STRATEGIC PLANNING

Investors tell Rio to ditch issuance

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 5-Mar-25

Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm recently indicated that the resources group is seriously considering a share placement in Australia. This would boost liquidity and help to reduce an imbalance whereby the London Stock Exchange accounts for about 77 per cent of the dual-listed company’ shares. However, Rio Tinto executives who met with Australian investors last week encountered strong resistance to any share issue. Wilson Asset Management portfolio manager Matt Haupt contended that Rio Tinto should instead opt for a bond issuance if it needs more cash.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT

Anglo boss eyes healthy coal exit

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 17-Feb-20

Anglo American will decide whether to sell its remaining coal mines by the end of 2020, says CEO Mark Cutifani. He notes that thermal coal now accounts for less than five per cent of group EBITDA, after selling a number of thermal coal mines in recent years. However, he adds that finding buyers for thermal coal mines has become more challenging, given that other mining companies are exiting the sector.

CORPORATES
ANGLO AMERICAN PLC, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, GLENCORE PLC

BHP’s Colombian coal to take on Australian miners in Asia

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 31-Oct-19

The Cerrejon thermal coal mine in Colombia will shift its export focus to Asia in response to declining demand for coal in Europe. Cerrejon president Guillermo Fonseca expects the transition to clean fuels and renewable energy will take some time, and the region will still be using coal in 2050. The Cerrejon mine is jointly owned by BHP, Glencore and Anglo America, and BHP is believed to be keen to exit both Cerrejon and the Mt Arthur mine in New South Wales.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, GLENCORE PLC, ANGLO AMERICAN PLC

Rio links pay to climate change

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Original article by Nick Evans, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 12-Apr-19

Shareholders at Rio Tinto’s annual meeting in London have been told that progress in achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction targets could be included in its performance bonus system. A revised executive incentive scheme will be put to shareholders in 2021, and chairman Simon Thompson said short-term bonus plans could potentially be linked to its emission reduction targets. He has ruled out setting targets for Rio Tinto’s customers to reduce their own carbon emissions. A resolution on the issue will be put to the Australian annual meeting in May.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CLIMATE ACTION 100+, ALUMINIUM CORPORATION OF CHINA LIMITED, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

Rio uses AGM to pitch eco strategy

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 19 : 11-Apr-19

Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson and CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques have emphasised its focus on environmental sustainability in their presentations to shareholders at the annual meeting in London. Amongst other things, they committed to increased use of renewable energy across Rio Tinto’s mining operations, as well as developing new targets for reducing the company’s greenhouse gas emissions. Thompson also noted that Rio Tinto is the only major mining company that no longer produces fossil fuels.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, CLIMATE ACTION 100+

Facebook pledges to boost quality

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Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 9-Aug-18

Facebook’s algorithms detected the bulk of the 583 million fake accounts that the social media giant deleted during the March quarter. Campbell Brown, Facebook’s global head of news partnerships, says about one million fake accounts are being deleted each day and the company is making significant progress in combating fake news. However, she has conceded that Facebook cannot completely remove fake news from its platform. Brown has also indicated that Facebook will shortly launch its Watch video-on-demand service in Australia.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA LLC, APPLE INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED, SPOTIFY LIMITED

Iron ore miners bend to China’s will

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Original article by Rhiannon Hoyle
The Australian – Page: 22 : 6-Jun-18

Global iron ore producers are responding to growing demand for higher-grade iron ore in China by shifting production away from low-grade ore. They include Fortescue Metals Group, Vale and Cleveland-Cliffs. Fortescue recently announced plans to develop the Eliwana mine in Western Australia, with its output to be blended with lower-grade ore from the company’s other mines in the Pilbara. BHP also intends to blend ore from its proposed South Flank project with lower-grade ore.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, VALE SA, CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INCORPORATED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

New LNG export trains to lift Oil Search output

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 21-Feb-18

Oil Search has posted a 2017 net profit of $US302.1m, which is 236 per cent higher than previously. MD Peter Botten says the company’s output could potentially double in the next 5-7 years, after Oil Search reached agreement with ExxonMobil and Total to increase their LNG output in Papua New Guinea by building three additional production trains. The new trains would feed gas from the Elk/Antelope gas field and the PNG LNG project into the existing PNG LNG plant. The expansion is subject to formal approval by the projects’ partners and the PNG government.

CORPORATES
OIL SEARCH LIMITED – ASX OSH, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION, TOTAL SA, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL

Investors circle ailing companies in the valley of debt

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Original article by Vera Sprothen
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 12-Oct-16

Preqin estimates that private debt fund managers had access to a record $US199bn ($A262bn) at the end of June 2016. Such companies are believed to be seeking to acquire distressed assets in Australia, including sectors such as resources, mining services, agricultural and housing. Distressed debt funds are said to be looking to buy debt-burdened companies or the debts of businesses than cannot meet their repayments. Oaktree Capital Management and Lone Star Funds are among the global debt fund managers that have established a presence in Australia.

CORPORATES
PREQIN LIMITED, OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, LONE STAR FUNDS, BAIN CAPITAL CREDIT, SC LOWY FINANCIAL (HK) LIMITED, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, WELLS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, ALLENS, McALEESE LIMITED – ASX MCS, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

REA, Move home in on a world of realty

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 25 : 29-Jul-16

Media giant News Corporation has launched a global real estate listings portal that combines the resources of its property websites in 56 countries. The global network will feature more than three million property listings, from websites such as REA Group, Move’s realtor.com, Mansion Global and PropTiger. News Corp has a 62 per cent stake in Australian-listed REA and an 80 per cent stake in Move. REA in turn has a 20 per cent stake in Move.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MOVE INCORPORATED, REALTOR.COM, MANSION GLOBAL, PROPTIGER