Author: roymorgansocial

ANZ warns of more housing pain to come as profit sinks by 5pc

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 1-Nov-18

The ANZ Bank has posted a 2017-18 cash net profit of $6.49bn, which is five per cent lower than previously. Revenue for the year to 30 September declined by 1.4 per cent and ANZ’s net interest margin fell from 1.99 per cent to 1.87 per cent. CEO Shayne Elliott expects a further downturn in residential property prices, although he adds that the housing market’s fundamentals remain strong and a significant decline is unlikely. ANZ shareholders will receive a final dividend of $0.80 per share, and a full-year payout of $1.60.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, CONCENTRATED LEADERS FUND LIMITED – ASX CLF, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Bad bankers to be named and shamed

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Original article by Jeff Whalley
Herald Sun – Page: 26 : 1-Nov-18

Australian Financial Complaints Authority CEO David Locke says the new agency expects to handle 55,000 complaints from consumers and small businesses in its first year. The AFCA has been formed via the merger of the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal and the Credit & Investments Ombudsman. Locke says he will be more open to "naming and shaming" wrongdoers in the financial services industry than the FOS, noting that the latter was restricted to doing so in annual reports. The number of complaints received by the FOS rose by 10 per cent during its last year of operation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL COMPLAINTS AUTHORITY, FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. SUPERANNUATION COMPLAINTS TRIBUNAL, CREDIT AND INVESTMENTS OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

AMP digs in as fresh queries arise over insurance arm sale

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 22 : 1-Nov-18

AMP’s acting CEO Mike Wilkins has defended the wealth manager’s $3.45bn deal to sell its life insurance arm, arguing that it is in the best interests of long-term shareholders. He adds that AMP’s board felt that it was appropriate to proceed with the transaction without putting it to a shareholder vote, although Dean Paatsch of proxy advisory firm Ownership Matters believes that the size of the deal means it should have been approved by shareholders. An ASX Limited spokesman has indicated that the deal is unlikely to breach listing rules.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX

Miners fear tax grab by Labor government

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 1-Nov-18

Gold Fields CEO Nick Holland has warned that the South Africa-based miner may reconsider future investment in Australia if a change of federal government results in an increase in the sector’s royalties and taxes. Gold Fields has a 50 per cent stake in the Gruyere gold project in Western Australia, while its other local assets include the St Ives, Granny Smith and Darlot gold mines. Meanwhile, Fortescue Metals Group CEO says mining companies need policy certainty to continue investing in Australia rather than offshore.

CORPORATES
GOLD FIELDS LIMITED, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, GOLD ROAD RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GOR

Mitsubishi in $4.1bn swoop for CBA arm

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 1-Nov-18

Brett Le Mesurier of Shaw & Partners expects the Commonwealth Bank of Australia to return capital to shareholders following a deal to sell its global asset management business. Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group will pay $4.1bn for Colonial First State Global Asset Management, which CBA had previously intended to demerge with its financial planning and mortgage assets. CBA expects to generate a post-tax gain of around $1.5bn from the sale of CFSGAM, while the bank’s common-equity tier-one capital will be boosted by 60 basis points.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP INCORPORATED, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED, FINANCIAL WISDOM LIMITED, AUSSIE HOME LOANS LIMITED, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GROUP LIMITED, MORTGAGE CHOICE LIMITED – ASX MOC, COUNTPLUS LIMITED – ASX CUP, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MLC LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, SOCIETYONE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, TRIBECA INVESTMENT PARTNERS PTY LTD, MITSUBISHI UFJ TRUST AND BANKING INCORPORATION

Adani close to action on scaled-back Carmichael mine

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 1-Nov-18

Adani Mining CEO Lucas Dow has declined to comment on speculation that the company will make a final investment decision on the Carmichael thermal coal mine in coming weeks. However, Adani is believed to be planning for annual production of 10-15 million tonnes in the first stage of the project, at a cost of less $2bn. The mine is now expected to have maximum production capacity of about 27 million tonnes a year, compared with initial plans for 60 million tonnes. The project is forecast to generate 1,500 jobs.

CORPORATES
ADANI MINING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

AWU misused strike rights for ACTU protests

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 31-Oct-18

The Australian Workers’ Union served Alcoa with a notice of indefinite work stoppages at its Western Australia refineries earlier in October. The industrial action was slated to commence the day before the ACTU began a series of national protests. AWU delegate Stuart Allen has told the Fair Work Commission that the timing was "good luck", but it has emerged that he send text messages to union members stating that the protected industrial action was in support of the ACTU campaign. The FWC ruled that the AWU’s representatives were not genuinely trying to collectively bargain.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, ALCOA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU

Fundies blast AMP over $3.4b fire sale

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 22 : 31-Oct-18

Allan Gray Australia and Merlon Capital Partners are among the institutional investors that have criticised AMP’s proposal to divest its life insurance business. They believe that the $3.4bn sale price undervalues the life business, and Merlon has flagged the possibility of seeking an extraordinary general meeting to challenge the deal. Merlon has written to AMP arguing that the deal demonstrates a "reckless disregard" for shareholders’ funds, while Simon Mawhinney of Allan Gray describes it as a "disastrous deal" for AMP’s shareholders.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MERLON CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, MACQUARIE COUNTRYWIDE MANAGEMENT LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RESOLUTION LIFE GROUP LIMITED, AXA ASIA PACIFIC HOLDINGS LIMITED

UK-style digital tax may hit local media

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 21 : 31-Oct-18

Britain’s proposed digital services tax is primarily aimed at US-based technology companies, but experts suggest that traditional Australian media companies and online classifieds groups could be hit if the federal government introduces a similar tax. News Corp Australia, Fairfax Media, Seek, Domain and Carsales.com are among the local companies that could potentially be affected by any move to impose a digital services tax. The government will shortly release a discussion paper on the issue.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, CARSALES.COM LIMITED – ASX CAR, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, GREAT BRITAIN. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, ERNST AND YOUNG, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

RBA signals majors near unquestionably strong threshold

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 19 & 28 : 31-Oct-18

The Reserve Bank’s assistant governor Michele Bullock has praised the success of measures aimed at increasing the capital ratios of Australian banks. She notes that the four major banks are close to achieving the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s "unquestionably strong" capital benchmark. The banks’ capital ratios have increased from eight per cent to 12 per cent since 2013, when measured on a risk-weighted basis. However, Bullock has warned that APRA’s measures may be undermined if the non-bank financial sector’s market share increases.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS. BASEL COMMITTEE ON BANKING SUPERVISION, LEHMAN BROTHERS INCORPORATED, BANK OF ENGLAND