Brickworks Limited (BKW):
Brickworks managing director Lindsay Partridge has warned that tighter bank lending controls are resulting in more delays and cancellations for home construction, as the company booked a 6 per cent fall in full-year net profit. Unveiling a statutory net profit of $175.4 million, Mr Partridge said the housing construction market outlook was reasonably strong. “Market fundamentals remain supportive for new housing construction, with employment levels healthy, low interest rates and high immigration levels projected to be sustained,” he said. “External analysis indicates that a housing undersupply still exists in New South Wales and Victoria.” Underlying net profit after tax, which strips out the impact of one-off items, lifted 14 per cent on the prior year to $223.7m. That figure excluded the impact of restructuring and commissioning costs within the company’s building products arm as well as $39.2m in net cost relating to its holding in Washington H Soul Pattinson.
Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG):
Macquarie Group has defeated an attempt to oust the company as manager of a listed infrastructure fund in South Korea, as shareholders endorsed the status quo. An extraordinary general meeting, held late on Wednesday, saw shareholders vote on a proposal by an activist firm to remove Macquarie as manager of the listed Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund. Platform Partners Asset Management had wanted to install a new manager after arguing Macquarie's fees were "excessive". But most investors sided with Macquarie. Those representing 74 per cent of total shares on issue participated in the poll, with just 31 per cent voting in favour of Platform's proposal. The activist required a result of more than 50 per cent of shares outstanding to get its resolution up.
Premier Investments Limited (PMV):
Premier Investments, the fashion retail and investment vehicle controlled by billionaire Solomon Lew, has reported this morning a 20.45 per cent slide in full-year net profit to $83.63 million as revenue rose 7.98 per cent to $1.189 billion. Premier Investments booked impairments of $30 million against its retail chains. However, before the impairments, profit for the group rose 8.09 per cent to $113.63 million. Premier Investments brands include Dotti, Portmans, Just Jeans, Peter Alexander and stationery chain Smiggle, as well as a large stake in appliances group Breville and its position in department store owner Myer. Premier Investments is Myer’s biggest shareholder with a stake of 10.8 per cent but the group is down around $50 million on its investment after the Myer share price collapsed last year and remains well below Mr Lew’s entry price.
Rio Tinto Limited (RIO):
Rio Tinto has released details of a $US3.2 billion share buy-back program which it says puts the proceeds of its coal business selloff back in the hands of shareholders. Rio said the new scheme was in addition to existing buy-back programs. Rio announced a $US1 billion buy-back program alongside its $US4.38 billion first half profit last month. The latest buy-back will have both on and off-market components. In a move worth approximately $A2.7 billion, Rio will buy up to 41.2 million shares off market – the maximum number its shareholder approved at its 2018 AGM – aiming for completion in 2018. The price and timing of a subsequent on market buy-back will be revealed once the off-market buy-back tender is completed, which is expected to happen by November 12. In a statement, Rio Tinto chief executive JS Jacques said “returning $US3.2 billion of coal disposal proceeds demonstrates our commitment to capital discipline and providing sector leading shareholder returns. “We continue to focus our portfolio on those assets which provide the highest returns and growth, which will ensure that we continue to deliver superior value to our shareholders in the short, medium and long term”.
Scottish Pacific Group Ltd (SCO):
Listed debtor finance company Scottish Pacific Group is in the cross hairs of a private equity suitor. Street Talk understands pan-Asian buyout firm Affinity Equity Partners has made an offer for the company, believed to be worth more than $600 million. Scottish Pacific is considering the proposal, which sources said was subject to a handful of conditions. Affinity is advised by Macquarie Capital, while Citi is Scottish Pacific's defence adviser. Scottish Pacific shares went into a trading halt on Thursday morning. It requested the halt pending an announcement about a "possible control transaction" involving the company. Scottish Pacific is an invoice financing company with about $110 million a year in net revenue and $30 million profit. It was formerly owned by Australian private equity firm Next Capital, before it was floated in July 2016. Its shares are up 44 per cent over the past year to most recently trade at $3.74 each, valuing the company's equity at $521 million.
Suncorp Group Ltd (SUN):
Suncorp sent bush fire victims who had lost their homes renewal policies for home and contents insurance and in some cases charged them premiums for homes that no longer existed, the Hayne royal commission has heard. The fires on Christmas Day 2015 would destroy 116 properties in the region and another 334 properties would be affected. Suncorp's general insurance brand AAMI would receive 34 claims. Suncorp's handling of the bushfire victims claims would blow up on November 2016 when Sarah Henderson MP made a speech to parliament taking the insurer to task for delays and low balling policy holders who were promised complete replacement, prompting Suncorp CEO Michael Cameron to draft a letter to the Prime Minister.
Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (SOL):
Soul Pattinson’s profit has fallen 20 per cent to $266.8 million compared to $333.1 million a year ago, despite gains across its portfolio. Shares in the company dropped 9.02 per cent on the news in early trade to $23.345. The company, which holds stakes in TPG Telecom, New Hope, Brickworks, Australian Pharmaceutical Industries and Ruralco, says its revenue from operations to the year to July 31 had grown 21.4 per cent to $1.17 billion, from $967.6 million. Soul Pattinson has lifted its final dividend one cent to 33 cents per share, fully franked.
Woolworths Group Ltd (WOW):
Woolworths has attempted to distance itself from criticism over milk pricing with a new private-label range that adds 10c per litre to prices for drought relief. The new milk will carry a drought-relief label and be available in mid-October. Woolworths did not immediately reveal how long the special range would be on sale for. The specially-labelled milk will sell in $2.20 two-litre and $3.30 three-litre bottles, which will sell alongside Woolworth’s existing range. Woolworths move follows a call earlier this month by a group of Queensland for a 10c per litre milk levy. Earlier this week competition watchdog the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warned milk processors not to blame private-label contracts with the big supermarkets for the low prices being offered to farmers. The ACCC noted one of the key findings of its Dairy Inquiry report released in April was that processors were able to pass on farmgate prices to the supermarkets.
(Source: AIMS)
Brickworks managing director Lindsay Partridge has warned that tighter bank lending controls are resulting in more delays and cancellations for home construction, as the company booked a 6 per cent fall in full-year net profit. Unveiling a statutory net profit of $175.4 million, Mr Partridge said the housing construction market outlook was reasonably strong. “Market fundamentals remain supportive for new housing construction, with employment levels healthy, low interest rates and high immigration levels projected to be sustained,” he said. “External analysis indicates that a housing undersupply still exists in New South Wales and Victoria.” Underlying net profit after tax, which strips out the impact of one-off items, lifted 14 per cent on the prior year to $223.7m. That figure excluded the impact of restructuring and commissioning costs within the company’s building products arm as well as $39.2m in net cost relating to its holding in Washington H Soul Pattinson.
Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG):
Macquarie Group has defeated an attempt to oust the company as manager of a listed infrastructure fund in South Korea, as shareholders endorsed the status quo. An extraordinary general meeting, held late on Wednesday, saw shareholders vote on a proposal by an activist firm to remove Macquarie as manager of the listed Macquarie Korea Infrastructure Fund. Platform Partners Asset Management had wanted to install a new manager after arguing Macquarie's fees were "excessive". But most investors sided with Macquarie. Those representing 74 per cent of total shares on issue participated in the poll, with just 31 per cent voting in favour of Platform's proposal. The activist required a result of more than 50 per cent of shares outstanding to get its resolution up.
Premier Investments Limited (PMV):
Premier Investments, the fashion retail and investment vehicle controlled by billionaire Solomon Lew, has reported this morning a 20.45 per cent slide in full-year net profit to $83.63 million as revenue rose 7.98 per cent to $1.189 billion. Premier Investments booked impairments of $30 million against its retail chains. However, before the impairments, profit for the group rose 8.09 per cent to $113.63 million. Premier Investments brands include Dotti, Portmans, Just Jeans, Peter Alexander and stationery chain Smiggle, as well as a large stake in appliances group Breville and its position in department store owner Myer. Premier Investments is Myer’s biggest shareholder with a stake of 10.8 per cent but the group is down around $50 million on its investment after the Myer share price collapsed last year and remains well below Mr Lew’s entry price.
Rio Tinto Limited (RIO):
Rio Tinto has released details of a $US3.2 billion share buy-back program which it says puts the proceeds of its coal business selloff back in the hands of shareholders. Rio said the new scheme was in addition to existing buy-back programs. Rio announced a $US1 billion buy-back program alongside its $US4.38 billion first half profit last month. The latest buy-back will have both on and off-market components. In a move worth approximately $A2.7 billion, Rio will buy up to 41.2 million shares off market – the maximum number its shareholder approved at its 2018 AGM – aiming for completion in 2018. The price and timing of a subsequent on market buy-back will be revealed once the off-market buy-back tender is completed, which is expected to happen by November 12. In a statement, Rio Tinto chief executive JS Jacques said “returning $US3.2 billion of coal disposal proceeds demonstrates our commitment to capital discipline and providing sector leading shareholder returns. “We continue to focus our portfolio on those assets which provide the highest returns and growth, which will ensure that we continue to deliver superior value to our shareholders in the short, medium and long term”.
Scottish Pacific Group Ltd (SCO):
Listed debtor finance company Scottish Pacific Group is in the cross hairs of a private equity suitor. Street Talk understands pan-Asian buyout firm Affinity Equity Partners has made an offer for the company, believed to be worth more than $600 million. Scottish Pacific is considering the proposal, which sources said was subject to a handful of conditions. Affinity is advised by Macquarie Capital, while Citi is Scottish Pacific's defence adviser. Scottish Pacific shares went into a trading halt on Thursday morning. It requested the halt pending an announcement about a "possible control transaction" involving the company. Scottish Pacific is an invoice financing company with about $110 million a year in net revenue and $30 million profit. It was formerly owned by Australian private equity firm Next Capital, before it was floated in July 2016. Its shares are up 44 per cent over the past year to most recently trade at $3.74 each, valuing the company's equity at $521 million.
Suncorp Group Ltd (SUN):
Suncorp sent bush fire victims who had lost their homes renewal policies for home and contents insurance and in some cases charged them premiums for homes that no longer existed, the Hayne royal commission has heard. The fires on Christmas Day 2015 would destroy 116 properties in the region and another 334 properties would be affected. Suncorp's general insurance brand AAMI would receive 34 claims. Suncorp's handling of the bushfire victims claims would blow up on November 2016 when Sarah Henderson MP made a speech to parliament taking the insurer to task for delays and low balling policy holders who were promised complete replacement, prompting Suncorp CEO Michael Cameron to draft a letter to the Prime Minister.
Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (SOL):
Soul Pattinson’s profit has fallen 20 per cent to $266.8 million compared to $333.1 million a year ago, despite gains across its portfolio. Shares in the company dropped 9.02 per cent on the news in early trade to $23.345. The company, which holds stakes in TPG Telecom, New Hope, Brickworks, Australian Pharmaceutical Industries and Ruralco, says its revenue from operations to the year to July 31 had grown 21.4 per cent to $1.17 billion, from $967.6 million. Soul Pattinson has lifted its final dividend one cent to 33 cents per share, fully franked.
Woolworths Group Ltd (WOW):
Woolworths has attempted to distance itself from criticism over milk pricing with a new private-label range that adds 10c per litre to prices for drought relief. The new milk will carry a drought-relief label and be available in mid-October. Woolworths did not immediately reveal how long the special range would be on sale for. The specially-labelled milk will sell in $2.20 two-litre and $3.30 three-litre bottles, which will sell alongside Woolworth’s existing range. Woolworths move follows a call earlier this month by a group of Queensland for a 10c per litre milk levy. Earlier this week competition watchdog the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warned milk processors not to blame private-label contracts with the big supermarkets for the low prices being offered to farmers. The ACCC noted one of the key findings of its Dairy Inquiry report released in April was that processors were able to pass on farmgate prices to the supermarkets.
(Source: AIMS)
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