Simon Evans

Nestle Australia, which sells Nespresso, Kit Kat, Maggi, Milo and Purina pet food, made a big jump in annual profits and sent an even higher sum in dividends to its Swiss parent. Actor George Clooney has been a figurehead.

Nestle Australia profit and payout to Swiss parent jumps

Simon Evans Nestle Australia, maker of Uncle Tobys, Kit Kat, Milo and Nespresso produced a big jump in annual profits to $179 million.

Tax Office steps in to Arrium mess as shareholders try to jump queue

Arrium's administrator and Morgan Stanley will hold talks.

Simon Evans The Australian Taxation Office has stepped in to try to help creditors in Whyalla reeling from the steelmaker's collapse.

Motorcycle Holdings on track to debunk private equity snarls

Motorcycle Holdings is on track to debunk the popular view that private equity selldowns should be avoided by investors. The shares are up 38 per cent so far.

Simon Evans Motorcycle Holdings is on track to debunk snarls about floats from private equity owners.

How Chemist Warehouse put Swisse, Blackmores under pressure from Healthy Care

Chemist Warehouse has been behind the rise of the Healthy Care brand to No.3 player in the vitamins market.

Simon Evans Chemist Warehouse, the Bunnings of pharmacy, has driven the Healthy Care vitamins brand owned by Nature's Care to the No. 3 spot in the $3.5b market.

Picking ASX uranium stock winners if there's a nuclear future

ASX-listed uranium stocks are set for a tough time until at least 2018 with the nuclear inquiry in SA predicting flat prices until at least then.

Simon Evans ASX-listed uranium stocks are in for an extended tough time, with the Nuclear Royal Commission predicting prices won't rise until at least 2018.

Ex Vic Premier Jeff Kennett sinks teeth into Maggie Beer Products food business

Celebrity chef, Maggie Beer, is selling a 48 per cent stake in her private company to Primary Opinions.

Simon Evans Jeff Kennett is enthusiastic about a deal where celebrity chef Maggie Beer will sell 48 per cent of her private company to ASX company Primary Opinion, where the former Victorian Premier is a large...

Blackmores shares headed back to $215, says JP Morgan

J.P.Morgan says Blackmores shares are likely to be at $215 by the end of 2016 even though rival Swisse is producing strong quarterly sales.

Simon Evans JPMorgan tips Blackmores share price to head back to $215 while its key rival Swisse lifted its market share 19 per cent.

Arrium administrator meets politics and cost-cutting head on

Mark Mentha, administrator of Arrium, is acutely aware of the unique political environment as he tries to resuscitate the stricken Arrium.

Simon Evans Mark Mentha says restructuring the business has inevitably become a big election issue.

Kevin Scarce's nuclear royal commission backs SA waste facility

The final report of the Nuclear Royal Commission conducted by retired governor Kevin Scarce was released on Monday.

Simon Evans The SA Premier says his government will make a decision by the end of 2016 whether to proceed with a nuclear waste storage facility in SA.

Treasury Wine hopes big UK brand will blossom in Australia

Simon Evans Is Australia ready for Britain's number one wine brand?

Arrium CEO Andrew Roberts steps out door at collapsed firm

Andrew Roberts had held numerous executive positions with Arrium.

Simon Evans and Tim Binsted Arrium's chief executive Andrew Roberts has left as administrators and creditors enter the next phase of working out what to do with the struggling company.

Holden drives to first profit since 2011 on imports, one-offs

The Holden manufacturing plant at Elizabeth in northern Adelaide will shut towards the end of 2017. A reversal of some previous one-offs helped Holden make its first annual profit since 2011.

Simon Evans Holden has made its first annual profit since 2011 with imported vehicles and one-off gains offsetting heavy losses from local manufacturing.

Blackmores dives into Chinese herbal medicine with $23m buy

Blackmores chief executive Christine Holgate (left) says Chinese herbal medicine is a huge untapped market and the Byron Bay business Global Therapeutics will begin selling in Asia.

Simon Evans Vitamins firm Blackmores is expanding into Chinese herbal medicine with the $23 million purchase of Byron Bay firm Global Therapeutics.

Qatar Airways chief says oil price to rise to $US50 to $US60 by end of 2016

Simon Evans The chief executive of Qatar Airways says the oil price is artificially low and he predicts it will be back between $US50 and $US60 a barrel by the end of 2016.

Lion toppled as king of Australia's beer jungle

Lion will be toppled from its No.1 position in Australia's $14b beer market later this year when Corona shifts across to its rival.

Simon Evans The ACCC has given the green light to the Australian leg of the $145 billion global beer mega-merger between Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller.

New Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher to slice costs harder before more asset sales

Simon Evans and Angela Macdonald-Smith New Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher says there'll be a reshaping of Santos once a cost-cutting and stabilisation phase is finished.

Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher pledges 'discipline' to deliver value

Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher: Breaking an uncomfortable nexus his first and biggest challenge.

Angela Macdonald-Smith and Simon Evans Santos's new chief executive, Kevin Gallagher, has promised to take a "highly disciplined" approach to improve value for shareholders.

Epic road ahead for Arrium but OZ Minerals provides hope

Simon Evans Arrium will be Australia's largest corporate work-out and a dilemma for administrators KordaMentha.

Arrium administrators get extension after fending off new threat from GSO

Arrium's administrators will hold the next meeting of creditors in February 2017.

Sarah Danckert and Simon Evans Arrium's creditors will next meet at the end of February 2017 after administrators from KordaMentha won a long extension.

Can Lion be a brewing behemoth and a winner in craft beer?

Kirin-owned drinks and dairy group Lion now has six craft brewing operations in its portfolio but the volumes are still small compared with mainstream beers which are in decline.

Simon Evans Japanese-owned Lion will have six stand-alone craft breweries after it buys Byron Bay Brewing Company.

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