Becoming pregnant presents a myriad of new style challenges. It is not just the stomach which grows but also the hips, bust, back, waist line, thighs, butt - everything gets bigger and eventually, no matter how much you may resist, you will need to embrace maternity wear. Here are 5 tips to help you dress throughout your pregnancy and maintain your style despite all the changes happening to your body, mind and spirit...
Embrace The Belly Trying to hide a baby bump doesn't work, not only that but trying to minimize it actually creates volume and extra bulk! Embracing a baby bump is the first key step in maternity style. A pregnant body is beautiful and accentuating the growing belly is the number 1 thing in creating a stylish look. Rather than selecting overly flowy pieces opt for styles which follow the shape of the belly, with the fabric sitting snug across the bump. Welcome to body-con territory. Having said that, you can utilise more giving items with the clever use of knotting, belting and tucking. Whether you knot a tee at the front and pair with a high waisted jean, legging or skirt or belt a dress right under the bust (must be stretchy), this will accentuate your bump and pull your whole look together. Wearing Sass dress, MVMT Watch, Alias Mae Sandals, Etsy Bag, Mink Pink sunglasses Enjoy Your Femininity Pregnancy is a great time to feel at home into your femininity and explore a side of your style you might not otherwise. Soft colours, delicate fabrics, vintage details and a more gentle approach with fashion might start to beckon you, don't fight it! Embrace lace, embroidery, prints, florals, bright lip shades, different nail colours or makeup trends - whatever grabs you, go for it. Your creativity will likely be at an all time high during pregnancy so have some fun with colour and your softer side. Wearing St Frock Dress, London Rebel Slides, Pip & Co Bag Keep It Simple You have enough to worry about with all of the changes happening to your body and life right now so make sure you keep your wardrobe simple and easy. A great way to do this is to stock up on one pieces - a good jumpsuit takes all the guess work out of getting dressed and being so on trend right now, there are loads to choose from. Look for roomy styles which will allow your bump to grow and stretch or soft fabrics are key. Pockets are a bonus and a low neckline will work to balance the relaxed shape of the jumpsuit so V-necks, shoe string straps or backless styles are your best bet. Wearing Mink Pink Jumpsuit & Sunglasses, vintage cuff Fabric Is Key Both stretch fabrics and breathable fabrics are the name of the game. Your core temperature will be increased throughout your pregnancy and with your heart growing 12% (yep, crazy hey) to pump all of that extra blood around your body to reach baby, you will definitely feel warmer than normal. Stick to natural fabrics and ensure you wear layers which can easily come off - speaking of, ensure you wear items that make going to the toilet in a hurry an easy job. Fussy buttons, restrictive material, zips and clasps can prove a nightmare when bubs kicks your bladder and you have zero point three seconds to get to the toilet! Wearing Third Boi dress, Rubi Sneakers & Sunglasses Treat Yourself There will be a voice in your head saying "you'll only wear it for a few months, don't bother" when you find yourself browsing maternity wear. This may be true but considering these will be the most important few months of your life in terms of identity, change and growth (both physically and spiritually!) you should allow yourself to purchase a few things for this fabulous, baby carrying version of yourself. This is particularly true of some items which simply have to be maternity such as swimwear and underwear, jeans and active wear. Try squeezing into regular jeans past 16 weeks and you will see that there is no possible way forward but to embrace the maternity version! You can either select maternity jeans which sit under the bump or the type which have a stretchy fabric attached to the waist band which covers the bump, both are great choices with the later being a little more comfortable as you can be confident they won't fall down. You can always lend or gift your maternity wear items after you no longer need them- if there is no thing pregnancy promotes, it is the sisterhood and generosity! Wearing ASOS maternity jeans, Rubi shoes, Lock & Key Clothing Jacket, MVMT sunglasses, Remember You Are Still You Yes, you, the mum-to-be who is having an identity crisis, let me tell you something...you are cool. Super cool. You are growing a human and that makes you a kick ass, strong and beautiful woman. There may be a part of you which feels uncomfortable expressing your previous self, because oh my god now you are a mother but that is just societal pressure talking. Just because your body has been taken over by a teeny tiny baby, you are still YOU! Be sexy. Be bold. Be out there. Be comfortable. Be whatever you want to be and own your glorious body! You can be edgy. You can be a tom boy. You can be carefree or glammed up. Do not shy away or succumb to any pressure to hide yourself or dress your body down. Your body still belongs to you and if you ask me, you've never looked better beautiful mama x Wearing Moss and Spy dress, Rubi Sunglasses, Assembly Label Clutch, Sportsgirl Shoes https://www.thestyleside.net/single-post/2019/01/31/6-Tips-For-Dressing-Your-Baby-Bump-In-Style
