DIVIDENDS – AUSTRALIA

Virus-plagued NAB seeks $3.5bn

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 28-Apr-20

National Australia Bank has posted a 2019-20 interim net profit of $1.3bn, compared with $2.7bn previously. Loan impairments rose to $1.2bn due to a sharp increase in provisions due to the coronavirus, while NAB has reduced its interim dividend from $0.83 per share to just $0.30. NAB shares were suspended from trading on 27 April pending a $3.5bn capital raising, which comprises a $3bn institutional placement and a $500m share purchase plan. Meanwhile, NAB is bearish about the outlook for the economy and unemployment in the near-term.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Crown pays out $205m as staff languish

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Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 17-Apr-20

Crown Resorts CEO Ken Barton says a new $1bn debt financing deal will assist the group to ride out the impact of the coronavirus lockdown and complete work on its Barangaroo casino in Sydney. Crown has stood down some 11,500 employees since closing down its Melbourne and Perth casinos in late March, while it has confirmed that shareholders will receive the previously-declared interim dividend of $0.30 per share. Rival casino operator The Star Entertainment Group has stood down 8,500 employees and deferred its interim dividend. Both companies have registered for the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED – ASX CWN, THE STAR ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX SGR

Bank shareholders face $7bn hit

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 9-Apr-20

Shares in Australia’s major banks retreated on 8 April, after the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority asked them to consider delaying or reducing their dividend payments due to the coronavirus crisis. The Bank of Queensland has already advised that it will defer its interim dividend, while investors in Westpac, National Australia Bank and the ANZ Bank were slated to receive a combined $7bn worth of dividends in May. Commonwealth Bank shareholders recently received their interim dividends.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Rio Tinto to maintain payout

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 9-Apr-20

Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson say its dividend policy will have to be reviewed before the release of its half-year results in July. However, shareholders will still receive the final dividend of $US2.31 per share for calendar 2019, as announced in February. Thompson has cited factors such as Rio Tinto’s strong balance sheet and the fact that its iron ore order book is full. Many listed companies have opted to review their dividend policies or defer interim dividends due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Iron ore dividends still on track

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 18 : 8-Apr-20

Macquarie Group is bullish about the outlook for iron ore producers BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group, arguing that continued strong cashflows should enable them to maintain dividend yields. Macquarie notes that BHP’s iron ore operations will have helped to offset the impact of the sharp fall in the crude oil price on its petroleum division. Glynn Lawcock of UBS also expects BHP and Rio Tinto to maintain their dividend payments, although he says gold and base metal miners may reduce their dividends.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Forrest boosts his stake in Fortescue

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Original article by Melissa Yeo
The Weekend Australian – Page: 24 : 29-Feb-20

Fortescue Metals Group has advised that chairman and founder Andrew Forrest bought more than 22 million shares in the pure-play iron ore miner between 20 and 27 February. Forrest paid some $242m to lift his stake in Fortescue from 30 per cent to about 36 per cent. Forrest will receive $828m in dividends for the first half of 2019-20 after Fortescue recently announced an interim dividend of $0.76 per share.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

China will act quickly to spur economy: Rio

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 22 : 27-Feb-20

Rio Tinto has reported underlying earnings of $US10.37bn ($15.77bn) for 2019. The result was bolstered by a strong rise in the iron ore price; the group’s average received price was 37 per cent higher than in 2018. Meanwhile, Rio Tinto has warned that both the Chinese and global economies will be adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak in the March quarter. However, CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques expects the Chinese government to pursue stimulus measures, which will in turn boost demand for commodities. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $US2.31 per share.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Earnings shredded as virus fears bite

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Original article by Eli Greenblat, David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 24 : 26-Feb-20

The coronavirus outbreak has become a major theme for the February reporting season, with a growing number of listed companies issuing earnings downgrades due to the impact of the virus. Treasury Wine Estates, Blackmores and Seek are among the latest companies to issue profit warnings; Treasury has downgraded its earnings expectations for the third time in 2020. Meanwhile, retail group Mosaic Brands had advised that its dividends have been put on hold until the impact of the coronavirus becomes clear.

CORPORATES
TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE, BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKL, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, MOSAIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX MOZ

Investors shrug off weak outlook, virus threat

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 20-Feb-20

Pieter Stoltz of UBS notes that 28 per cent of Australia’s large-capitalisation stocks have exceeded their dividend expectations so far in the February reporting season. He says this may be due to factors such as demand for stable income or limited investment opportunities. Stoltz adds that 31 per cent of large companies have upgraded their earnings guidance, while just 19 per cent have downgraded their earnings guidance.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Forrest’s payout tops $2bn as Fortescue’s profit rises

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 19 : 20-Feb-20

Fortescue Metals Group has posted a 2019-20 interim net profit of $US2.5bn ($3.7bn), which is 281 per cent higher than previously. The pure-play iron ore miner has reported underlying EBITDA of $US4.2bn and revenue of $US6.5bn for the half-year. Fortescue’s shipments totalled 88.6 million tonnes for the period, and its average realised price for the steel input was 73 per cent higher than the previous corresponding period. Shareholders will receive an interim dividend of $0.76 per share, boosting the wealth of founder Andrew Forrest.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG