Ten chairman sold down stake

Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 23 : 26-Jun-17

Ten Network chairman David Gordon is likely to come under scrutiny amid revelations that he reduced his stake in the TV broadcaster from 247,500 shares in 2015 to 29,433 in 2016. Ten’s administrator KordaMentha is also under scrutiny over its relationship as an adviser to Ten in the months prior to its collapse. Meanwhile, Ten had advised in early 2017 of a 5.6 per cent downturn in the metropolitan advertising market, only two months after issuing an earnings downgrade. It is uncertain whether Ten’s board undertook modelling at this time on the potential impact on cashflow if the advertising market deteriorated further.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, KORDA MENTHA AND COLLEAGUES PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BIRKETU PTY LTD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, ILLYRIA PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN RESTRUCTURING INSOLVENCY AND TURNAROUND ASSOCIATION, GILBERT AND TOBIN LAWYERS, DESTRA CORPORATION LIMITED, FORT STREET ADVISERS PTY LTD, ALLEN AND OVERY

CBA pips BHP again and is tipped to be most traded in 2017

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 11-Jan-17

Some $A67.55bn worth of Commonwealth Bank shares changed hands in 2016, making it the most-traded Australian stock by value for the second consecutive year. Turnover of BHP Billiton shares totalled $A62.71, making it the second-most traded stock by value for the calendar year. Michael Heffernan of Phillip Capital says the banking major is likely to retain the title for some time. Telstra was the most-traded stock by volume for the seventh year in a row.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, PHILLIP CAPITAL LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, ALUMINA LIMITED – ASX AWC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

ASIC to scrutinise Bellamy’s trading

Original article by Damon Kitney, Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 22 : 6-Dec-16

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission will undertake an informal review of trading in the shares of Bellamy’s Australia prior to the release of an earnings update on 2 December 2016. The infant formula group’s shares fell by 43.52 per cent in response to the bearish guidance, and the stock shed another 4.23 per cent on 5 December. Bellamy’s had left its earnings guidance unchanged at the AGM in mid-October.

CORPORATES
BELLAMY’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX BAL, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, KATHMANDU HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX KMD, BLACK PRINCE PRIVATE FOUNDATIONRST, ELLERSTON CAPITAL PTY LTD

ASX to face fresh competition

Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 12-Oct-16

Stock exchange operator ASX Limited could potentially lose its monopoly on clearing and settlement services. Competition in the clearing of securities in particular is being scrutinised by the Australian Government as part of its broader competition law reforms. Several international players have already been granted licences to provide clearing services for over-the-counter derivatives, while share trades were opened to competition in 2011.

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, CHI-X AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COUNCIL OF FINANCIAL REGULATORS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, DIGITAL ASSET HOLDINGS, CME, LCH.CLEARNET SA

Chi-X accuses ASX of freezing the market

Original article by Vesna Poljak, Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 22-Sep-16

ASX Limited has been accused of mismanaging an outage which occurred on 19 September 2016. The exchange operator put the market in "enquire" mode, thus preventing stockbrokers from cancelling their open orders on the ASX and executing them at rival exchange Chi-X Australia. John Fildes, the CEO of Chi-X, said the ASX should have put the market in "adjust" mode, which is less restrictive.

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, CHI-X AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TABB GROUP INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

ADM beats a retreat on GrainCorp

Original article by Sue Neales, Gretchen Friemann
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 27-Jul-16

There has been a lukewarm response to the offmarket sale of Archer Daniels Midland’s 19.85 per cent stake in Australian-listed GrainCorp. ADM failed to attract interest in the shareholding when it was offered via Lazard on 26 July 2016. The Federal Government blocked ADM’s takeover bid for GrainCorp in late 2013, ruling that the deal was not in the national interest. ADM’s move to divest its stake may have been prompted by the Government’s continued tough stance on foreign ownership of agricultural assets, particularly given the National Party’s increased influence in cabinet following the federal election.

CORPORATES
GRAINCORP LIMITED – ASX GNC, ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND COMPANY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES, SHANGHAI PENGXIN GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, S KIDMAN AND COMPANY PTY LTD, LAZARD PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA GROUP HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CBH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD

Chinese in race for 20pc of Virgin

Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 19 & 28 : 1-Jun-16

Chinese airline operator HNA Group will pay $A159m for a 13 per cent stake in Virgin Australia Holdings. The placement was priced at $A0.30 per share, and Virgin CEO John Borghetti says the Chinese group is likely to lift its stake to 19.9 per cent. The stakes of Virgin’s major shareholders – Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Etihad and Virgin Group – will be diluted as a result of the placement. HNA’s businesses include Hainan Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, HNA GROUP, AIR NEW ZEALAND LIMITED – ASX AIZ, SINGAPORE AIRLINES LIMITED, ETIHAD AIRWAYS, HAINAN AIRLINES COMPANY LIMITED, HONG KONG AIRLINES LIMITED, WEST ASIA AIRLINES LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, MACQUARIE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Virgin-Air NZ divorce could trigger bid

Original article by Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 31-Mar-16

Air New Zealand has indicated that it may divest its 25.9 per cent stake in Virgin Australia Holdings to provide capital for its own growth strategy. Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting’s Oliver Lamb says there has been speculation in the aviation industry as to which of Virgin’s three largest shareholders would sell out first. Virgin shares closed at $A0.34 on 30 March 2016, valuing Air NZ’s stake at about $A310m. Virgin could potentially become a takeover target if Air NZ sells its stake.

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, AIR NEW ZEALAND LIMITED – ASX AIZ, AILEVON PACIFIC AVIATION CONSULTING, SINGAPORE AIRLINES LIMITED, ETIHAD AIRWAYS, VIRGIN GROUP LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, ANSETT AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, VIRGIN AMERICA INCORPORATED

Macquarie severs ties with Southern Cross

Original article by Dominic White, Sarah Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 21-Mar-16

Macquarie Group has sold its entire shareholding in regional TV broadcaster Southern Cross Media Group. Nine Entertainment Company recently paid $A1.15 per share for 9.9 per cent of Macquarie’s 26.1 per cent stake in Southern Cross Media. Sources have indicated that Macquarie has since offloaded all of its remaining shares to institutional investors at $A1.08 per share.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Russian sells off FMG stake

Original article by Barry FitzGerald
The Australian – Page: 20 : 15-Mar-16

Shares in Fortescue Metals Group closed 2.6 per cent lower at $A2.58 on 14 March 2016, after the iron ore price retreated from recent highs. Meanwhile, Russia-based Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel has trimmed its stake in Fortescue by 0.64 per cent. The group is believed to have sold 20 million shares at $A2.55 apiece. The transaction follows recent speculation that Magnitogorsk could reduce its stake to capitalise on Fortescue’s share price rally in 2016.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, MAGNITOGORSK IRON AND STEEL WORKS (MMK), MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, STANDARD AND POOR’S CORPORATION, FITCH RATINGS LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, VALE SA, BLOOMBERG LP, CITIGROUP PTY LTD