0 Comments
Loading
Kemp felt so close but so far. She sat and wondered how she could work her way out of this frustrating lull before a friend of a friend put her in touch with a sports psychologist. Towards the end of 2017 she reached out, and little over one year later she finds herself locking up playing rights on the LPGA Tour following stellar finishes at the Vic Open and Australian Women's Open. Now the world No. 147 will converge on Royal Canberra Golf Club with an eye on the $150,000 Canberra Classic having opened her campaign with a light-hearted Nation versus Nation shootout tournament on Wednesday. The real deal starts on Friday, and Kemp is in with a genuine shake given her brilliant start to the year - sheis sitting on top of the 2018-19 ALPG Order of Merit rankings. "Its been the best start to any year Ive had in a really long time, so confidence is nice and high. Hopefully I can keep it up for the next couple of weeks," Kemp said. "Id lost my [LPGA] status [in 2017] but I went to Europe and took some time off and really recharged the batteries. I didnt grind it out, but I just played the schedule and the Ladies European Tour. "I played better, I had some good finishes early on in the year. I almost won on the Ladies European Tour early last year and it just slowly came back. "The start this year, Im sure a lot of it is the hard work happening over the past few months rather than just recently something clicking. Id say its been over a years worth of hard work. Loading "Its so nice because its a real grind sometimes. Its not going to go your way all the time, its a really patient sport. Some weeks youre not going to have it, some weeks you are. "Ive had my fair share of down days so its been nice to start the year like this and really just have the pressure of for at least a couple more years of status in America which is something Ive never been able to say." Three months ago Kemp basically had no status on the American tour. Now she is rearranging her schedule to go back to the United States and play on the biggest tour in the world. "Its all kind of a dream at the moment." Caden Helmers is a sports reporter for The Canberra Times Most Viewed in Sport Loading https://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/golf/sorry-for-herself-no-more-sarah-kemp-eyes-canberra-classic-20190227-p510ie.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_sport Loading
Mr Bassat said the job listings site, which has international websites as well as a major Australian career portal, was offsetting locally difficult "macro" conditions with premium products allowing hirers to boost their advertisements and pay for additional services. He said the business was "very solid and going strong" but the economy meant it was a "bit harder" than expected. The Australia and New Zealand arm showed some of the strongest growth in the Seek group with an 11 per cent revenue jump and 13 per cent earnings growth. Revenue from Seek Asia increased 11 per cent with earnings up 10 per cent. "In terms of the market itself, [there is] no doubt we're seeing softness in volume," he said, describing it as "softer than hoped". "It won't improve a lot before the election," Mr Bassat said, explaining he expected to see "a degree of certainty" after the polls close. "The economy hasn't helped us as much as it has in past years." The unemployment rate has held steady in NSW and Victoriaat 5 per cent in January after jobs growth of39,100 across the country was predominantly within these two major states, ABS data shows. Unemployment increased in Tasmania to 6.2 per cent and in Western Australia to 6.8, where it is now at a 17-year high. The 2019 revenue guidance was reaffirmed at 16 to 20 per cent growth compared to the 2018 financial year, with earnings expected to rise between 5 per cent and 8 per cent. Net profit is likely to be lower than 2018 due to more investment in early-stage ventures like Chinese recruitmentservices business Zhaopin and university partnership Online Education Services. Seek is the 35th most shorted business on the ASX with 5.65 per cent of stocks held in a short position, according to monitoring website Shortman. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/companies/softer-than-hoped-seek-posts-solid-result-despite-difficult-economy-20190227-p510h5.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_business Shares in Yancoal are up 12.5 per cent to $3.60, the highest price since 10 January, 2019. The company is 62 per cent owned by Yanzhou Coal Mining Company, which is majority owned by the Chinese state-owned Yankuang Group, and this company will get a $235 million windfall from the 28.55 cent dividend, which includes a 12.59 cent special dividend.
