The cost of floating on the ASX has resulted in Myer posted a depressing 74.4% decline in first-half profit.
Profit for the period fell from $83.2 million to $21.3 million. On the other hand, if the IPO expenses are taken out, Myer actually increased profit by 38% and increased revenue by $1.8 billion. Not bad going.
Myer Holdings
ASX Code: MYR
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Virgin Blue’s decision to fly directly to Uluru is a bonus not just for travellers looking for competitive airfares, but also for GPT Group, owner of the $300 million Ayres Rock Resort.
Occupancy at the resort has diminished from 60% to 51% in a year.
The resort has been up for sale since July 2008, as GPT tries to pay down debt. Last year’s capital raising has taken the pressure off though, and reduced the likelihood of having to sell before the market picks up again.
Virgin Blue will begin flights from Sydney in August. An initial promo offer will pitch prices at $149 each way, and $199 after that. Qantas fares currently start at $250.
GPT Group
ASX Code: GPT
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Anyone who visits the HotCopper trading forum may have noticed a sudden proliferation in ads featuring boats – we’re taking it as a compliment!
Visit our sister company’s blog to check it out.
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Thirteen ASX-listed companies have been suspended from trading by the ASX, due to missing Friday’s deadline for lodging first-half accounts.
- Safety Medical Products (ASX: SFP)
- Macarthurcook Property Securities Fund (ASX: MPS)
- Macarthurcook Industrial Property Fund (ASX: MIF)
- Byte Power Group (ASX: BPG)
- Healthzone (ASX: HZL)
- Green Invest (ASX: GNV)
- Medic Vision (ASX: MVH)
- Frankland Olive Company (ASX: FLR)
- Datamotion (ASX: DMN)
- US Masters Holdings (ASX: USH)
- Autron Corporation (ASX: AAT)
- Palamedia (ASX: PMX)
- CEC Group (ASX: CEG)
An ASX spokesman said this is a better result than last year, when 20 companies failed to get their homework in on time.
Ten of the thirteen lodged statements explaining the delay, and when they expected to have to financial results ready.
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Fairfax had some good news for shareholders yesterday, posting an increase in underlying earnings of 37%, and a return to profitability.
Cost cutting and a rise in digital advertising revenue have played their parts in the $149 million interim profit. Analyst forecasts suggest a full-year growth in earnings is ahead, though the Fairfax chief executive was careful to point out that booking cycles remained short, and he wouldn’t commit to the recent improvement in advertising being a described as a permanent trend.
The Fairfax share price was up two cents at $1.805 at the end of trading yesterday, and the interim dividend was cut from 2c to 1.1c a share.
Elsewhere in media companies, James Packer’s Consolidated Media Holdings saw an 11.6% drop in first-half profit.
Fairfax Media
ASX Code: FXJ
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Qantas plans to address today’s profit plunge by reconfiguring 29 planes and cancelling first-class services altogether on some routes.
There will also be no first half dividend payout for QAN shareholders.
The airline posted a 72% drop in first-half earnings today, a result of a drop in premium travel demand and the GFC. Economic uncertainty and volatility in fuel prices and exchange rates continue to hurt profits.
The QAN share price has risen more than 10% in the last six months, but was down 7% in early trading today.
Qantas
ASX Code: QAN
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It sounds like ANZ is on the brink of expanding its Asian network even further, with signs that it will soon get approval for an Indian banking licence.
The reserve bank in India has recommended to the government that ANZ be allowed to open a branch in Mumbai. This will allow ANZ to sell its retail banking services to the fast growing Indian middle class.
The ANZ share price has jumped up on early trading this morning.
ANZ Banking Group
ASX Code: ANZ
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Despite a massive 54% growth in first- half profit, Commonwealth Bank won’t be sharing the joy with shareholders. The interim dividend will increase by a modest 6% to $1.20 a share.
Shareholders will have to be content with the 19% rise in the CBA share price over the last months, although in early trading today the share price dropped 26 cents to $52.46.
Cost cutting, loan growth and gains in wealth management are behind CBA’s whopping $2.94 billion first-half profit.
Commonwealth Bank
ASX Code: CBA
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Clive Palmer’s Resourcehouse Ltd is inching towards its Hong Kong IPO, in what is being described as the biggest initial share sale of a mining company since 2007.
After a false start late last year, Palmer is seeking new investors, and plans to raise at least US$3 billion, mainly from China. The Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) agreed to buy a 5% stake yesterday, at US$200 million.
According to Bloomberg, Resourcehouse could spend A$10.2 billion on developing iron ore and coal mines in Australia to supply the Chinese market.
It’s thought billionaire Clive Palmer (Australia’s fifth-richest man) wants to keep a 50% stake.
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Economists are expecting the Reserve Bank to lift the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4% today.
Bloomberg cites several contributing factors to what would be the fourth successive interest rate rise:
- an employment surge from three years ago, (although there was an 8.1% fall in job ads in January, according to yesterday’s ANZ job advertisement index)
- the largest increase in house prices since 2007
- an expectation of accelerated inflation
It’s expected that the March meeting of the RBA will see interest rates kept steady.
The ASX is expected to open higher this morning ahead of the decision.
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