STRATEGIC PLANNING – AUSTRALIA

Battling Vocation in $245m write-down

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 24-Feb-15

Australian-listed education group Vocation insists that it will still be a viable business entity even after the sale of assets, which will reduce its size by two-thirds. The company’s shares resumed trading on 23 February 2015, after having been in a trading halt for five weeks. Vocation revealed that it has received more than 30 expressions of interest from potential buyers. The sale is likely to be completed in April

CORPORATES
VOCATION LIMITED – ASX VET, ENDEAVOUR COLLEGE OF NATURAL HEALTH, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Cleaning frenzy buoys Godfreys

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 24-Feb-15

Listed vacuum cleaner retailer Godfreys has posted a 20140-15 interim underlying pro-forma net profit of $A6.4m, with sales of $A90.6m. Godfreys has forecast a full-year profit of $A12.2m. CEO Tom Krulis notes that sales of cleaning products tend to be higher during the month of January, as consumers typically clean more often. He adds that Godfreys plans to expand its product range to include air purifiers

CORPORATES
GODFREYS GROUP LIMITED – ASX GFY, ARCADE FINANCE PTY LTD

Woodside fuelled up for more acquisitions

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 & 26 : 19-Feb-15

Oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum has posted a net profit of $US2.41bn for the 2014 calendar year, an increase of 38 per cent. The group’s underlying net profit of $US2.42bn was 42 per cent higher than previously, while revenue rose by 25 per cent to $US7.44bn. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $US1.44 per share. CEO Peter Coleman says Woodside has sufficient capital to consider further large acquisitions should appropriate opportunities arise

CORPORATES
WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, APACHE ENERGY LIMITED, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CHEVRON CORPORATION, BERNSTEIN RESEARCH

Steadfast set for Asian buy

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 17-Feb-15

Australian-listed Steadfast Group has reported a 2014-15 interim profit of $A21m, which is 11.5 per cent higher than previously. The insurance broking group’s cash earnings per share also rose by 11.5 per cent, to $A4.18. Steadfast has secured a deal to acquire Body Corporate Brokers and two underwriting agencies from QBE Insurance Group for $A290m. It is keen to pursue further acquisitions in Australia, as well as in Singapore

CORPORATES
STEADFAST GROUP LIMITED – ASX SDF, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, BODY CORPORATE BROKERS, UNDERWRITING AGENCIES OF AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CHU UNDERWRITING AGENCIES PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, IC FRITCH, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Simplot Australia hit by restructuring costs

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

Food group Simplot Australia posted an after-tax net profit of $A33.8m for the year to 30 August 2014, which is 26 per cent lower than previously. The result was marred by restructuring costs, which included redundancy payments totalling $A22.8m. MD Terry O’Brien says reducing costs was necessary for Simplot to remain competitive. The group’s sales revenue rose by 4.65 per cent to $A1.24bn

CORPORATES
SIMPLOT AUSTRALIA (HOLDINGS) PTY LTD, JR SIMPLOT AND COMPANY, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, AUSVEG LIMITED, HJ HEINZ COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, McCAIN FOODS (AUST) PTY LTD

Atlassian fast tracks NYSE float

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Feb-15

Australian entrepreneurs Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes are currently in 35th and 36th place on the "BRW" Rich List. However, their personal wealth is likely to increase significantly if Atlassian Software lists on the US sharemarket. The company has recruited former eBay executive Erik Bardman to fill the post of CFO. Atlassian president Jay Simons has given indications that the group could pursue an IPO in 2015

CORPORATES
ATLASSIAN SOFTWARE SYSTEMS PTY LTD, EBAY INCORPORATED, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE, NASDAQ, ORACLE CORPORATION, SAP AG, IBM CORPORATION, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, UNITED STATES. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, T ROWE PRICE GROUP INCORPORATED, DRAGONEER INVESTMENT GROUP LLC, HORTONWORKS, NEW RELIC, BOX, CISCO SYSTEMS INCORPORATED, CITRIX SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

Domino’s eyes rivals as pizza sales sizzle

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 & 26 : 12-Feb-15

Domino’s Pizza Enterprises has posted a 2014-15 interim net profit of $A29.1m, which is 44.2 per cent higher than previously. Revenue rose by 29.5 per cent to $A343.6m during the half-year. CEO Don Meij forecasts that net profit and EBITDA for the full year will rise by 32.5 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. He says Domino’s will aim to increase its share of Australia’s overall fast-food market from eight per cent at present. It has a 25 per cent share of the pizza sector

CORPORATES
DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, KFC

BHP: Eagle Ford can weather costs storms

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 9-Feb-15

BHP Billiton’s operations in the Eagle Ford region of Texas boast around 2,000 employees and contractors. The group recently revealed plans to shut down 10 of its onshore oil and gas rigs in the US, although this will only affect two of its Eagle Ford rigs. BHP’s David Banks says the group is now one of the fastest and lowest-cost oil drillers in the region, and it aims to become the fastest. Some of its oil wells are now being drilled in less than 10 days

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, EOG RESOURCES, AUSTRALIAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BAKER AND HUGHES

Law firms consider listing

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Original article by Luke Malpass
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 30-Jan-15

Shares in IPH Limited have peaked at $A3.80 since debuting on the Australian sharemarket at $A2.10 in November 2014. IPH is the holding company for law firm Spruson & Ferguson, and its success has prompted other intellectual property and patent law firms to consider IPOs. Graham Cowin, the managing partner of Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick, says the firm is looking at a range of options, while Griffith Hack chairman David Hughes says his firm has ruled out in IPO at this stage

CORPORATES
IPH LIMITED – ASX IPH, SPRUSON AND FERGUSON LAWYERS, PHILLIPS ORMONDE AND FITZPATRICK, GRIFFITH HACK LAWYERS PTY LTD, DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD

Shale oil remains the focus for BHP

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 16 : 6-Jan-15

Tim Cutt, CEO of the oil and gas division at Australian-listed resources group BHP Billiton, has reaffirmed plans to divest non-core operations and maintain an emphasis on shale assets in the US. The latter require capital investment worth $US4bn ($A4.95bn) a year, compared with just $US1.5bn for conventional energy projects, and had been purchased for $US20bn in 2011. The strategy is being followed despite the recent rapid decline in the global crude oil price

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, ORGANISATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES