REOPENING WORKPLACES; DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION; IMPAIRMENTS, DEBT AND ‘REAL’ LEVEL OF PROFITS IN FOCUS

30 Jul REOPENING WORKPLACES; DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION; IMPAIRMENTS, DEBT AND ‘REAL’ LEVEL OF PROFITS IN FOCUS

Welcome to this week’s business and media intelligence, with insights collected over the past seven days as Victoria records the highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic and Queensland declares all of Greater Sydney a “hotspot”.

IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, WE GO BACK TO TRUSTED NEWS SOURCES

• New research suggests that when a crisis hits, readers turn to reliable sources. Beginning in February, when the coronavirus started to spread outside China, traffic to traditional media outlets and news sites surged. On the other hand, suspect sites attracted fewer readers. Will this last? We can only hope. View the research in The Economist.

REOPENING WORKPLACES AMID COVID-19

• Management consultants McKinsey & Co have been looking at how organisations globally have managed returning to the office post-pandemic. Presented in two documents, they cover each stage of the return to a reopened workplace, from pre-entry to post-infection, and provide a framework for designing and implementing “contactless experiences” for customers and employees. Download both documents here.

WHEN IT COMES TO ETHICAL INVESTING, RESEARCH RULES

• Jonathan Philpot, a wealth management partner at HLB Mann Judd, says investors are becoming much more hands-on in researching ethical considerations before they buy into direct shares. Mr Philpot also said media spotlight on certain stocks influenced the ethical considerations of investors. This is highlighted by the questions raised about Rio Tinto in the past few weeks after the controversy over the destruction of ancient Aboriginal sites in Western Australia. Read more in The AFR here.

REPORTING SEASON: IMPAIRMENTS, DEBT AND ‘REAL’ LEVEL OF PROFITS IN FOCUS

• Asset impairments, debt covenants, and credit ratings are likely to be in focus this reporting season, just as much as traditional earnings and dividends, according to bankers UBS. Read more insights from UBS in The AFR.
• Analysts will also be focusing on the “real” level of profits this reporting season as investors seek to understand government subsidies being used by companies. ASX companies that have already detailed the amount of JobKeeper payments and other government subsidies received include Healius, GUD Holdings, Iluka Resources, and K&S Corporation. Read more in The AFR.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION – WE NEED  A NEW TYPE OF LEADER

• Conversations around diversity and inclusion have been reinforced by the recent global events surrounding racism, inequality and discrimination. Now, companies are showing a stronger interest on how they can better foster, support and develop all talent groups. But this won’t happen overnight. It requires a strategy and more importantly, inclusive leaders at all levels of the business. Consulting firm Korn Ferry maps out a clear profile of what this looks like.

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