Yancoal chairman Baocai Zhang said Yancoal had delivered "exceptional full-year financial results" that had allowed the business to also cut debt by a further $US500 million. "2018 has been a year of extraordinary growth and success, with a record dividend declared, debt reduced by more than half a billion dollars, and Yancoal Australia listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong," he said. Shares in waste removalist Bingo Industries are up 3.7 per cent to $1.33 after reporting its half-year results this morning with revenue up 25 per cent to $178.7 million. Recently the shares dropped nearly 50 per cent in one session to $1.17, below its listing price, after Bingo revealed underlying earnings were expected to be "broadly in line" with the previous year. It had previously forecast underlying earnings growth of between 15 and 20 per cent. This morning it revealed underlying earnings increased 4.1 per cent to $45.6 million, but reaffirmed full-year earnings will be "broadly in-line with the previous year". It will maintain a dividend of 1.72 cents per share but has suspended a dividend reinvestment plan. "We have a solid forward order book, and we have good visibility of future revenue through our opportunities pipeline," chief executive Daniel Tartak told the market today. "Our aim is to use this runway to continue to diversity our earnings, by securing long-term commercial and industrial contracts to provide more annuity-style defensive earnings". Bingo is expecting a new Queensland levy to be positive and will increase prices in early 2019-20. Shares in debt consolidation company Pioneer Credit are down 24 per cent to $2.33 this morning after it reported weaker than expected results late last night. Post-tax profit was $5.46 million in the six months ending December 2018, 33 per cent lower than the same period in 2017. "The company does not provide guidance for any half. While we did not meet our own expectations and we are disappointed with our performance, that sentiment should be balanced against the liquidations performance, strong EBIDTA and exceptionally disciplined investment outcomes," the company told the market last night, confirming guidance for the full year of a 20 per cent increase in earnings to about $65 million and a 14 per cent increase in post-tax profit to about $20 million. Outdoor advertising business Ooh!Media chief executive Brendon Cook expects the upcoming elections and an earlier Easter to hit billboard bookings as major brands keep out of the "noise" of the political cycle. OohMedia's share price fell 8.58 per cent to $3.73 on Monday and dropped a further 6.8 per cent on Tuesday to $3.47 after the outdoor advertising business posted a 18 per cent increase in underlying net profit after tax to $51.1 million. When including the cost of acquiring Here There & Everywhere's street furniture arm Adshel, net profit was down 4 per cent to $31.6 million. The company gave guidance that underlying earnings (before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) for calendar 2019 will be from $152 million to $162 million. Mr Cook said the out-of-home advertising industry was up on a year-on-year basis but expected elections - including a federal election likely in May and a NSW state election in March - could be a drag on the early-2019 results. News is coming out of the United States that Elon Musk is in trouble with the courts for tweeting company information. Bloomberg reports that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission asked a judge to hold Elon Musk in contempt for violating his Oct. 16 settlement with the agency requiring him to seek pre-approval from Tesla Inc. for social media posts and other written communication that would be material to the company or investors. The SEC claimed on Monday that a Tweet by Musk violated the settlement when he wrote on Feb. 19 that "Tesla made 0 cars in 2011, but will make around 500k in 2019." Shares in Telsa are dropping in after-hours trading from a closing price of $US298.77 to $284. A large block of shares in MYOB has traded at $3.37 through JP Morgan Securities this morning. About 28.9 million shares crossed without any change in price. And Wesfarmers 5.5 per cent decline today is due to the stock going ex-dividend, but the price is down to $33.36 which is dragging on the market. Similarly Alumina's steep drop is due to the stock going ex-dividend. Caltex Australia is splashing cash as it attempts to gain more control of its operations by returning franchised stores to company ownership and buying back $260 million of its shares. Its shares are up 2.8 per cent in early trading to $28.40. The fuel retailer spent about $20 million in 2018 bringing 182 franchised petrol stations back into the fold under