STRATEGIC PLANNING – AUSTRALIA

Breville wants ‘internet of things’ future

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 8-Apr-15

Australian-listed Breville Group has advised that LG executive Jim Clayton will become CEO in July 2015. Breville chairman Steven Fisher says the company will pursue growth by developing a range of household appliances that are connected to the internet, with a focus on Wi-Fi in particular. However, he has ruled out an expansion into the wearable technology sector

CORPORATES
BREVILLE GROUP LIMITED – ASX BRG, LG ELECTRONICS INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, JAWBONE, FITBIT INCORPORATED, GARMIN LIMITED, SYMPHONY TECHNOLOGY GROUP, SYMPHONY-METRO, McKINSEY AND COMPANY, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL

Vodafone aims to be favourite

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 31-Mar-15

Data from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman shows that Vodafone Australia attracted 10.5 complaints for 10,000 customers in the December 2014 quarter. Director of customer service Errol van Graan says the telco aims to reduce this to 5.25 per cent by the end of 2015. Vodafone has lost more than two million customers since it was plagued by network problems in 2010, but it has since invested significantly in network upgrades and a call centre in Hobart

CORPORATES
VODAFONE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, VODAFONE HUTCHISON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY OMBUDSMAN LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, SPOTIFY LIMITED, STAN, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PRESTO ENTERTAINMENT PTY LTD, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Debt markets may also move to T+2 settlements

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 24-Mar-15

An ASX working party has proposed shifting to a two-day settlement cycle for cash-based share trades from 7 March 2016, in line with European bourses. New Zealand may also adopt the so-called T+2 settlement cycle in 2016, as many stocks are listed in both Australia and New Zealand. Australian debt markets may also adopt T+2 in 2016

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL MARKETS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, OMGEO PTY LTD

Boral launches $236m program to buy back shares

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 19-Mar-15

Australian-listed building materials group Boral has revealed plans for an on-market share buyback. The group aims to repurchase about five per cent of its shares over the next year, which could cost up to $A236m. Boral boasted cash holding of $A357m at the end of 2014, and Andrew Peros of Credit Suisse says the buyback will place the group in a strong financial position to pursue acquisitions

CORPORATES
BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, USG CORPORATION, TRANSPACIFIC INDUSTRIES GROUP LIMITED – ASX TPI

‘Big duck’ South32 not just waiting

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 16 : 18-Mar-15

BHP Billiton has revealed that its South32 spin-off will have net debt of $US675m ($A882m). South32 will have a dividend payout ratio of 40 per cent, rather than adopting the progressive dividend policy of BHP. South32 CEO Graham Kerr has downplayed suggestions that the group will attract interest from potential suitors due to its low level of debt. BHP shareholders will vote on the proposed demerger on 6 May 2015

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, SOUTH32 LIMITED, ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, X2 RESOURCES PARTNERS LP, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Improved customer service the key to boosting Myer sales

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 18-Mar-15

It is estimated that about 28 per cent of people who visit a Myer store actually make a purchase. Citigroup says Myer should hire an average of six additional staff at each store in order to improve customer service and lift its sales conversion rate. Some analysts also suggest that the department store group should seek to lift sales by increasing its expenditure on marketing, IT, e-commerce and store refurbishments

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, NORDSTROM INCORPORATED, DEBENHAM INTERNATIONAL, RH MACY AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW

Porges to lead P2P lender DirectMoney

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 17-Mar-15

Peer-to-peer lending group DirectMoney, which offers an average interest rate of 14.75 per cent, aims to list on the Australian sharemarket. Executive chairman Stephen Porges, who was CEO of Aussie Home Loans for five years, expects P2P lenders to put downward pressure on interest rates for personal loans in the same way that Aussie forced lenders to reduce home loan interest rates. DirectMoney was granted an Australian Financial Services Licence on 13 March 2015

CORPORATES
DIRECTMONEY PTY LTD, AUSSIE HOME LOANS LIMITED, LIBERUM CAPITAL LIMITED, EAGLEWOOD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, SAI GLOBAL LIMITED – ASX SAI, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SOCIETYONE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RATESETTER, THINCATS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MARKETLEND PTY LTD, MONEYPLACE, LEND2FUND, CITIBANK PTY LTD, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ADCOCK GROUP MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, IRESS LIMITED – ASX IRE, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, MORTGAGE CHOICE LIMITED – ASX MOC

Bunnings: still ‘plenty of room to grow’

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 11-Mar-15

Citigroup notes that Australia now boasts significantly more hardware stores per capita than the US and the UK. Wesfarmers-owned Bunnings aims to open 20 new stores annually over the next two years. Citigroup warns that Bunnings’ margins are likely to be affected by its growing market penetration, but Bunnings MD John Gillam argues that the group only has a 17 per cent share of the home improvement market at present

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, MITRE 10 LIMITED, THE HOME DEPOT INCORPORATED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, DAVID JONES LIMITED, COLES GROUP LIMITED, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

BHP wants carbon rules clarity

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Original article by Amanda Saunders
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 6-Mar-15

BHP Billiton intends to spend more on low-emission technologies, but the group wants more clarity on climate change policy. Fiona Wild, BHP’s head of climate change, says the challenge is to make carbon capture and storage technologies financially viable. Such initiatives are important, but fossil fuels will retain their central place in energy generation

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

SunRice targets ASX listing for capital

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 5-Mar-15

SunRice Australia’s non-voting shares currently trade on the National Stock Exchange, but the group proposes to shift the B-Class shares to the ASX. Rice growers will continue to be the sole owners of voting stock should the proposal go ahead. Les Gordon, the president of the Ricegrowers Association of Australia, says growers have generally responded positively to the proposal

CORPORATES
SUNRICE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NATIONAL STOCK EXCHANGE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, MURRAY GOULBURN CO-OPERATIVE COMPANY LIMITED, FONTERRA CO-OPERATIVE GROUP LIMITED, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, RICEGROWERS’ ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED