Economists adjust bets on another rate cut

July 9, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mark Mulligan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 9-Jul-15

The interest rate swap market has priced in an 88 per cent chance that the Reserve Bank of Australia will reduce the cash rate by 25 basis points by the end of 2015. The market now also regards a rate cut in April 2016 as a certainty. Andrew Ticehurst of Nomura Australia expects an interest rate cut in November, while Paul Dales of Capital Economics also anticipates further monetary policy easing.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, NOMURA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED

Aussie’s downward direction continues

July 9, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mark Mulligan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 9-Jul-15

The Australian dollar was buying $US0.7411 late in trading on 8 July 2015, after falling to $US0.7398 in overnight trading. Factors such as the debt crisis in Greece and the Chinese sharemarket’s downturn have prompted renewed support for so-called "safe haven" currencies. This has been at the expense of commodity currencies such as the Australian, New Zealand and Canadian dollars.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, BK ASSET MANAGEMENT

CBA demands penalty interest

July 8, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 8-Jul-15

The Federal Court is slated to rule on a proposed class action settlement concerning Willmott Forests and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) on 23 July 2015. Some 3,500 investors have participated in the four-year class action against the fail management investment scheme operator and CBA. However, CBA has been criticised by Australian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson for requiring class action participants to pay penalty interest rates on their loans.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WILLMOTT FORESTS LIMITED, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, GREAT SOUTHERN LIMITED

RBA likely to hold as no vote drives down Aussie

July 7, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 7-Jul-15

The shadow board of the Reserve Bank of Australia estimates that there is a 57 per cent chance that the central bank will leave the cash rate unchanged on 7 July 2015. Shadow board chairman Timo Henckel says the economic outlook for China is a bigger issue for Australia than the debt crisis in Greece. The Australian dollar’s fall below $US0.76 in the wake of Greece’s referendum will be welcomed by the Reserve Bank.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Australian dollar dips below US75c for first time since 2009

July 7, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mark Mulligan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 7-Jul-15

There was renewed support for "safe-haven" currencies on 6 July 2015, in response to the outcome of the referendum in Greece. The Australian dollar reached an intra-day low of $US0.7453 before rising to $US0.7504 late in trading. The debt crisis in Greece also weighed on the euro, which reached a low of $US1.09 early in Asian trading. National Australia Bank’s Ray Attrill says the euro and the Australian dollar could come under further downward pressure.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, GREECE. MINISTRY OF FINANCE, BARCLAYS BANK PLC

ANZ tipped to exit Asia banks

July 3, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 3-Jul-15

The ANZ Bank currently has a lower common equity tier 1 capital ratio than its peers, although at 8.7 per cent it is comfortably above the minimum requirement. However, Andrew Triggs of Deutsche Bank expects ANZ to offload some of its stakes in Asian banks in order to lift its capital ratio. He estimates that selling stakes in three of these banks – as well as the Esanda business – could boost ANZ’s capital ratio to more than 10 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, ESANDA FINANCE CORPORATION LIMITED, PT PANIN BANK, AMBANK BERHAD, BANK OF TIANJIN COMPANY LIMITED, SHANGHAI RURAL COMMERCIAL BANK, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, CLYDESDALE BANK PLC, GREAT WESTERN BANK, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BLOOMBERG LP

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence up 2% to 116.3 – highest in 18 months

July 1, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Jun-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia rose by two per cent to 116.3 in the week ended 28 June 2015, reaching its highest level in 18 months. This builds on the positive reaction by consumers from the Federal Budget, and puts confidence firmly on an upward trajectory. The sub-index for economic conditions in the next year rose by 5.7 per cent, while the sub-index for a "good time to buy a household item" rose by 2.1 per cent, to its highest level in two years.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Big four rank high for profitability: BIS

June 29, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 29-Jun-15

The Bank for International Settlements’ annual report shows that Australia’s four major banks outperformed their peers in developed countries in terms of profitability in 2014. The banks’ pre-tax profits were 1.28 per cent of their assets during the calendar year, ahead of the US and Canada. TS Lim of Bell Potter notes that Australia’s comparatively high interest rates contributed to the profitability of local banks.

CORPORATES
BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Credit card rates up despite cash rate drop

June 24, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 24-Jun-15

Data from the Reserve Bank of Australia shows that the average credit card interest rate has risen to 19.75 per cent since the currency monetary policy easing cycle began in 2011. The cash rate has fallen to just two per cent over the same period. MWE Consulting’s Mike Ebstein attributes this to the fact that the proportion of credit card debt that is accruing interest has fallen from 73.7 per cent to just 65.6 per cent, with more consumers opting to pay their entire credit card debt each month.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MWE CONSULTING PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, CONSUMER ACTION LAW CENTRE

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence Edges Down

June 24, 2015roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Jun-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia fell by 0.4 per cent to 114.0 in the week ended 21 June 2015. However, the four-week moving average is now at 113.5, the highest level since November 2014, reflecting the more positive reaction to the Federal Budget. The sub-index for households’ finances in the next year fell by 1.1 per cent, while the sub-index for households’ finances compared with a year ago rose by 5.3 per cent.