its previously announced plan to buy back more than 400 service stations by 2020 as it exits the franchise industry. Caltex said the transition of franchise stores hit convenience retail earnings before interest and tax, which fell 8 per cent to $307 million, affected by and the rollout of new store formats, while fuel & infrastructure's EBIT of $570 million was in line with guidance. Overall annual profit fell 10 per cent to $560 million, from $619 million in 2017, but was still above its guidance range of $530 million to $550 million. Story available online soon. The S&P/ASX 200 has dropped on opening. It is down by 37 points to 6149. The biggest declines are in Alumina, down 8 per cent, IRESS is down 7.2 per cent, Wesfarmers is down 5.9 per cent, oOh! Media is down 5.4 per cent and Afterpay Touch is down 3.9 per cent. Early risers include Bingo Industries, which is up 8.2 per cent, Caltex is up 3 per cent, and Orocobre Ltd is up 4.5 per cent. TPG will take a $230 million impairment from cancelling its mobile network, which it could not complete because the government banned its preferred equipment provider, Huawei, from providing equipment for 5G networks. TPG shares are down by 0.4 per cent to $6.60 in early trading. TPG says the carrying value of its spectrum will be reduced by about $92 million. "Having ceased its mobile network rollout, the Group now has no business plan or strategy for using its spectrum licences on a standalone basis and, accordingly, the carrying value of these licences is required to be reassessed". The value of the mobile sites TPG has built to date can be rolled into its merger with Vodfone, but will be written down by about $76 million "as the merger remains subject to regulatory and shareholder approval" and the value of the merged entity may not take into account the current value of TPG's assets. And about $60 of interest on spectrum payment instalments and debt facility interest will also be written off in the first half accounts. TPG expects to release its first half results on 19 March. While these one-off impairments will affect the result, TPG says its earning guidance is unaffected and the company remains within its banking covenants. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/markets/markets-live-yancoal-pays-special-dividend-20190226-h1bpnw.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_business The report also recommended product intervention powers for ASIC, access to dispute resolution mechanisms, provide hardship provisions and ensure consumers are properly informed by terms and conditions.
The inquiry into the BNPL sector, pay-day lenders and consumer lease companies also recommended "providers appropriately consider consumers' personal financial situations." It raises questions about whether any legislation that results from the sector's engagement with the government and ASIC introduces tougher regulation than what the the sector currently anticipates. Afterpay played down the prospect of further regulatory threats. "Our industry-leading default rate (less than 1.5 per cent) indicates that our technology and processes are efficient at limiting, exiting and preventing services being extended to people who shouldn't be using our service," the company said in its statement to the ASX on Monday. "We take a person's personal financial situation seriously and only increase limits after positive repayment behaviours are shown." Afterpay rival FlexiGroup is proposing that the BNPL sector set up a customer database to detect debt-laden customers as part of an industry code of practice to head off any further regulation of the booming sector. FlexiGroup said its proposals are merely a starting point to encourage ideas and debate. We believe appropriate self-regulation will lead to better outcomes for BNPL customers and ensure that this form of finance maintains the trust of customers," said FlexiGroup CEO Rebecca James. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/companies/afterpay-soars-after-senate-report-clears-regulatory-clouds-20190225-p5100i.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_business 2/23/2019 0 Comments The mysterious 8500 per cent stock gain attracting big names (and big questions)DYF's curious surge adds to a long list of extreme, unexplained stock swings that have threatened to dent Hong Kong's reputation as one of the world's premier financial markets. It also shows how, thanks to the growing popularity of passive investment strategies, such episodes increasingly involve global money. Multibillion-dollar funds run by BlackRock, Vanguard and Northern Trust have all been buyers of DYF's stock since November, after it became big and liquid enough for inclusion in MSCI indexes that the funds are required to mimic.
Analysts have question marks over the rules and regulations surrounding some of Asia's biggest sharemarkets.Credit:Shutterstock DYF didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. A receptionist at the company's office in Hong Kong directed Bloomberg to Chairman Sui Guangyi's assistant, who didn't reply to emailed questions. Hong Kong's stock exchange and the city's Securities and Futures Commission declined to comment, as did BlackRock, Vanguard and Northern Trust. MSCI said it uses quantitative criteria such as market value, free float, and liquidity when choosing companies for its indexes and doesn't make judgments about profitability, growth prospects or "any other subjective" metrics. DYF, which has a market value of HK$31.2 billion ($5.6 billion), is what's classified in Hong Kong as a Chapter 21 investment company. Instead of operating their own businesses, Chapter 21 companies take minority stakes in other listed and unlisted firms. They're similar to closed-end funds and their success depends in large part on the investing prowess of their management teams. Sui, who is described as a "legendary figure" and "influential scholar" in DYF's promotional materials, began building a major stake in the company in early 2015, when it was called China Investment Fund Co. After becoming chairman later that year, Sui replaced the management team and has twice changed the company's name. His stake in DYF, which amounts to about 16 per cent of shares outstanding, is now worth about $US600 ($841 million) million . Fundamentals do not support the stock's rally at all Li Yuanrong, managing director of Shenzhen-based venture capital firm 20VC. Sui's backstory, as detailed in DYF's promotional materials, is remarkable. Born to a rural family in northeast China in the 1960s, his early career path included stints as an engineer, a "successful multi-millionaire entrepreneur" and a government official. According to DYF, Sui then transitioned into the world of investing: He retired in 2000 to devote himself to the study of integrating Eastern traditional wisdom and modern investment, and the techniques of capital operation and game theory. Leveraging his new insight, he developed the 'Zen & I-Ching Investment Theory,' becoming another innovative way of investment following in the footsteps of Warren Buffet's (sic) value investing and George Soros's hedge fund investing. Aside from his extremely lucrative bet on DYF, evidence of Sui's investing prowess is hard to find. In fact, since he became DYF's chairman, the company has been caught up in some of Hong Kong's biggest stock crashes. According to regulatory filings, its money-losing investments in 2016 included stakes in Tech Pro Technology Development., which sank 90 per cent after a critical report from short-seller Glaucus Research, and Kingbo Strike, which tumbled 82 per cent. Zhidao International Holdings, one of DYF's biggest positions at the end of the second quarter, has dropped 86 per cent since June 30. DYF, meanwhile, has kept climbing from one all-time high to another, thanks in part to demand from funds that track MSCI's global large-cap indexes. BlackRock is one of many big names with positions in the company.Credit:Victor J. Blue The stock has gained 202 per cent in the past year alone, the best performance among 2,700-plus members of the MSCI All-Country World Index. Valued at 95 times net assets, it's one of the most expensive listed companies on Earth. (The stock is also ineligible for short selling, which may help explain why it hasn't faced more downward pressure. It slipped 1.6 per cent on Friday.) "Why would anyone buy an investment company at 90 times NAV?" said David Webb, an independent investor and former Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. board member who has made a fortune buying small-cap Hong Kong stocks over the past two decades. He said MSCI should leave DYF and other Chapter 21 companies out of its benchmark indexes. "One of the risks MSCI faces in Asia's equity markets, where rules can be relaxed and enforcement patchy, is you see a lot of firms included in indexes that wouldn't pass the smell test," said Melissa Brown, partner at Hong Kong-based advisory firm Daobridge Capital and former member of the Hong Kong stock exchange's listing committee, speaking generally. Around the time DYF entered MSCI's large-cap gauges last year, critical reports on Sui's fundraising practices and the unusual move in DYF's shares began appearing in the Chinese press. In an emailed response to questions from Bloomberg, the Asset Management Association of China said it was aware of media reports that a unit of Ding Yi Feng Group (a Chinese company that also counts Sui as chairman) had offered individual savers guaranteed monthly returns of 2.5 per cent on an investment and that the unit had failed to register multiple fund products with the association. AMAC said private fund managers in China can't guarantee principal and minimum returns and that it will report and deliver any unlawful cases to the China Securities Regulatory Commission and other authorities. The CSRC didn't reply to a faxed request for comment. Bloomberg Most Viewed in Business Loading https://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/markets/the-mysterious-8-500-per-cent-stock-gain-attracting-big-names-and-big-questions-20190223-p50zr4.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_business A slick reception area that features a digital communication wall framed in bevelled-edged mirrored panels now greets visitors.
This allows LOreal to promote all its brands, from high end to mass market, as well as featuring key campaigns, says Walton, who used brass to detail the stone-tiled floors and the reception counter. The 13th floor of the LOreal headquarters in Melbourne.Credit:Travis Walton As the brass and mirrors moved in, the particleboard in the ceiling concealing the services was removed. We wanted to heighten the ceiling, as well as create a much lighter feel (all the ducts and services were painted white), he says. The 13th level of the 1980s base building was virtually gutted for this renovation, and completed in a time period of between four and five weeks over a quiet holiday period when staff wouldnt be affected. We kept the cafeand the meeting areas open during this time to ensure staff were not impacted, says Walton. One of the few new spaces to be inserted into the 500-square-metre space (approximately half a floor) was a boardroom, framed in steel and glass. Previously the footprint of two smaller meeting rooms, this area includes inset brass shelves to also allow for product launches. To ensure privacy, this space is not only wrapped in sheer curtains but also features various campaigns on the glass-partitioned walls. One of the major changes to LOreal was the opening up of the cafeand meeting areas, located on the west side of the building, to the impressive views: Albert Park Lake in the foreground, with a view of Port Phillip Bay beyond. To the north, where theres now an informal lounge area, there is a panoramic view of Melbournes skyline. Previously, the cafe, known as St. Remy, played a secondary role in the space. Now its a focal point, says Walton, who reworked the kitchen with marble, American oak joinery and smoke mirrored glass for the walls (the St. Remy sign, spelt backwards on a fluorescent sign, is spelt correctly once viewed in the mirrored wall). Other seating areas were conceived to entice staff to move away from their offices to meet informally. So there is banquette-style booth seating with a digital print of model Gigi Hadid (who appeared in one of LOreals campaigns) on one wall. On another, theres an entire green wall. The word sustainable was used in the initial design briefings with lOreal management. "We took this as not only using natural timbers, but to develop a fit-out that would last the distance, as well as being low maintenance and easy to maintain, says Walton, who was keen to include as many possible seating configurations that would allow flexibility for staff. Included in the mix are trestle-style tables, expansive and curvaceous lounges together with high-side armchairs that would deliver a certain degree of privacy. All the chairs and lounges can be completely pulled apart to allow for different work settings. This space also had to cater for larger functions, when concealed screens drop down to accommodate standing room presentations, says Walton. Although staff previously left the building during lunch breaks, now theres a tendency to stay on the 13th floor, with separate amenities for staff to prepare their own food. With views over Albert Park and Port Phillip Bay, few staff are, not surprisingly, leaving the building these days. Most Viewed in Business Loading https://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/companies/gloss-and-glam-in-l-oreal-headquarters-20190221-p50zdq.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_business Nobody wants the number of executive changes that weve had but its a tough market, a stressful market, and for personal reasons David resigned," Woolworths chief executive Ian Moir told analysts in South Africa on Thursday.
Loading "Theres no big story. David was with us for 17 years. It wasn't performance related, it was for personal reasons." Mr Moir, who is acting as David Jones'interim chief executive, said he could not discuss why Ms Kelly and Mr Allaway resigned. "Was there discussion and debate and understanding around the board as to what the reasons were? Of course there was, but those are private discussions," he said. "Theres no issues with corporate governance. Were a good, well-run business - that wasn't the reasons why directors left or executives left. DavidJones' total sales in the 26 weeks to December 23 were up 1 per cent to $1.1 billion, or up 0.9 per cent on a like-for-like basis, Woolworths said, but itsadjusted operating profit fell by 29 per cent to $47 million. Theres no issues with corporate governance. Were a good, well-run business. Woolworths Holdings' Ian Moir This was due to challenging economic and trading conditions, and the redevelopment of its flagship store in Sydney's Elizabeth Street hitting "peak disruption". David Jones's gross profit margin fell from 40 per cent to 38 per cent in the half as a result of increased discounting. Its a tighter environment, a tough environment, and we dont see that changing soon," Mr Moir said. The housing market continues to cool, so the level of competition, the level of promotion is not going to go away." At the Country Road Group, total sales grew 2.3 per cent, and by 0.5 per cent on a like-for-like basis, while it managed to grew its profit margin slightly by focusing on full-priced sales. Adjusted operating profit for the group, which includes Country Road, Mimco, Witchery and Politix, was up 3.4 per cent to $61 million. Reporter for The Age Most Viewed in Business Loading https://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/companies/no-big-story-behind-david-jones-shock-exodus-20190221-p50zgh.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_business Pathology giant Sonic Healthcare upgraded its full-year guidance to account for the acquisition of Aurora Diagnostics in January this year as it announced a strong half-year result.
Sonic reported revenue was up 9 per cent for the first half to $2.9 billion, including organic revenue growth of 4.5 per cent for the period. This was driven by strong growth from its two largest businesses, Australia and the US which generated 46 per cent of its revenue for the half year. "The six months was a really positive period for us, particularly in our US, Australian and Swiss laboratory markets and operations," saidSonic chief executive Colin Goldschmidt. He said the organic growth was especially pleasing given specific headwinds in certain markets, "especially Germany, our third largest market". Net profit was up 7 per cent to $223 million and the company lifted its interim dividend by 1c to 33c which is payable March 26. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/companies/sonic-healthcare-lifts-guidance-after-aurora-acquisition-20190220-p50yzj.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_business "I had been commissioned by Landbridge for well over a year to prepare a comprehensive report on ways that Australia's world class health industry could assist with a major improvement of China's public health system," Mr Robb wrote in answer to questions.
Loading "Just before Landbridge had an opportunity to formally present my report to Chinese authorities, they were advised not to bother because the relationship between the Australian and Chinese governments 'had become so toxic' that the report would be binned." He described the situation as "reviewable," suggesting he may beginworking for the company again in future. Mr Robb joins former foreignminister Bob Carr and former Victorian premier John Brumby in leaving lucrative roles with companies or, in Mr Carrs case, a think tank, founded by businessmen with strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Mr Carr recently announced he was stepping down as director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, which was founded by controversial billionaire political donor Huang Xiangmo. Mr Huang has been blocked from entering Australia and has had his permanent residency cancelled by the Department of Home Affairs after advice from ASIO that he may engage in foreigninterference activities on behalf of the Chinese government. Mr Brumby announced in February he was quitting the Australian board of Huawei, the Chinese telco accused by security agencies of posing a security risk to western communications infrastructure. Mr Brumby, Mr Carr and Mr Robb have previously insisted that the Chinese government has no tangible influence in the organisations they worked for, despite evidence the organisations founders were aligned with the Chinese Communist Party willingly, or because of the way the party-state controls seemingly private companies. Billionaire Ye Cheng is the owner of Landbridge, which controversially acquired the 99-year lease for the Port of Darwin in 2015. He is also a member of the national Chinese People's Consultative Committee, an advisory body that President Xi Jinping has directed to "uphold the CPC [Chinese Communist Party] leadership without wavering". Mr Ye frames much of his business activity, including the acquisition of the Port of Darwin lease, in terms of advancing Beijing's ambitious global trade and infrastructure policy "One Belt, One Road". Mr Robb continues to advocate for Australia to back the policy although has previously insisted this is unconnected to his Landbridge consultancy. Late last year, the ForeignInfluence Transparency Scheme became active with the launch of a public register for people who seek to influence the Australian political process on behalf of foreign interests. The new register is designed to ensure that, if a person is advocating on behalf of a foreign power, it is declared. The scheme was largely prompted due to concerns about undeclared Chinese government efforts to influence Australian institutions, but applies to any lobbyist or consultant working for a company or think tank controlled by a foreignnation and involved in influencing the political process. Lobbyists have until March 1 to register, although government sources have acknowledged that enforcing the scheme may be difficult given the lack of legal precedent surrounding its operation and the likelihood that some potential registrants will argue it does not apply to them. Mr Robb, who quit as a minister in Malcolm Turnbull's government before the last election, previously denied working on behalf of Beijing, and defended his contract with Landbridge, saying he was not doing business in Australia, so could not be captured by the new scheme. In December 2017, then Attorney-General George Brandis suggested that Mr Robb would have to sign up to the new register. Landbridge confirmed Mr Robbs departure. The company has previously denied its operations are influenced by the Communist Party and stated that Mr Robb was not engaged in political representation on its behalf in Australia. Nick McKenzie is an investigative reporter for The Age. He's won seven Walkley awards and covers politics, business, foreign affairs and defence, human rights issues, the criminal justice system and social affairs. Richard Baker is a multi-award winning investigative reporter for The Age. Most Viewed in Politics Loading https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/andrew-robb-quits-china-linked-firm-before-foreign-interference-law-kicks-in-20190219-p50yv0.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_politics_federal |
Archives
March 2023
Categories |