Inside Chemist Warehouse deal, what CEOs want & AFR Business People of the Year
Dec 15, 2023
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This week on the podcast, the hosts explore what CEOs want from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, discuss the astonishing Chemist Warehouse deal, and highlight the winners of the Business People of the Year awards, including Gina Reinhardt. They also delve into the $9 billion ASX listing of Chemist Warehouse and touch on the ongoing deal between Sigma shareholders and the ACC. The hosts anticipate a rate rise, reflect on market volatility, and explain the regulatory requirements for company listings.
Chemist Warehouse's $9 billion reverse takeover with Sigma healthcare aims to provide access to capital markets and strategic initiatives, potentially becoming the 2023 deal story of the year.
Australia's top CEOs expressed the need for collaboration between governments to address rising costs of living, planning reforms, and social issues, highlighting their interest in community well-being alongside economic growth.
Deep dives
Chemist Warehouse's Reverse Takeover: A New Era for the Company
Chemist Warehouse, the retail giant with 600 stores, has embarked on a $9 billion reverse takeover with Sigma healthcare, allowing it to list on the ASX. The deal aims to provide access to capital markets, strategic initiatives, and allow shareholders to realize their investments over time. Chemist Warehouse's profitability, with an 18% EBITDA margin and a 14.9% EBIT margin, has garnered significant interest from investors. The merger faces regulatory approvals and Sigma shareholders' votes, but if successful, it may become the 2023 deal story of the year.
RBA Meeting Minutes Reflect a Relatively Strong Job Market
The Reserve Bank of Australia's meeting minutes are expected to indicate a relatively strong job market and a likely soft landing for the Australian economy. While economists anticipate the possibility of three rate cuts in the future, the market remains optimistic, and indexes are on track to end the year with significant gains. Bond yields, which usually rise in response to a strong job market, have shown little reaction, reflecting the market's confidence in the Federal Reserve's projection of future rate cuts.
CEO Survey Reveals Key Concerns and Priorities
A comprehensive survey of Australia's top CEOs sheds light on their thoughts and concerns going into 2024. Key focus areas include the rising cost of living, planning reforms, permit issues in the mining sector, industrial relations, and taxation. Surprisingly, CEOs also expressed a desire to push the government to take action and address these issues. They highlighted the importance of collaboration between federal, state, and local governments to drive reforms and achieve common goals. The survey revealed the CEOs' collective interest in promoting community well-being and social issues, alongside economic growth.
US Job Market Appears Resilient Despite Unexpectedly Strong Non-Farm Payrolls
The latest US non-farm payrolls report indicated a stronger job market than anticipated, suggesting resilience in the US economy. While typically higher than expected job numbers could lead to rising bond yields and concerns of prolonged rate hikes, the market remains incredibly bullish. US markets have experienced a significant rally, with the Federal Reserve forecasting three rate cuts for next year. This unexpected optimism has pushed the equity markets in Australia to end the year up by approximately 6%. Despite volatility and uncertainty, the market's momentum remains unyielding.
This week on the podcast James & Anthony take a deep dive into what CEOs want to see from prime minister Anthony Albanese in the coming year, pull together all the story lines from the astounding Chemist Warehouse deal and look forward to the last week of the year on the corporate calendar.