DIVIDENDS – AUSTRALIA

Shareholders get dividend from nib

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 26-Aug-14

NIB Holdings has posted a 2013-14 net profit of $A69.9m, which is four per cent higher than previously. The private health insurer’s operating profit increased by 4.3 per cent to $A72.3m, and revenue was up 15 per cent at $A1.53bn. Shareholders will receive a special dividend of $A0.09 per share. MD Mark Fitzgibbon notes that some customers did not renew their policies after NIB increased its premiums by 7.99 per cent

CORPORATES
NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, ISELECT LIMITED – ASX ISU, COMPARE THE MARKET PTY LTD

Debutantes on parade as company profit season winds down

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sally Rose, Jonathan Shapiro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 25-Aug-14

A number of companies that listed on the Australian sharemarket in the last year will shortly release their maiden full-year results as listed companies. These include Virtus Health, Spotless Group and Nine Entertainment Group. Meanwhile, Tanya Branwhite of Macquarie Group notes that increased dividends have been a key feature of the August 2014 reporting season

CORPORATES
VIRTUS HEALTH LIMITED – ASX VRT, SPOTLESS GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SPO, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, PERPETUAL INVESTMENTS, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, CIMB SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, NAVITAS LIMITED – ASX NVT, G8 EDUCATION LIMITED – ASX GEM, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, MONADELPHOUS GROUP LIMITED – ASX MND, BRADKEN LIMITED – ASX BKN, DOWNER EDI LIMITED – ASX DOW, WORLEYPARSONS LIMITED – ASX WOR, UGL LIMITED – ASX UGL, TRANSFIELD SERVICES LIMITED – ASX TSE, MONASH IVF GROUP LIMITED – ASX MVF, VEDA GROUP LIMITED – ASX VED, JAPARA HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX JHC, ISELECT LIMITED – ASX ISU, ISENTIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX ISD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Perked-up SEEK aims to complete JobStreet bid in weeks

roymorgansocial 1 Comment

Original article by Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 21-Aug-14

Australian-listed SEEK has posted a 2013-14 underlying net profit of $A179.7m. The online job advertisement website operator had revenue of $A756.4m for the financial year, while shareholders will receive a dividend of $A0.16 per share for the second half. Meanwhile, the group has advised that it expects to pay $A636m for JobStreet, with the deal likely to be finalised in September 2014

CORPORATES
SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK,JOBSTREET CORPORATION BERHAD,SINGAPORE. COMPETITION COMMISSION,CITIGROUP PTY LTD,LINKEDIN LIMITED,MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED,CARSALES.COM LIMITED – ASX CRZ,REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA

IAG focuses on the bottom line

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Bennet
The Australian – Page: 21 : 20-Aug-14

Insurance Australia Group (IAG) has announced a 2013-14 full-year net profit increase of 59% to $A1.23bn, as gross written premiums also lifted 3% to reach $A9.8bn. The 12-month distribution has been boosted 8.3% to $A0.39, and on 19 August 2014 the stock closed $A0.03 higher at $A6.20. CEO Mike Wilkins said the Australian-listed company would focus on improved margins rather than to defend market share, as smaller rivals such as Youi, Budget and Progressive as well as supermarket chains and major banks expand their business

CORPORATES
INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, ALLIANZ AUSTRALIA LIMITED, YOUI PTY LTD, BUDGET DIRECT INSURANCE AGENCY PTY LTD, PROGRESSIVE DIRECT INSURANCE COMPANY, NRMA INSURANCE LIMITED, SGIO INSURANCE LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

A leaner BHP is taking shape

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Barry FitzGerald, Sarah-Jane Tasker
The Australian – Page: 17 : 18-Aug-14

BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie is rolling out his "four pillars" strategy of concentrating on the core iron ore, coal, copper and petroleum divisions. A potential hiving-off of other assets into a separately-listed entity will be discussed at the 2013-14 results presentation on 19 August 2014, at which BHP is also tipped to unveil a profit rise of 27% to $US13.8bn ($A14.8bn). The 12-month distribution is forecast to be lifted to above $US1.20 from $US1.16 previously. However a stock repurchasing scheme worth up to $US5bn is now less likely, due to the spin-off move

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, PENGANA CAPITAL LIMITED

Resources outdo yield kings early in reporting season

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 15-Aug-14

The results reported so far during the current reporting season suggest that Australian-listed companies remain committed to financial prudence. There have been few buybacks and big dividends, with the exception of Telstra announcing a $A1 billion stock repurchasing scheme. Analysts believe companies do not want to return capital to shareholders because they need to have enough cash on hand to fund possible acquisitions

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, MAPLE-BROWN ABBOTT LIMITED, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIVERSDALE MINING LIMITED, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Telstra ready to splash cash

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 17 : 15-Aug-14

Telstra has announced a 2013-14 full-year net profit of $A4.28bn, on a revenue rise of 3.4% to $A25.1bn. The best result in close to 10 years comes as the Australian-listed telco invests in new acquisitions to boost its footprint in the media content sector, after offloading the CSL mobile telephony asset in Hong Kong. The final distribution is up $A0.005 to $A0.15, for a 12-month payout of $A0.295. CEO David Thodey also announced a stock repurchasing scheme worth $A1bn, and on 14 August 2014 the shares closed at a price of $A5.56 last witnessed in 2002

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, OOYALA INCORPORATED, HONG KONG CSL LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SENSIS PTY LTD, PLATINUM EQUITY HOLDINGS, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Money on Echo as it shows a good hand

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 & 24 : 14-Aug-14

The stock of gaming group Echo Entertainment on 13 August 2014 closed 3.1% higher at $A3.30. It had posted a 2013-14 full-year net profit increase of 27.3% to $A106.3m, or 24.6% to $A158.2m excluding abnormal gains from "high rollers". Revenue from its New South Wales and Queensland casino operations also grew 3.9% to reach $A1.8bn. A distribution of $A0.04 has been declared. CEO Matt Bekier noted that strong earnings growth for Echo should now be seen as a given

CORPORATES
ECHO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX EGP, CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, THE STAR, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Law of returns as Slater & Gordon hits $61m

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Chris Merritt
The Australian – Page: 21 : 13-Aug-14

Slater & Gordon has announced a 2013-14 full-year net profit increase of 47.2% to $A61.1m, on revenue that also rose 40.4% to reach $A418.5m. The 12-month distribution has been lifted 21.2%, with the final dividend up 29.9% to $A0.05 fully-franked. MD Andrew Grech says the Australian-listed law firm is seeing a strong contribution by the recently acquired UK businesses. It will also buy Nowicki Carbone and Schultz Toomey O’Brien in Victoria and Queensland respectively, later in 2014

CORPORATES
SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, NOWICKI CARBONE AND COMPANY, SCHULTZ TOOMEY O’BRIEN LAWYERS, TRILBY MISSO LAWYERS LIMITED

Domino’s delivers on profit

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Scott Parker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 13-Aug-14

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises has posted a 2013-14 net profit of $A45.8m, which is 50.4 per cent higher than previously. The group’s underlying EBITA increaed by 70 per cent to $A95.1m, on revenue of $A588.7m. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $A0.19 per share, fully franked. Domino’s Pizza shares have risen by 75 per cent in the last year, closing 13.5 per cent higher at $A23.39 on 12 August 2014

CORPORATES
DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED