MARKET SURVEYS – AUSTRALIA

Support for 12.5pc GST if stamp duty abolished

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 13-Jul-15

An online survey that was undertaken on behalf of the Property Council of Australia has found that 64 per cent of respondents would be in favour of abolishing stamp duty in return for an increase in the GST to 12.5 per cent. Meanwhile, 68 per cent expressed a preference for an income tax cut to offset the impact of a higher GST. Some 64 per cent of respondents identified stamp duty as the nation’s most unfair tax, ahead of land tax and personal income tax.

CORPORATES
PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BAPTIST CARE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Age bias starts at 47, survey finds

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Original article by Claire Stewart
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 10-Jul-15

It is estimated that the annual economic contribution of Australian workers over the age of 45 is about $A65bn. However, the Westpac Women of Influence Report shows that business leaders believe that workplace discrimination is becoming a problem for employees at the age of 47. The survey also shows that almost 80 per cent of respondents believe that gender-based discrimination still occurs in Australian workplaces.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION COMMISSION

Women dominant in senior ranks, next step still to come

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 3-Jul-15

Women account for 24 per cent of partners at the law firms that participated in the 2015 law partnership survey of "The Australian Financial Review". However, female lawyers comprise more than 60 per cent of senior associates at these firms. Some 66 per cent of senior associates at Corrs Chambers Westgarth are women, while 64 per cent at Herbert Smith Freehills are women.

CORPORATES
CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD, NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT AUSTRALIA, SEYFARTH SHAW LLP, ALLENS

RBA reveals why boards won’t invest

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Jemima Whyte, Jenny Wiggins, Anne Hyland, Yolanda Redrup, Perry Williams, Agnes King
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 19-Jun-15

Research by the Reserve Bank of Australia has examined factors that deter companies from making capital investments. Some 90 per cent of companies said they would only commit to new investment if the hurdle rate is at least 10 per cent. However, the central bank notes that some companies are applying outdated hurdle rates that do not reflect current interest rates. Computershare tries to maintain its return on capital at a certain level, according to CFO Mark Davis, but is open to revising it when this is deemed to be necessary.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, COMPUTERSHARE LIMITED – ASX CPU, TECHNOLOGY ONE LIMITED – ASX TNE, ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED – ASX ALL, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD

Keep tax credits, raise GST

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 7-Apr-15

A poll conducted among more than 560 members of the "Australian Financial Review" Business Leaders Panel suggests that Australians do not want the dividend imputation system to be abolished. They also expressed their opposition to proposals to remove tax concessions for superannuation and to reintroduce estate taxes. An increase in the goods and services tax rate is supported by 60 per cent of the panel

CORPORATES

Rainfall and tumbling dollar lift farmers to a four-year high

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 23-Mar-15

A new survey by Rabobank shows that Australian farmers’ confidence has risen to its highest level since March 2011. Peter Knoblanche of Rabobank notes that farmers in New South Wales and Queensland have benefited from rain in January, which in turn has boosted cattle prices. The survey also shows that farmers are also generally upbeat about the outlook for the next year

CORPORATES
RABOBANK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NUFARM LIMITED – ASX NUF, ELDERS LIMITED – ASX ELD, GRAINCORP LIMITED – ASX GNC, AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY LIMITED – ASX AAC

Law graduates undeterred by dire job hopes

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 27-Feb-15

The latest Australian Law Students Survey has highlighted the challenging job market for law graduates. The Survive Law website’s survey found that 33 per cent of law students are not confident that they will gain a job after graduating, while more than 50 per cent say that universities should offer greater assistance in searching for jobs. In addition, more than 50 per cent of law students indicated their desire to practice law after graduating

CORPORATES
SURVIVE LAW, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Quality trumps quantity for well-heeled Australian travellers

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 19-Feb-15

Many affluent Australians prefer local holidays of short duration rather than long-haul overseas trips, due to being cash-rich but time-poor. The 2015 Australian Luxury Travel Survey indicates that two-thirds of respondents showed a preference for luxurious long weekends in local resorts. The survey was commissioned by travel agent network Virtuoso and Queensland resort qualia

CORPORATES
VIRTUOSO LIMITED, QUALIA, HAMILTON ISLAND LIMITED, LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS

Nine chief’s pay soars to $19.6 million

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Original article by James Thomson, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 10-Dec-14

The latest executive salary survey by "The Australian Financial Review" shows that Nine Entertainment Company CEO David Gyngell was Australia’s highest-paid corporate executive in 2014. His total remuneration of $A19.6m included a $A2.5m cash bonus associated with the group’s IPO. Arowana International CEO Kevin Chin was paid $A13.3m in total, followed by News Corporation CEO Robert Thomson with total remuneration of $A13.2m

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AROWANA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX AWN, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, GUERDON ASSOCIATES PTY LTD, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC

Construction sector firms

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 50 : 21-Oct-14

Master Builders Australia (MBA) has reported that non-residential construction has returned to a growth phase. Its quarterly survey of the construction industry suggests that the turnaround, after more than four years of indicating contraction, is not a temporary trend. The MBA’s commercial construction index rose to 54.4 points in the third quarter of 2014, compared with 49.2 in the previous quarter

CORPORATES
LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, HANSEN YUNCKEN PTY LTD, ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL