The ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) was eventful again this week. Here are four big stories you may have missed that affected businesses in the ASX 200 index:
TPG Telecom Ltd (ASX: TPM) merger court case starts
The court case to decide whether TPG can merge with Vodafone started this week.
The ACCC's anti-merger point is that if the two of them merge it will reduce competition. The ACCC is saying that if the merger is denied then TPG will be forced to make their own mobile network because of how important mobile & 5G are for the future of the telco industry.
However, TPG is saying that's no longer the case due to the Huawei equipment ban and that a different provider would cost too much.
Talks to bring an end to the trade war?
The US and China will soon be holding high level trade talks. There's a fair chance that the talks could lead to a ceasefire because neither country wants the trade war to lead to a global recession.
China has excluded a few US items from its tariff list whilst the US has delayed the implementation of its latest tariffs on Chinese goods.
As you can imagine, this news led to the share prices of businesses like Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL) and Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) rose on the day.
REA Group Limited (ASX: REA) share sale
We learned that former CEO Tracey Fellows sold 9,100 REA Group shares this week, worth close to $1 million.
She still owns 7,386 shares, so it's not as though she completely exited her position. But when directors sell a large amount of shares it can worry investors.
The REA Group share price has performed strongly during 2019, I can see why share may want to take some money off the table at this share price.
NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF) error sends share price higher
You'd think that an error in a report or presentation would cause a share price to fall.
But on Friday the NIB share price rose by 4.5% after the company disclosed that it had made an error in its FY19 investor presentation on a chart. It was a claims inflation chart for its Australian residents health insurance (arhi) business illustrating the 12 month change in revenue, total costs, hospital and ancillary benefits per person.
The error was only in the construction of the chart and did not impact the data used to inform the underlying inflation assumptions and forecasts relating to FY20, so the FY20 guidance is unchanged.
