STRATEGIC PLANNING – AUSTRALIA

BHP digs deep to make most of data analytics

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 26-Feb-20

BHP will seek further productivity gains by increasing its focus on technologies such as data analytics and machine learning. The resources giant is also expected to make greater use of cloud technology rather than continuing to operate its own data centres. BHP will restructure its technology division as part of this process, which is expected to result in the loss of about 700 jobs in a division that employs 2,000 people. BHP will redeploy some of the displaced workers.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

NAB may delay MLC split after sound result

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 23 : 14-Feb-20

A trading update from National Australia Bank shows that it booked a cash profit of $1.65bn for the first quarter of its financial year. This is one per cent higher than the quarterly average for the second half of fiscal 2019. Revenue increased by less than one per cent for the quarter, while expenses were three per cent higher. Meanwhile, NAB has signalled that the proposed demerger of its MLC wealth management could be postponed due to the challenging business conditions at present.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MLC LIMITED

CBA to grab bigger share of business

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 20 : 13-Feb-20

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has posted a 2019-20 interim cash profit of $4.47bn; this is 4.3 per cent lower than previously, although analysts had expected a larger decline. CEO Matt Comyn notes that CBA recorded growth in home lending, business lending and deposits during the half-year, and he has flagged plans to seek an even greater share of the business lending market. Comyn adds that CBA’s investment in digital banking has enabled it to build market share among younger customers; this is also a segment that it will target for further growth.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Foxtel leads ad streaming wars

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich, Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 25 : 9-Dec-19

Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany says streaming and data are a focus for the pay-TV group, noting that it has invested a lot of money on data in the last year. About 53 per cent of Foxtel customers with an IQ4 set-top box used video-on-demand in October, compared with 45 per cent in July. Meanwhile, the launch of Kayo Sports has attracted new advertisers to Foxtel, which has also introduced a new six-second advertising format.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, FOXTEL MEDIA, FOXTEL NOW, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, OOH!MEDIA LIMITED – ASX OML

Henry signals faster use of new tech at BHP

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 27 : 28-Nov-19

BHP’s incoming CEO Mike Henry has told a resources technology conference that the mining giant’s priorities will remain unchanged under his leadership. However, Henry has indicated that the deployment of new technologies will be a focus for BHP, which has been slower to roll out technology such as driverless trucks than iron ore rivals Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

JB Hi-Fi tunes in to smaller stores

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 26-Nov-19

Consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi will open its first ‘Express’ store in Melbourne’s Southbank precinct on 26 November. CEO Richard Murray says the 68sq m store will target cash and carry buyers who want to make small purchases. JB Hi-Fi is capitalising on the growing trend toward small-format retail stores, with plans to open more stores in airports and office towers that are similar in size to the 250sq outlet at Sydney Airport’s international terminal. Murray says JB Hi-Fi is looking at opening additional stores at airports.

CORPORATES
JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, DAVID JONES LIMITED

Foxtel fortified by $1.6bn debt deal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 24 : 25-Nov-19

Pay-TV group Foxtel has completed a deal to refinance some $US1.1bn ($1.6bn) worth of debt. It is said to include a $US900m debt facility with a syndicate of commercial banks. The deal comes as Foxtel seeks to increase its presence in the subscription video-on-demand market with the launch of a drama-focused streaming service in 2020. It will complement Kayo Sports, which now boasts some 443,000 subscribers and recently won the SportsPro OTT Award for the best user experience.

CORPORATES
FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, KAYO SPORTS, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, HANA FINANCIAL GROUP INCORPORATED, DISNEY+, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

BHP’s robot trucks head to coal mines

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 17 & 24 : 13-Nov-19

BHP has advised that it will commence the roll-out of driverless haulage trucks at its Goonyella Riverside coal mine in 2020. The resources giant will eventually operate a fleet of 86 autonomous trucks at the mine, but it has stressed that the move will not result in any forced redundancies. BHP already uses driverless trucks at its iron ore mines in the Pilbara, but Goonyella will be the first large-scale use of the technology in the coal sector.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, BM ALLIANCE COAL OPERATIONS PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC

Core strategy will remain: BHP

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 20 : 30-Oct-19

BHP’s chief transformation officer Jonathan Price will address the IMARC mining conference in Melbourne on 30 October. He will argue that while technology such as automation and big data will have a key role in the mining sector in the future, BHP’s focus will continue to be on large resources projects with long production lives. In contrast, Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques recently suggested that big mining companies may shift their focus to developing smaller projects that can upscaled later on.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

BHP’s still pumped about petroleum

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 20 : 11-Oct-19

BHP’s head of petroleum Geraldine Slattery has told a recent question and answer session in London that oil and gas will remain an integral part of the group’s portfolio. However, whether its historical Australian oil and gas assets remain part of that portfolio is uncertain, with analysts suggesting it may seek to divest its interests in the North West Shelf and Bass Strait. Slattery added that BHP is upbeat about its long-term prospects in Mexico, where it has a stake in the Trion oil field.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP