Tinkler enjoys $35m windfall as coal surges

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 19-Oct-16

Businessman Nathan Tinkler and associated entities are believed to control some 37.25 per cent of the listed Australian Pacific Coal’s shares. The stock has benefited from the rally in the thermal coal price in 2016, which has seen the value of Tinkler’s July 2015 investment of $A6.6m in APC rise to more than $A41m. Tinkler stepped down as MD of the company earlier in 2016, after he was declared bankrupt.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PACIFIC COAL LIMITED – ASX AQC, ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, BENTLEY RESOURCES PTE LTD, VG SUPERANNUATION FUND, L&Z TINKLER FAMILY SUPERANNUATION FUND, RJ TINKLER FAMILY TRUST, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

US investors take a shine to Aussie gold

Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 23-Sep-16

Newcrest Mining, Evolution Mining and Saracen Mineral Holdings are among the Australian-listed gold producers to have reported a sharp rise in US-based shareholders over the last 12 months. Resolute Mining MD John Welborn says US investors have shown more interest in Australian gold stocks than usual at the 2016 Denver Gold Forum. Metals X CEO Peter Cook warns that Australian gold producers’ shares are likely to be heavily sold down when offshore investors eventually rebalance their portfolios.

CORPORATES
NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, SARACEN MINERAL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SAR, RESOLUTE MINING LIMITED – ASX RSG, METALS X LIMITED – ASX MLX, DORAY MINERALS LIMITED – ASX DRM, GLOBAL MINING RESEARCH PTY LTD, VANECK VECTORS GOLD MINERS ETF – ASX GDX, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, ST BARBARA LIMITED – ASX SBM

Frustrated WIN targets Marks

Original article by Jake Mitchell, Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 18 & 20 : 8-Aug-16

Nine Entertainment Company’s share price has shed 36.2 per cent since Hugh Marks succeeded David Gyngell as CEO in November 2015. Meanwhile, its share of free-to-air advertising revenue fell from 38.6 per cent to 35.6 per cent during the first half of 2016. WIN Corporation is said to have lobbied fellow large Nine shareholder Perpetual to support a push to oust Marks and Nine’s board of directors.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, MAPLE-BROWN ABBOTT LIMITED, BT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BTT, APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, FOX SPORTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE

Shut weekday print, investor tells Fairfax

Original article by Damon Kitney, Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 21 : 3-Aug-16

Australian businessman Alex Waislitz owns more than two per cent of Fairfax Media’s shares, via Thorney Investment Group and the listed Thorney Opportunities. He says that scrapping the weekday print editions of "The Age" and "The Sydney Morning Herald" is in the best interests of Fairfax and its shareholders, and CEO Greg Hywood should accelerate plans to do so. Waislitz has also welcomed Fairfax’s move to release separate earnings data for its Domain property listings business, and he says Fairfax should undertake a share buyback.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, DOMAIN.COM.AU, THORNEY OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED – ASX TOP, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NZME LIMITED – ASX NZM, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN

Gordon positions to increase Ten holding

Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 23-Jun-16

Cross-ownership laws prevent Bruce Gordon from increasing his 14.6 per cent stake in the Ten Network to more than 15 per cent. However, the WIN Corporation owner could potentially lift his stake in Ten by 2.5 per cent if media ownership laws are relaxed, after he secured a cash-settled share swap deal with Deutsche Bank. Gordon has previously entered a similar arrangement with the investment bank regarding Nine Entertainment Company.

CORPORATES
TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TEN, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, BIRKETU PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL

Godfreys backed for long-term

Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 14-Jun-16

Shares in vacuum cleaner retailer Godfreys have fallen to $A1.015, compared with an issue price of $A2.75 in late 2014. However, major shareholder John Johnston is upbeat about the outlook for the group, and recently increased his stake to 24.9 per cent. He notes that there will always be demand for vacuum cleaners, while consumers are now replacing these appliances more frequently. Johnston has had an association with Godfreys since 1936.

CORPORATES
GODFREYS GROUP LIMITED – ASX GFY, SHAVER SHOP PTY LTD, ARCADE FINANCE PTY LTD, PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, UNITAS CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, NOMURA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, INVESTEC AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES

Fairfax advised to exit regionals

Original article by Jake Mitchell
The Australian – Page: 26 : 13-Jun-16

Australian businessman Alex Waislitz holds around two per cent of Fairfax Media’s shares via Thorney Investment Group and the listed Thorney Opportunities fund. He has suggested that Fairfax could divest its regional newspapers division, which could include merging it with the regional newspapers arm of rival News Corp Australia. Waislitz also says Fairfax should not seek to acquire or merge with a free-to-air TV network, arguing that the group should focus on growth businesses such as Domain.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THORNEY OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED – ASX TOP, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, DOMAIN.COM.AU, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN, NEW ZEALAND. COMMERCE COMMISSION, FETCH PLUS, AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL MEDIA

Rich-Lister calls on $100m Fairfax buyback

Original article by John Stensholt
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 10-Jun-16

Australian businessman Alex Waislitz holds around two per cent of Fairfax Media’s shares via Thorney Investment Group and the listed Thorney Opportunities fund. He says Fairfax could improve value for shareholders by repurchasing an additional $A100m worth of its shares, while he also advocates offloading non-core assets. However, Waislitz says Fairfax should invest more capital in real estate listings business Domain rather than selling it.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, THORNEY INVESTMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THORNEY OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED – ASX TOP, DOMAIN.COM.AU, APN NEWS AND MEDIA LIMITED – ASX APN

Atlas Iron in plea for debt support

Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 19-Apr-16

Shares in Atlas Iron closed 17.4 per cent lower at $A0.019 on 18 April 2016. The iron ore miner’s chair, Cheryl Edwardes, has written to shareholders urging them to support a debt restructuring proposal, stressing that the group could go into voluntary administration if the deal does not proceed. Lenders would gain about 70 per cent of the company’s equity if the deal is approved by Atlas’s shareholders and lenders.

CORPORATES
ATLAS IRON LIMITED – ASX AGO, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, PPB HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MOUNT GIBSON IRON LIMITED – ASX MGX

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