STOCKHOLDERS’ VOTING – AUSTRALIA

Sigma shareholders tick $34bn chemist deal

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Original article by Cameron England
The Australian – Page: 16 : 30-Jan-25

More than 97 per cent of votes cast at a meeting of Sigma Healthcare shareholders on Wednesday were in favour of the proposed $34bn merger with Chemist Warehouse. Shareholders of the privately-owned Chemist Warehouse subsequently backed the deal later in the day at a pub in Melbourne’s north. Sigma’s chairman Michael Sammells says the merger is expected to generate about $60m worth of synergies, but he notes that there will be a lot of integration work given that the two companies are very different organisations. The merged group is slated to list on the sharemarket in mid-February.

CORPORATES
SIGMA HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SIG, CHEMIST WAREHOUSE

AusSuper’s offer to Origin

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 15 : 5-Dec-23

A spokeswoman for Brookfield has indicated that the Canadian group will consider its "next steps" regarding Origin Energy, after a $20bn takeover bid was rejected by 68.9 per cent of the target’s shareholders on Monday. This was well short of the 75 per cent threshold required for the bid from Brookfield and EIG to succeed. Meanwhile, AustralianSuper has indicated that it is open to providing Origin with capital to help finance its energy transition, while Simon Mawhinney from Allan Gray Australia says Origin should consider demerging its energy markets business and its gas export venture.

CORPORATES
ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, BROOKFIELD ASSET MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED, EIG GLOBAL ENERGY PARTNERS, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

First strike at Fortescue over exec pay

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 22-Nov-23

More than 52 per cent of votes cast at Fortescue Metals Group’s annual meeting on Tuesday rejected the iron ore miner’s remuneration report. Fortescue could potentially face a board spill if more than 25 per cent of shareholders vote against the report again in 2024. Major proxy advisory firms had recommended voting against the report, citing concerns such as discretionary payments to several former executives. Meanwhile, Fortescue has announced plans to build a $US550m ‘green’ hydrogen plant in Arizona and a $US150m hydrogen plant at Gladstone in Queensland. It will also build a $US50m commercial ‘green’ iron plant at its Christmas Creek iron ore mine in the Pilbara.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

St Barbara owners back Genesis deal

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Original article by Elouise Fowler, Tom Rabe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 21-Jun-23

Some 77.15 per cent of St Barbara’s shareholders have voted in favour of a deal to sell the Gwalia gold mine to Genesis Minerals. St Barbara chairman Kerry Gleeson says the company aims to complete the transaction by 30 June. The deal will provide St Barbara with a much-needed cash injection and leave the company with just its gold assets in Canada and Papua New Guinea. St Barbara had rejected a higher offer for the Gwalia mine from Silver Lake Resources, contending that engaging with the rival bidder could potentially have resulted in a breach of its debt covenants.

CORPORATES
ST BARBARA LIMITED – ASX SBM, GENESIS MINERALS LIMITED – ASX GMD, SILVER LAKE RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX SLR

Tech titan wins AGL board fight

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 16-Nov-22

AGL Energy’s shareholders have endorsed the appointment of all four of Grok Ventures’ nominations for the company’s board. Software entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes became AGL’s largest shareholder earlier in 2022 via his private company. AGL will now have a nine-person board of directors, prompting fund management veteran and AGL shareholder Geoff Wilson to suggest that changes to the board are likely. However, AGL chair Patricia McKenzie has ruled out stepping down. Meanwhile, more than 25 per cent of shareholders voted against AGL’s remuneration report, putting the company at risk of a board spill if there is a similar backlash at its 2023 AGM.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, GROK VENTURES

Seven grabs Prime stake as takeover tanks

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 15 & 21 : 20-Dec-19

Seven West Media has become the biggest shareholder in Prime Media Group, after the latter’s shareholders rejected a merger proposal. Some 53.53 per cent of votes cast at Prime’s scheme meeting opposed the deal; chairman John Hartigan has described it as a "disappointing outcome" for both the majority of Prime’s shareholders and the regional TV sector. Meanwhile Seven has issued 30 million of its shares to Spheria Asset Management in return for 54.6 million shares in Prime, giving Seven a 14.9 per cent stake in its regional affiliate.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SPHERIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MEDIA, BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Humbled Westpac faces shareholder anger

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 9-Dec-19

Some 64 per cent of votes cast at Westpac’s 2018 annual meeting rejected its remuneration report. The bank is likely to incur a second ‘strike’ at its 2019 annual meeting on 12 December, while the re-election of director Peter Marriott is uncertain in the wake of the scandal over breaches of anti-money laundering laws. However, Westpac is likely to avoid a resolution calling for a board spill. The Australian Shareholders’ Association and proxy adviser ISS will vote against the remuneration report, although the ASA will oppose any push to spill the board.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION, INSTITUTIONAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES INCORPORATED, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, CGI GLASS LEWIS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE

Retail investors turn on director Marriott

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Original article by Aleks Vickovich
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 5-Dec-19

Westpac’s money-laundering scandal is set to dominate its AGM on 12 December. The Australian Shareholders’ Association has signalled its intention to vote against the remuneration report and the re-election of Westpac director Peter Marriott. However, it will support the re-election of Nerida Caesar, Steve Harker and Margaret Seale. The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors has indicated that it will vote in favour of Marriott’s re-election. Some 64.2 per cent of votes cast at Westpac’s 2018 AGM rejected its remuneration report.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, LEGG MASON ASSET MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MARTIN CURRIE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED

NAB, ANZ face new climate activist vote

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 : 21-Oct-19

Activist group Market Forces recently put forward shareholder resolutions calling on Westpac, the ANZ Bank and National Australia Bank to amend their constitutions in regard to reducing their exposure to fossil-fuel assets. A second activist group, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, will table resolutions at the upcoming AGMs of NAB and ANZ, calling on them to withdraw from industry groups whose advocacy stances are at odds with the Paris climate goals. The ACCR states that its resolutions are conditional on shareholders approving the Market Forces resolutions.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MARKET FORCES, AUSTRALASIAN CENTRE FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Gindalbie shareholders approve Ansteel buyout

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 28 : 4-Jul-19

Some 81 per cent of Gindalbie Metals’ shareholders voted in favour of Ansteel’s takeover bid on 3 July. The deal required the support of at least 75 per cent of the struggling iron ore miner’s shareholders. Gindalbie’s key asset is a 48 per cent stake in the loss-making Karara magnetite project in Western Australia, which incurred a blowout in construction and operating costs.

CORPORATES
GINDALBIE METALS LIMITED – ASX GBG, ANSHAN IRON AND STEEL COMPANY, SANDON CAPITAL INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX SNC