DIVIDENDS – AUSTRALIA

Investors cheer BHP for buyback, dividend

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 2-Nov-18

BHP Billiton has advised that it will distribute $US5.2bn of the proceeds from the sale of its US shale assets to shareholders via a special dividend. Another $5.2bn has been earmarked for an off-market buyback of its Australian-listed shares. Macquarie says BHP will return cash to investors faster than the firm had expected; it had anticipated that BHP would complete an off-market buyback of its Australian shares and an on-market buyback of its London-listed shares by mid-2019. BHP shares rose 2.79 per cent to $33.11 on 1 November.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

ANZ warns of more housing pain to come as profit sinks by 5pc

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 1-Nov-18

The ANZ Bank has posted a 2017-18 cash net profit of $6.49bn, which is five per cent lower than previously. Revenue for the year to 30 September declined by 1.4 per cent and ANZ’s net interest margin fell from 1.99 per cent to 1.87 per cent. CEO Shayne Elliott expects a further downturn in residential property prices, although he adds that the housing market’s fundamentals remain strong and a significant decline is unlikely. ANZ shareholders will receive a final dividend of $0.80 per share, and a full-year payout of $1.60.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, CONCENTRATED LEADERS FUND LIMITED – ASX CLF, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Wipe-out on way as Telstra, big banks tank

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Original article by James Kirby
The Australian – Page: 24 : 17-Oct-18

The dividend yields of Australian stocks that were once regarded as bond proxies is testing seven per cent, while the dividend yield across the broader sharemarket has risen to 4.45 per cent. However, the share prices of former bond proxies such as Telstra and the major banks have fallen sharply, and the loss of sharemarket value may offset any dividend gains. An increasingly competitive telco market is weighing on Telstra, while the banks face a number of headwinds, including the prospect of increased regulation and the impact of the financial services royal commission.

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE LIMITED, RAMS HOME LOANS PTY LTD, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, BANKWEST, BANK OF MELBOURNE LIMITED, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, LATITUDE FINANCIAL PARTNERS

Record looms as dividends ready to soar

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 24-Sep-18

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 has gained around two per cent so far in 2018, and analysts are hopeful that the market will be bolstered by some $13bn worth of dividend payments in the last week of September. Richard Coppleson of Bell Potter estimates that listed companies will pay out around $18.9bn in dividends for the month, compared with $16.4bn in September 2017. The resources sector has accounted for four of the top five companies in terms of the size of dividend increases in 2017-18, and Shane Oliver of AMP Capital notes that this is having a flow-on effect across the broader market.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

CBA may need a rethink on dividend

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 30-Aug-18

Analysts suggest that the Commonwealth Bank may have to reduce its dividend payout if it proceeds with the demerger of CFS Group. Shareholders received a total dividend of $4.31 per share for the 2017-18 financial year, but Richard Wiles of Morgan Stanley estimates that this could fall to around $4 per share if its wealth management and mortgage broking assets are demerged. However, Andrew Martin of Alphinity Investment Management does not expect the bank to reduce its dividend in the near-term.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CFS GROUP, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CLIME ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

BHP frees cash for shareholders

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 22-Aug-18

BHP Billiton has posted a 2017-18 underlying profit of $US8.93bn, which is 33 per cent higher than previously. The resources giant boasted free cash flow of $US12.5bn for the financial year, and it expects to return about $US20bn to shareholders in 2018-19, including the proceeds from the recent sale of its shale assets in the US. Shareholders will receive a full-year dividend of $US1.18 per share for 2017-18, including a record final dividend of $US0.63.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, PENDAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX PDL, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Outdoor advertiser reaps growth rewards

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Original article by Stephen Brook
The Australian – Page: 27 : 21-Aug-18

Australian-listed oOh! Media has posted a 2018 interim net profit of $9.2m, which is three per cent higher than previously. The outdoor advertising group’s EBIT was up 11 per cent at $37.9m and revenue increased by 11 per cent to $192m. CEO Brendon Cook says oOh! Media will ramp up its investment in digital billboards and an online trading platform as part of its growth strategy. Shareholders will receive a fully franked interim dividend of $0.035 per share.

CORPORATES
OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML, ADSHEL PTY LTD, HT&E LIMITED – ASX HT1, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, JUNKEE MEDIA PTY LTD, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, JC DECAUX SA, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN

Fortescue delivers payday to Forrest

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 21-Aug-18

Fortescue Metals Group chairman and founder Andrew Forrest will be paid a total of $239m in dividend payments for the 2017-18 financial year. Forrest has received total franked dividend payments of $1.3bn before tax since 2011, with the bulk of these dividends being invested in his philanthropic organisation, the Minderoo Foundation. His 33.36 per cent stake in Fortescue is worth $4.33bn, based on the stock’s closing price of $4.26 on 20 August.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, MINDEROO FOUNDATION, AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIAL ENERGY, SQUADRON ENERGY, HOEGH LNG

Fortescue chair Forrest’s dividend hit

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 20-Aug-18

Fortescue Metals Group posted a net profit of $US2.09bn in 2016-17, but the consensus of analysts is that its profit for 2017-18 will be around 49 per cent lower. JPMorgan is more bearish, forecasting that Fortescue’s net profit could fall by up to 59 per cent to just $US856m. The firm expects Fortescue to announce a full-year dividend of $0.20 per share, following an interim dividend of $0.11. Company founder and chairman Andrew Forrest received $467m worth of dividend payments in 2016-17, but this could fall to just $207.7m in 2017-18 based on JPMorgan’s numbers.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, GLENCORE PLC, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN, EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD

Former Rio mines a boon for Yancoal

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 17-Aug-18

Yancoal Australia has reported a 2018 interim net profit of $361m. The result was boosted by the contribution of Rio Tinto’s thermal coal mines in New South Wales and a sharp rise in the price of thermal coal since the deal was struck. About $130m of the interim profit will be returned to shareholders via dividend payments, which equates to about $0.003 per share.

CORPORATES
YANCOAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX YAL, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC