machine maker expects revenue to be two per cent lower at about $A240m, citing disappointing sales in Australia during the second half. CEO Danny Gladstone says the group will focus on expanding its international business, noting that there is limited opportunity for growth in the Australian market.

CORPORATES
AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY LIMITED – ASX AGI, ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED – ASX ALL

Hepatitis A recall takes bite from Patties profit

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jared Lynch
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 4-Jun-15

Patties Foods has advised that it is likely to post a 2014-15 net profit of $A15m, down from $A16.7m previously. Earnings for the current year are expected to be reduced by about $A1.5m due to a frozen berries product recall arising from a hepatitis A scare. CEO Steven Chaur says the group now subjects its berries to a stringent testing regime.

CORPORATES
PATTIES FOODS LIMITED – ASX PFL, NANNA’S, CREATIVE GOURMET, FOUR ‘N TWENTY PIES

Virtus shares drop 20pc on profit downgrade

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 3-Jun-15

Australian-listed IVF group Virtus Health has slightly downgraded its net profit forecast for 2014-15. The group indicated in February 2015 that its market share was 45.6 per cent, but it advised on 2 June that bulk-billing providers in New South Wales have eroded its market share. Virtus shares closed 19.92 per cent lower at $A6.11.

CORPORATES
VIRTUS HEALTH LIMITED – ASX VRT, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, QUADRANT PRIVATE EQUITY PTY LTD

Low rates, yields to hit Suncorp, IAG

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 26-May-15

The earnings of Australian-listed insurance companies are likely to be affected by low interest rates and bond yields. Investment income accounts for around 40 per cent of QBE Insurance Group’s profits, compared with 25 per cent in the case of Insurance Australia Group (IAG) and Suncorp. IAG CEO Mike Wilkins says most of the company’s insurance book comprises "short tail risk".

CORPORATES
QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Hardie cash splash ignores compo deal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 22-May-15

James Hardie Industries has posted a $US221.4m profit for the year to 31 March 2015, which is 12 per cent higher than previously. The building materials group will pay out a total of $US120.3m in dividends for the second half of the financial year, plus a special dividend of $US98m. Payments to the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund for fiscal 2015 totalled $US113m. James Hardie shares closed 11.6 per cent higher at $A16.99 on 21 May 2015.

CORPORATES
JAMES HARDIE INDUSTRIES PLC – ASX JHX, ASBESTOS INJURIES COMPENSATION FUND LIMITED, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY