CORPORATE PROFITS – AUSTRALIA

Expedia buyout spares shareholders of ‘lucky’ Wotif

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 13-Aug-14

Wotif.com has posted a 2013-14 net profit of $A43.2m, which is 15.4 per cent lower than previously, while booked room nights were down by 10.8 per cent. CEO Scott Blume expects the decline in room bookings to continue as a result of competition in the sector, and he concedes that Wotif.com would find it challenging to turn this around if the takeover bid from US-based Expedia does not succeed

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, PRICELINE.COM, BOOKING.COM BV

Drop in tablet sales proves a bitter pill for JB Hi-Fi

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Original article by Bridget Carter
The Australian – Page: 19 : 12-Aug-14

Electronic goods retailer JB Hi-Fi has announced a 2013-14 full-year net profit increase of 10.3% to $A128.4m, as had been tipped. Turnover grew 5.3% to reach $A3.48bn, and was up 2% on a like-for-like basis. However the company also conceded that revenue declined 5.5% year-on-year during the month of July 2014, as consumers bought fewer tablet computers. CEO Richard Murray said new devices would compensate for this during the course of 2014-15. The 12-month distribution is $A0.84, up 16.7%, and on 11 August the stock fell $A1.53 to close at $A17.84.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, JB HI-FI HOME, MOELIS AND COMPANY

G8 learns some lessons from ABC’s mistakes

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 12-Aug-14

Listed childcare group G8 Education has posted a 2014 interim net profit of $A16.3m, which is 48 per cent higher than previously, while revenue rose by 59 per cent to $A187.2m. G8 purchased 115 childcare centres during the half-year, while another 78 are in the process of being settled. The group operates 16 separate childcare brands in Australia, and chair Jenny Hutson has ruled out adopting a single brand

CORPORATES
G8 EDUCATION LIMITED – ASX GEM, ABC LEARNING CENTRES LIMITED, COMMUNITY KIDS, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, CANACCORD CAPITAL

Map out roadwork: Transurban

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Original article by Damon Kitney, Mitchell Neems
The Australian – Page: 23 : 6-Aug-14

Toll roads operator Transurban has announced a 2013-14 full-year net profit increase of 44.5% to $A252.2m. The 12-month distribution is $A0.35, and a forecast of $A0.39 for the 2014-15 payout has also been confirmed. On 5 August 2014 the stock closed 0.9% lower at $A7.58. CEO Scott Charlton said the company applauded pledges by the State Governments of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland to improve their roads infrastructure, but it was also calling for more co-ordination that involved the Federal Government as well

CORPORATES
TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, TRANSURBAN CITY LINK LIMITED, WESTCONNEX, HILLS MOTORWAY GROUP LIMITED, QUEENSLAND MOTORWAYS LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL

No retail rally after sales lift

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Original article by Blair Speedy
The Australian – Page: 17 : 4-Aug-14

The latest retailing sector turnover data to be issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics are forecast to show an increase in seasonally adjusted terms of 0.3% for June 2014. While this would be an improvement from a 0.5% fall in May, investors are still likely to take a negative view on such stocks as many groups report slower earnings growth. Some listed retailers have already issued profit warnings, due in large part to warm winter weather. The first major retailer to report will be JB Hi-Fi on 11 August

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, PACIFIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX PBG, THE REJECT SHOP LIMITED – ASX TRS, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, DAVID JONES LIMITED – ASX DJS, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Navitas marked down after uni setback

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Original article by Julie Hare
The Australian – Page: 19 : 29-Jul-14

Navitas has announced a 2013-14 full-year net profit drop of 31% to $A51.6m, on revenue of $A878.2m. The earnings per share declined 31% as well, to $A0.137. On 28 July 2014 the stock lost $A0.14 to close at $A4.98. In early July it had fallen steeply from $A7.75 to $A4.68, on news the higher education enrolment services provider had lost its contract with Macquarie University. Navitas CEO Rod Jones says the company predicts improve trading conditions once the Australian Government’s full deregulation of university course fees becomes law

CORPORATES
NAVITAS LIMITED – ASX NVT, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 100 INDEX, EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY, MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS, CURTIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY PTY LTD, SAE INSTITUTE PTY LTD

Goodman to recycle $1.4 billion in assets

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Original article by Robert Harley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 13-Jun-14

Goodman Group plans to reinvest the proceeds of property sales into the development of new projects. The Australian-listed company’s property portfolio is valued at around $A26.4bn, and it intends to offload some $A1.4bn worth of property in Australia and offshore. Goodman has forecast that its 2013-14 operating earnings will be about seven per cent higher than previously

CORPORATES
GOODMAN GROUP – ASX GMG, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED