BRIEFS

Research by energy-efficiency consultant Big Switch Projects found the July 1 carbon price has been linked to substantial increases in power bills, with some prices rising by as much as 53% since midyear. The report says some electricity companies appear to be passing those costs on to large commercial and industrial customers.

The article says large commercial and industrial businesses have been targeted by increased charges, as some electricity companies appear to be taking advantage of the carbon price to raise fees for those customers.

Oil Search signed five licensing agreements with gas company Total to operate in Papua New Guinea. The deal had been in the pipeline for about six months and is part of a broader PNG gas arrangement reported in the article.

Shares in Oil Search rose more than 3% after the licensing agreements were announced. Partner Kina Petroleum also saw its shares climb, rising almost 7%.

Guardian News & Media said it may make compulsory job cuts after too few staff accepted a voluntary redundancy package. The publisher indicated it needs to cut up to 100 of its 650 editorial staff to achieve savings of about £7 million a year.

Nine Entertainment boss David Gyngell put a proposal to debt holders in an effort to break an impasse that could otherwise lead to the collapse of the heavily indebted group if a restructure isn't agreed. It was the first time management formally put forward its own plan; no agreement was believed reached yet, but talks were expected to continue.

The Coalition said it will oppose a key plank of Labor's plan to introduce no‑frills superannuation. Coalition MPs raised concerns that requiring all default super balances to be transferred into MySuper no‑frills funds by 2017 could end up moving retirement savings into higher‑cost funds.

The article highlights several market-moving developments: the carbon price and higher electricity charges affect business costs; the Oil Search–Total PNG licensing deal boosted share prices for Oil Search and partner Kina Petroleum; media companies like Guardian and Nine are making cost and capital-structure decisions that could influence their financial performance. Everyday investors may want to monitor such news because it can affect company earnings, share prices and sector sentiment.