AMP Limited (AMP):
AMP's decision to pause its buyback after returning only $200 million of the planned $500 million to shareholders presents a ripe buying opportunity. That is the view of broker Credit Suisse. In an investor note on Tuesday, Credit Suisse analyst Andrew Adams upgraded the $14 billion wealth management giant to "outperform" from "neutral." That was on the the back of the stock underperforming the market by 10 per cent since its first half 2017 results announcement. In August, AMP provided details about an ambitious and capital-intensive growth strategy to buyback advice practices and pursue global growth plans for AMP Capital, but also surprised investors and analysts by putting its previously announced share buyback on hold.
APN Outdoor Group (APO):
APN Outdoor should not be the first company that springs to mind when talk turns to the challenging outlook facing traditional media and advertising business models. But the low-key Sydney group, which provides advertising space on roadside billboards and public transport in the major cities of Australia and New Zealand, is facing growing shareholder disquiet over its recent performance. The catalyst for this outbreak of investor concern is the loss of APN's contract to sell advertising on Melbourne trams from November 30, which will cost the company around $7 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. It's a significant amount for a business that generated $87 million in EBITDA last year. That this setback occurred at the same time the APN board, led by Doug Flynn, is attempting to finalise a two-month search for a new chief executive following the resignation of long-term boss Richard Herring has added to anxiety levels. As has the company's failure to pull off a $1.6 billion merger with rival oOh!media earlier this year because of serious concerns expressed by the competition regulator.
BHP Billiton (BHP):
Activist investor Elliott is touring BHP Billiton’s biggest shareholders as part of its campaign to force a radical shake-up of the mining giant, reports Reuters, quoting sources familiar with the matter. Elliott representatives have in the last month met with major BHP investors based in London, South Africa and Australia to lay out the activist fund’s arguments for an overhaul of the miner, said the two sources quoted by Reuters. Elliott reiterated its view that BHP should scrap its dual listing structure by abolishing its British company, the sources said. Reuters reports that while Elliott has met with other investors since it launched its BHP campaign earlier this year, this is the first time it has visited South Africa to agitate for change at the miner.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA):
Some of the biggest US investors are expected to pile into a class action against Commonwealth Bank, which was sued in the Federal Court yesterday over claims it misled shareholders about its alleged failure to comply with anti-money laundering laws more than 53,000 times. The class action suit against CBA — potentially Australia’s largest ever, with damages likely to exceed $200 million — accuses the bank of failing to keep shareholders up to date while making “misleading and deceptive” statements about its compliance with anti-money laundering laws. “CBA intends to vigorously defend this claim,” the bank said. Counting only stock held by its top 20 shareholders, more than 10 per cent of CBA’s equity is held by US investors. Those US shareholders include CBA’s two biggest stockholders, New York-based investment giant BlackRock, which holds almost 5 per cent, and Pennsylvania’s Vanguard Group, which holds more than 3 per cent.
Myer Holdings (MYR):
Myer chairman Paul McClintock will announce on Wednesday whether he intends to stand for re-election at the annual meeting – a decision that could either inflame or dampen the retailer's dispute with Solomon Lew's Premier Investments.The Myer board met on Tuesday to discuss Mr McClintock's future and finalise the agenda for the annual meeting, which is expected to be held in late November. Neither Mr McClintock nor Myer would comment on his decision on Tuesday night, saying an announcement would be made on Wednesday morning.
Origin Energy (ORG):
Origin Energy chief executive Frank Calabria has come out overwhelmingly in favour of a Clean Energy Target-type regulation despite the federal government downplaying the policy, saying only such a scheme would encourage needed investment in new supply after 2020 that would bring down prices. Mr Calabria said the Renewable Energy Target supports investment in cleaner energy only until the end of the decade and the signals to invest further are lacking unless a new long-term policy framework is put in place.
Myer Holdings (MYR):
Myer chairman Paul McClintock will announce on Wednesday whether he intends to stand for re-election at the annual meeting – a decision that could either inflame or dampen the retailer's dispute with Solomon Lew's Premier Investments.The Myer board met on Tuesday to discuss Mr McClintock's future and finalise the agenda for the annual meeting, which is expected to be held in late November. Neither Mr McClintock nor Myer would comment on his decision on Tuesday night, saying an announcement would be made on Wednesday morning.
Origin Energy (ORG):
Origin Energy chief executive Frank Calabria has come out overwhelmingly in favour of a Clean Energy Target-type regulation despite the federal government downplaying the policy, saying only such a scheme would encourage needed investment in new supply after 2020 that would bring down prices. Mr Calabria said the Renewable Energy Target supports investment in cleaner energy only until the end of the decade and the signals to invest further are lacking unless a new long-term policy framework is put in place.
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION (WBC):
Westpac says it will cap account-keeping fees and remove "outdated" charges on some transactions, as part of a bank-wide review in response to the erosion of public trust in banks. The chief executive of the bank's consumer arm, George Frazis, on Tuesday said the bank would scrap a limit on the number of free monthly transactions, which applied to some "old" accounts created before the rise of mobile banking. The bank would also cap monthly account-keeping fees for personal banking customers at $5 a month - compared with some accounts that charge as much as $15 a month. The move follows the major banks' move last month to scrap ATM fees for customers of other banks, and it is being announced the day before Westpac chief executive Brian Hartzer appears before the federal government's banking inquiry in Canberra.
(Source: AIMS)
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