K62 Finance

Westpac’s Austrac scandal differs from other institutions

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Original article by Robert Gottliebsen
The Australian – Page: 29 : 26-Nov-19

Westpac’s scandal is completely different to scandals that cost the jobs of top executives at the Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and AMP in recent years. Westpac chairman Lindsay Maxsted says that the board had no prior warning of Austrac’s legal action or the specific nature of its allegations. However, Austrac alleges that Westpac was aware of concerns about payments linked to child exploitation as far back as 2013. The question arises as to whether CEO Brian Hartzer was aware of these concerns and withheld this from the board.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

Investors demand action by Westpac

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 26-Nov-19

Nathan Parkin of Ethical Partners Funds Management contends that some at a high level at Westpac needs to be held accountable for the financial penalties that will arise from its massive breach of anti-money laundering laws. Meanwhile, one of Westpac’s 20 largest shareholders believes that CEO Brian Hartzer will not be to able to remain at the helm in the wake of the scandal. Westpac’s share price has fallen by 8.8 per cent since the scandal was revealed.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, ETHICAL PARTNERS FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, PLATO INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, INSTITUTIONAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES INCORPORATED, NORGES BANK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, BLACKROCK INCORPORATED, THE VANGUARD GROUP INCORPORATED

Stay calm, this is no Enron

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Original article by Peter Van Onselen, Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 26-Nov-19

Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer has told his executive team that there is no need to "overcook" the money-laundering and child exploitation scandal that has embroiled the bank. He has argued that it is not a major issue for "people in mainstream Australia". Sources have also indicated that Hartzer has told executives to focus on issues such as lifting Westpac’s net promoter score and writing more home loans. He is also said to have downplayed any comparisons to Enron and Lehman Brothers.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE

Westpac must start hunt for a new CEO

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Original article by Terry McCrann
Herald Sun – Page: 35 : 21-Nov-19

It is inevitable that Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer will have to step down in the wake of the banking sector’s latest money laundering scandal. This will leave ANZ’s Shayne Elliott as the only CEO of a big four bank who was appointed prior to the Hayne royal commission. The only issue for Westpac’s board is whether to opt for an internal or external successor. Meanwhile, questions need to be asked about the failure of Austrac to ensure that Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank were complying with anti-money laundering laws.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Remediation bill $10bn and counting

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 21 : 20-Nov-19

A parliamentary committee has been told that the total cost of customer remediation programs in the financial services sector has now topped $10bn. However, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s deputy chair Karen Chester said that customers have only been paid $660m in compensation to date. Meanwhile, ASIC chairman James Shipton has indicated that the corporate regulator will release updated guidance on responsible lending obligations before the end of 2019.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. JOINT STATUTORY COMMITTEE ON CORPORATIONS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Minutes show Reserve Bank was close to November cut

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 20-Nov-19

The minutes of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s board meeting on 5 November show that the central bank gave serious consideration to reducing the cash rate to 0.5 per cent. However, board members took into account factors such as the likely effect of further monetary policy easing on savers and consumer confidence. The board ultimately concluded that the best course of action would be to wait until the impact of previous interest rate cuts became clear.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Fintechs slam CBA alerts as misleading

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 18-Nov-19

Raiz Invest has criticised the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for warning customers about the security risks associated with the use of fintech apps. CBA customers who use the Raiz app recently received a warning that their NetBank account had been compromised, and cautioned against sharing account log-in details with third parties. Raiz CEO George Lucas says the CBA alert was misleading and may even constitute an abuse of market power. Fintech Australia’s Rebecca Schot-Guppy says CBA’s actions are concerning given that the open banking regime is slated to begin in early 2020.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RAIZ INVEST LIMITED – ASX RZI, FINTECH AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ZIP CO LIMITED – ASX Z1P, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

NAB, ANZ to be grilled over wealth exits

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Original article by Aleks Vickovich
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 15-Nov-19

A federal parliamentary committee is examining the financial services sector’s response to the Hayne royal commission. ANZ Bank CEO Shayne Elliott and National Australia Bank chairman and acting CEO Philip Chronican will appear before the committee on 15 November. Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh, who is the committee’s deputy chairman, says he is concerned about the amount of time the two banks are taking to divest their wealth management units; he says the general public expects the divestments to proceed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Reserve finds silver lining in household debt cloud

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 27 : 15-Nov-19

Australia’s household debt-to-income ratio is now about 190 per cent, compared with around 70 per cent in the early 1990s. However, the Reserve Bank’s assistant governor Michele Bullock notes that households that are in the top 40 per cent of income distribution account for three quarters of household debt. Bullock adds that while there has also been an increase in mortgage loan arrears, it is largely confined to several states. She also says negative housing equity is generally not a major concern unless somebody becomes unemployed and must sell their home.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Sweden dumps Oz bonds over climate inertia

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Nov-19

Shane Oliver of AMP Capital says the Swedish central bank’s decision to divest bonds issued by the Western Australian and Queensland government is unlikely to have much impact on Australian bond prices. Sveriges Riksbank deputy governor­ Martin Floden has cited Australia’s lack of sufficient action on climate change for the move. The central bank has sold its holdings of bonds issued by the Canadian province of Alberta for the same reason.

CORPORATES
SVERIGES RIKSBANK, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, INVESTOR GROUP ON CLIMATE CHANGE, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE