Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCL):
Coca-Cola Amatil will hand Mars veteran Peter West one of the hardest jobs in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, naming him as the new boss of its Australian beverages arm. The Australian arm of CC Amatil (CCL), which sells carbonated drinks such as its flagship Coca-Cola brands as well as energy drinks, dairy, juice and water, generates around two thirds of the company’s total earnings but has faced deteriorating profitability in recent years due to changing consumer and market dynamics. Mr West will also have to navigate a sometimes prickly relationship with Woolworths initially refusing to stock CC Amatil’s new No Sugar Coke as well as strip out some of its bottled water products. Ms Watkins said one of Mr West’s first priorities will be working with the CC Amatil and Coca-Cola South Pacific teams to deliver the accelerated Australian growth plan, announced at the CC Amatil investor day last month. At its recent half-year result, CC Amatil revealed that pre-tax earnings for the Australian business 13.2 per cent to $182.9m as intense competition in the cola and water categories hurt earnings.
Crown Resorts (CWN):
CrownBet chief executive Matthew Tripp is facing a hectic few weeks as he prepares to make a bid for the rest of the company he doesn’t own by December 29. A data room has been established as Mr Tripp looks to buy out the 62 per cent of CrownBet that he doesn’t own from Crown Resorts. The stake is expected to be worth about $150 million, which would value CrownBet at around $240m. Mr Tripp is reportedly working closely with Grant Griffiths, an investment banker who sits on the board of CrownBet, and has been the key architect of number of wagering deals in the past.
GetSwift Limited (GSW):
Critics, including Forager's chief investment officer Steve Johnson, who has described GetSwift's announcements on social media as "very fishy", point out the company has a market capitalisation of $600 million and revenues of just $336,356 in 2017 and that founders' stock remains in escrow for another 12 months. But two of GetSwift's largest institutional investors, IFM Investors and Regal Funds Management, say they expect the company's valuation and revenues will continue to improve. "We are looking forward three to five years, and we are forecasting the revenues we think that this company is going to produce. And looking three years forward, this company is very, very cheap," said IFM Investors' head of active equities, Neil Carter, adding the capital raise was an "exciting" signal that the company was moving to quickly monetise its contracts. The company is issuing new shares at $4 a share. When it listed in December last year, it issued stock at 20 cents a share.
NIB Holdings Limited (NHF):
Nib says it is the first Australian health insurer to introduce artificial intelligence technology to assist customers with their inquiries, with the launch of its chatbot, nibby. The company said that unlike many other chatbots, nibby was integrated into the insurer’s web platform, which allowed it to intelligently move customers to the right sales or claims consultant as a customer’s query became more complex. “We believe there is strong role for technology, including AI, to play in healthcare by empowering customers and improving the way we service them,” Brendan Mills, Nib’s chief information officer, said. Mr Mills added that the virtual consultant reflected the next generation of customer service.
Nufarm Limited (NUF):
Shares in crop chemicals company Nufarm slipped nearly 4 per cent on. Following a busy end to the year where it spent $691 million to pick up a portfolio of products in Europe from Adama Agriculture Solutions and Syngenta Crop Protection, followed by the $US90m purchase of a European herbicide product portfolio, Nufarm promised it was squarely -focused on growth and integrating its new acquisitions. But in the meantime, competitive conditions in Australia and the six-week shutdown of its manufacturing plant in Laverton for refurbishments and upgrades, would dent its profits for the first half. Nufarm chief executive Greg Hunt told investors at the AGM that Nufarm expected half-year earnings of $70m- $80m. That compares to $85m in underlying earnings before interest and tax in the prior corresponding period.
Wagners Holding Company Limited (WGN):
Shares in the $437 million Queensland building materials provider Wagners traded up today after it debuted on the Australian Securities Exchange. Shares for the IPO were priced at the top end of its range at $2.71 and started trading at $3.31 in a relatively flat market. Chaired by Denis Wagner, the company has raised $198.6m and the family are retaining about 50 per cent of the. Wagners’ main asset is its cement terminal in Brisbane, which can produce up to 800,000 tonnes but currently makes about 500,000 tonnes. It is expected to generate a 25 per cent lift in its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in the current financial year to $50m and book a $23.2m in net profit.
Westpac Banking Corporation (WBC):
Rebuilding Westpac's public reputation will be the bank's "biggest challenge" over the long-term, says chairman Lindsay Maxsted, who hopes the royal commission can help banks win back the community's trust and respect. A week after the government announced the powerful judicial inquiry into the financial sector, Mr Maxsted has told shareholders the bank would cooperate with the probe, to be led by former High Court judge Kenneth Hayne. He said he hoped the inquiry could ultimately have a role in "restoring trust, respect and confidence in Australia's already strong financial system". Even so, he said improving the bank's reputation after a tough couple of years, which included Westpac's 200-year anniversary, would be challenging. Reputation was also a key theme in remarks from chief executive Brian Hartzer, who said he hoped the royal commission could stop banks being attacked by politicians, even if it did uncover further problems.
（Source: AIMS）
Coca-Cola Amatil will hand Mars veteran Peter West one of the hardest jobs in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, naming him as the new boss of its Australian beverages arm. The Australian arm of CC Amatil (CCL), which sells carbonated drinks such as its flagship Coca-Cola brands as well as energy drinks, dairy, juice and water, generates around two thirds of the company’s total earnings but has faced deteriorating profitability in recent years due to changing consumer and market dynamics. Mr West will also have to navigate a sometimes prickly relationship with Woolworths initially refusing to stock CC Amatil’s new No Sugar Coke as well as strip out some of its bottled water products. Ms Watkins said one of Mr West’s first priorities will be working with the CC Amatil and Coca-Cola South Pacific teams to deliver the accelerated Australian growth plan, announced at the CC Amatil investor day last month. At its recent half-year result, CC Amatil revealed that pre-tax earnings for the Australian business 13.2 per cent to $182.9m as intense competition in the cola and water categories hurt earnings.
Crown Resorts (CWN):
CrownBet chief executive Matthew Tripp is facing a hectic few weeks as he prepares to make a bid for the rest of the company he doesn’t own by December 29. A data room has been established as Mr Tripp looks to buy out the 62 per cent of CrownBet that he doesn’t own from Crown Resorts. The stake is expected to be worth about $150 million, which would value CrownBet at around $240m. Mr Tripp is reportedly working closely with Grant Griffiths, an investment banker who sits on the board of CrownBet, and has been the key architect of number of wagering deals in the past.
GetSwift Limited (GSW):
Critics, including Forager's chief investment officer Steve Johnson, who has described GetSwift's announcements on social media as "very fishy", point out the company has a market capitalisation of $600 million and revenues of just $336,356 in 2017 and that founders' stock remains in escrow for another 12 months. But two of GetSwift's largest institutional investors, IFM Investors and Regal Funds Management, say they expect the company's valuation and revenues will continue to improve. "We are looking forward three to five years, and we are forecasting the revenues we think that this company is going to produce. And looking three years forward, this company is very, very cheap," said IFM Investors' head of active equities, Neil Carter, adding the capital raise was an "exciting" signal that the company was moving to quickly monetise its contracts. The company is issuing new shares at $4 a share. When it listed in December last year, it issued stock at 20 cents a share.
NIB Holdings Limited (NHF):
Nib says it is the first Australian health insurer to introduce artificial intelligence technology to assist customers with their inquiries, with the launch of its chatbot, nibby. The company said that unlike many other chatbots, nibby was integrated into the insurer’s web platform, which allowed it to intelligently move customers to the right sales or claims consultant as a customer’s query became more complex. “We believe there is strong role for technology, including AI, to play in healthcare by empowering customers and improving the way we service them,” Brendan Mills, Nib’s chief information officer, said. Mr Mills added that the virtual consultant reflected the next generation of customer service.
Nufarm Limited (NUF):
Shares in crop chemicals company Nufarm slipped nearly 4 per cent on. Following a busy end to the year where it spent $691 million to pick up a portfolio of products in Europe from Adama Agriculture Solutions and Syngenta Crop Protection, followed by the $US90m purchase of a European herbicide product portfolio, Nufarm promised it was squarely -focused on growth and integrating its new acquisitions. But in the meantime, competitive conditions in Australia and the six-week shutdown of its manufacturing plant in Laverton for refurbishments and upgrades, would dent its profits for the first half. Nufarm chief executive Greg Hunt told investors at the AGM that Nufarm expected half-year earnings of $70m- $80m. That compares to $85m in underlying earnings before interest and tax in the prior corresponding period.
Wagners Holding Company Limited (WGN):
Shares in the $437 million Queensland building materials provider Wagners traded up today after it debuted on the Australian Securities Exchange. Shares for the IPO were priced at the top end of its range at $2.71 and started trading at $3.31 in a relatively flat market. Chaired by Denis Wagner, the company has raised $198.6m and the family are retaining about 50 per cent of the. Wagners’ main asset is its cement terminal in Brisbane, which can produce up to 800,000 tonnes but currently makes about 500,000 tonnes. It is expected to generate a 25 per cent lift in its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in the current financial year to $50m and book a $23.2m in net profit.
Westpac Banking Corporation (WBC):
Rebuilding Westpac's public reputation will be the bank's "biggest challenge" over the long-term, says chairman Lindsay Maxsted, who hopes the royal commission can help banks win back the community's trust and respect. A week after the government announced the powerful judicial inquiry into the financial sector, Mr Maxsted has told shareholders the bank would cooperate with the probe, to be led by former High Court judge Kenneth Hayne. He said he hoped the inquiry could ultimately have a role in "restoring trust, respect and confidence in Australia's already strong financial system". Even so, he said improving the bank's reputation after a tough couple of years, which included Westpac's 200-year anniversary, would be challenging. Reputation was also a key theme in remarks from chief executive Brian Hartzer, who said he hoped the royal commission could stop banks being attacked by politicians, even if it did uncover further problems.
（Source: AIMS）
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