INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENTS – AUSTRALIA

TCCC, Coca-Cola Amatil take 45pc stake in beverage maker Made Group

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Oct-18

Coca-Cola Amatil and The Coca Cola Company are to acquire a 45 per cent stake in beverages company Made Group for an undisclosed amount. The Melbourne-based Made Group was founded in 2005 and makes brands such as Impressed cold-pressed juices, Rokeby Farms smoothies, and Cocobella coconut water. It currently sells its products through outlets such as Woolworths and Coles, and is due to move into a new $45 million manufacturing facility in South Dandenong in Melbourne before the end of 2018

CORPORATES
COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, MADE GROUP, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Lew urges Wilson to help fix Myer board

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 17-Sep-18

Geoff Wilson’s Wilson Asset Management has become a substantial shareholder in retailer Myer, with a 5.5 per cent stake. Solomon Lew, whose Premier Investments holds a 10.8 per cent stake in Myer and who has been unhappy with its performance since Premier acquired its stake in March 2017, has called on Wilson to help him toss out the Myer board. However, Wilson has indicated that he is happy to support new Myer CEO John King and his senior managers, while he has queried the rationale behind Lew’s attacks on the Myer board.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV

Bega’s money not for Capilano Honey: Irvin

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 20 : 11-Sep-18

Bega Cheese announced plans for a $200 million share placement and associated share purchase plan on 10 September. The announcement prompted speculation that it would be using the money raised to launch a counter bid for Capilano Honey, in which it holds a 8.4 per cent stake and which is currently the subject of a $20.06 per share takeover bid from private equity groups Wattle Hill and ROC Partners. Bega executive chairman Barry Irvin claims the money will be used to strengthen its balance sheet and reduce its debt levels, and that it had not made any decisions about Capilano.

CORPORATES
BEGA CHEESE LIMITED – ASX BGA, CAPILANO HONEY LIMITED – ASX CZZ, WATTLE HILL, ROC PARTNERS PTY LTD, SAPUTO INCORPORATED, MONDELEZ AUSTRALIA (FOODS) LIMITED

Bega’s all abuzz for stung Capilano

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 19 & 29 : 7-Sep-18

Bega Cheese has increased its stake in Capilano Honey to 8.4 per cent, after having secured an initial shareholding in the week ending 31 August. Capilano is currently the subject of a takeover bid from private equity groups Wattle Hill and ROC Partners, whose $20.06 per share offer values Capilano at more than $190 million. Bega executive chairman Barry Irwin states he is not perturbed by reports that Capilano may unknowingly be selling "fake honey". Irwin says Bega has not made any decisions about making a bid for Capilano itself.

CORPORATES
BEGA CHEESE LIMITED – ASX BGA, CAPILANO HONEY LIMITED – ASX CZZ, WATTLE HILL, ROC PARTNERS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL EQUITY PTY LTD, KIDDER WILLIAMS LIMITED, SAPUTO INCORPORATED, WARRNAMBOOL CHEESE AND BUTTER FACTORY COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED

BHP buys Solgold stake as battle with Newcrest heats up

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 6-Sep-18

BHP Billiton has purchased a 6.1 per cent stake in Solgold, which operates a copper-gold project in Ecuador. It had previously sought to acquire a 10 per cent in Solgold in late 2016, but lost out to Newcrest Mining. Newcrest Mining is currently Solgold’s largest shareholder, owning around 14.5 per cent of the Brisbane-based company. BHP and Newcrest both have interests in Ecuador apart from their Solgold investment, while Fortescue Metals Group and Hancock Prospecting also have exploration tenements in Ecuador.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, SOLGOLD PLC, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD, GUYANA GOLDFIELDS INCORPORATED

Super funds slam short term banks

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 17-May-18

Institutional investors want directors and executives of Australia’s banks to be more accountable in the wake of the banking royal commission. AustralianSuper’s chief investment officer Mark Delaney says the major banks have been too focused on short-term profits, although he notes that this has changed in the last two years. UniSuper chief investment officer John Pearce says the findings of two recent Australian Prudential Regulation Authority investigations have been more damning than the royal commission’s revelations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, UNISUPER LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, FIRST STATE SUPER, REST SUPER PTY LTD, 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, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, BLOOMBERG LP

AMP chair to be Hayne’s biggest scalp

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jennifer Hewett, Alice Uribe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 19 : 30-Apr-18

Institutional investors have warned that they will vote against the re-election of three AMP directors at the upcoming AGM, even if chairman Catherine Brenner resigns. She is widely tipped to step down in the wake of a board meeting on 29 April. CEO Craig Meller recently resigned after misconduct at AMP was exposed by the banking royal commission. The revelations have weighed on AMP’s share price, which has fallen to its lowest level in more than five years.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, FIRST SUPER PTY LTD, LGSS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, REST SUPER PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, BRAMBLES LIMITED – ASX BXB

Private equity ready to splash $7.7bn cash

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Scott Murdoch
The Australian – Page: 17 & 18 : 19-Feb-18

The Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association has reported that the industry raised $A3.35 billion in 2017. Local private equity funds invested $A3.38 billion in deals in 2017, while private equity and venture capital funds are estimated to have a $A7.7 billion "war chest" at their disposal. Vic­toria Allen of Minter Ellison says sectors that can expect to attract private equity and venture capital investment include healthcare, technology and disability services.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRIVATE EQUITY AND VENTURE CAPITAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, MINTER ELLISON, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, KKR AND COMPANY LP, KOHLBERG KRAVIS ROBERTS AND COMPANY, VARDE PARTNERS INCORPORATED, I-MED/MIA NETWORK LIMITED, EQUITY TRUSTEES LIMITED – ASX EQT, PERMIRA ADVISERS LIMITED, LASER CLINICS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, CLAYTON UTZ, FORT STREET CAPITAL PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, REDCAPE PROPERTY GROUP, MOELIS AND COMPANY, DIXON GROUP, VENTIA, APOLLO GROUP INCORPORATED, FITNESS AUSTRALIA, QUADRANT CAPITAL PTY LTD

Sevior backs Lew push for Myer seats

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 22-Nov-17

Airlie Funds Management supports Solomon Lew’s bid to secure seats on the Myer board. Lew is the chairman of Premier Investments, which acquired a 10.8 per cent stake in Myer in March, only to see the value of its stake fall by over 40 per cent in six months. Airlie owns seven per cent of Premier, and Airlie founder John Sevior says it would be fair to say that Premier’s shareholders were not impressed by Lew’s decision to buy a stake in Myer.

CORPORATES
AIRLIE FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, SMIGGLE PTY LTD, PORTMANS PTY LTD, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, DOTTI, JAY JAY’S JEANS WAREHOUSE PTY LTD, BREVILLE GROUP LIMITED – ASX BRG

Myer director hits back at Lew over experience

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 19 : 21-Nov-17

Myer director Ian Cornell believes major shareholder Solomon Lew is wrong to claim that the Myer board lacks retail experience. Lew, whose Premier Investments owns 10.8 per cent of the department store chain’s shares, has been increasingly critical of the Myer board in recent months. Lew’s contention that it does not have enough retail experience has been one of his criticisms. Cornell’s retail experience includes over 20 years with Woolworths, and he is also on the board of retailer Baby Bunting. Myer will hold its AGM on 24 November, and Lew has promised to oppose all resolutions

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, BABY BUNTING GROUP LIMITED – ASX BBN, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, BABY BUNTING GROUP LIMITED – ASX BBN, FRANKLINS LIMITED