Myer (ASX: MYR) recently surprised the market by pre-announcing its financial year 2015 (FY15) results and launching a deeply discounted 2 for 5 entitlement issue. While the FY15 results were roughly in line with market expectations, the greatest focus was on the company’s new strategy announcement. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Companies, Consumer discretionary, Insightful Insights.

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SEEK reported its 2015 financial year results on 19 August. While the result itself was in line with the reduced market forecasts following the trading update in late June, the outlook statement caused a significant reduction in forward estimates. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Companies, Insightful Insights.

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The volatility in equity markets over the last week is likely to be making a few bankers a little nervous. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Financial Services, Insightful Insights.

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Coca Cola Amatil (ASX: CCL) reported its half year results during the week. The company has been under pressure for some time. The consensus view is that a combination of the growing market power of the major supermarkets, combined with a consumer shift away from soft drinks, has resulted in a downward spiral in volumes and earnings over the last 3 to 4 years. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Companies, Consumer discretionary, Insightful Insights.

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Following on from ANZ’s trading update last week, NAB reported its June quarter trading update today. NAB reported 9 per cent growth in cash earnings for the quarter to A$1.75 billion. This appeared to comfortably beat ANZ’s cash earnings growth of 4 per cent for the same quarter. However, there were a number of notable quality differences in the period. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Financial Services, Insightful Insights.

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The Reserve Bank of Australia released its June credit data last week. The data continued to show strong growth in investment mortgages, with outstanding loans increasing 10.7 per cent on the same time last year. This remains above APRA’s targeted ceiling growth rate of 10 per cent and represents a slight acceleration in the rate of growth relative to the May data. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Financial Services, Insightful Insights, Property.

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The chief economist at the Bank of England recently made a speech in which he mentioned the increase in capital management (ie. increased dividend payout and buy back activity) by public companies as having consequences for economic growth. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Insightful Insights.

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The industrial action taken by taxi drivers in Paris a couple of weeks ago once again showed that the change caused by industry disruptors has a real face, and that change invariably causes pain. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Insightful Insights, Value.able.

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On 2 July 2015, Medibank Private (ASX:MPL) announced that it will end its contract with Calvary Health Care from the end of August. This followed a number of press articles discussing the issue being released in prior weeks.

Medibank is refusing to pay for any patient readmissions within 28 days of a procedure, except in the case of chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer and palliative care. Continue…

by Stuart Jackson Posted in Companies, Health Care, Insightful Insights.

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