DIVIDENDS – AUSTRALIA

Banks, miners tipped for drop

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 26-May-15

Credit Suisse notes that Australian-listed companies’ dividend payout ratios are at their highest levels in more than two decades. Richard Hitchens of Credit Suisse notes that investors recently sold down bank stocks after their interim dividends were lower than expected. He adds that groups such as Aurizon, GPT Group and Santos may also find it hard to increase their dividends.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, GPT GROUP – ASX GPT, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

Hardie cash splash ignores compo deal

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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

AACo primed to pay

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 14-May-15

Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) has posted a statutory profit of $A9.6m for the year ended 31 March 2015, compared with a $A40m loss previously. Revenue rose by 9.5 per cent to $A346.8m, with the proportion of revenue derived from sales of boxed beef rising from 59 per cent to 77 per cent. MD Jason Strong says AACo intends to eventually make its first dividend payment since 2008.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY LIMITED – ASX AAC, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

Dividends to outgrow earnings

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Original article by Patrick Begley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 14-Apr-15

There was five per cent growth in the dividend payouts of Australia’s 200 largest listed companies in the first half of 2014-15. In contrast, earnings increased by just two per cent. Morgan Stanley notes that the dividend payout ratio is currently 73 per cent, compared with an average of 65 per cent. However, the firm expects dividend payouts to keep growing faster than earnings, and says there is little chance of reduced dividend payouts unless earnings fall dramatically

CORPORATES
MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PENGANA CAPITAL LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Iron ore fall may hit Rio, BHP capex

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Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 14-Apr-15

Iron ore was trading at around $US47.53 per tonne on 13 April 2015, and some analysts are increasingly bearish about its outlook. Citigroup now expects iron ore to average just $US37 per tonne for the remainder of 2015, while it is forecast to average $US40 for the following three years. Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey recently warned that iron ore could test the $US35 level. Analysts suggest that BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto could opt to reduce capital expenditure in response to such a scenario, rather than reduce their dividends

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, ATLAB AUSTRALIA

Sigma lifts earnings in tough conditions

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 20-Mar-15

Australian-listed Sigma Pharmaceuticals has posted an after-tax net profit of $A52.7m for the year to 31 January 2015, compared with $A53.5m previously. EBIT rose by 11 per cent to $A78m and revenue increased by 5.7 per cent to $A3.1bn. Sigma will pay a final dividend of $A0.02 per share, while investors will also receive a special dividend of $A0.01 per share

CORPORATES
SIGMA PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED – ASX SIP, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Dividends keep climbing despite weak corporate profits

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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

IOOF still on hunt for takeover targets

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 27-Feb-15

Australian-listed IOOF Holdings has posted a 2014-15 underlying net profit of $A80.58m, which is 39 per cent higher than previously. The financial services group’s statutory net profit rose by 37 per cent to $A65.9m, and revenue was 24 per cent higher at $A458.49m. Shareholders will receive an interim dividend of $A0.25 per share. CEO Chris Kelahar says IOOF is keen for further acquisitions after buying SFG Australia in 2014

CORPORATES
IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, SFG AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Lowy to stay on at top of Westfield

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Original article by Robert Harley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 26-Feb-15

Westfield Corporation says its funds from operations will be $A0.377 per security for calendar 2015. The listed property group’s shareholders will receive a distribution of $A0.123 per security for the second half of 2014, and it will pay a distribution of $A0.251 in 2015. Meanwhile, joint CEO Peter Lowy has advised that he intends to remain in the role "indefinitely", having previously planned to step down and become a non-executive director

CORPORATES
WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, O’CONNOR CAPITAL PARTNERS

Franking credits entice as currency plays dry up

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 26-Feb-15

The Australian dollar was trading at about $US0.78 on 25 February 2015, compared with $US0.90 in September 2014. The weaker currency will be a boon to investors who hold shares in Australian-listed stocks that report their financial results and pay dividends in the US dollar, such as CSL, BHP Billiton and Woodside Petroleum. Matthew Ross of Goldman Sachs does not expect the currency to fall much further, and says franking credits will become a bigger issue for investors than the impact of the dollar on dividends

CORPORATES
CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, RIO TINTO PLC, TRIBECA INVESTMENT PARTNERS PTY LTD