K64 Auxiliary Finance and Insurance Services

Finance Royal Commission likely to disrupt distribution of financial products

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Feb-19

Financial intermediaries (including mortgage brokers and financial planners) currently account for the distribution of 35% of the total value of the major financial products. A number of the recommendations of the Financial Services Royal Commission relate to mortgage brokers and financial planners and if adopted, are likely to negatively impact their usage, particularly as it relates to borrowers rather than the lenders paying fees. Financial planners are also likely to be impacted by the need for greater fee disclosure, clarification of independence, improved focus on the best interests of the customer and the need to provide service for any fee involved. These are some of the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s Single Source survey in the 12 months to August 2018, which is based on in-depth interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 consumers per annum in their homes, including detailed questioning across all aspects of investing, borrowing, insurance and banking.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

Banks surge after royal pardon

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Original article by David Rogers, Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 6-Feb-19

Jon Mott of UBS has described the final report of the financial services royal commission as a "clear win" for Australia’s banks, saying its recommendations did not meet market expectations. Investors agreed, with shares in the banks and wealth managers AMP and IOOF Holdings rallying on 5 February. Brian Johnson of CLSA says bank stocks could rise further, as the market had priced in more onerous recommendations by commissioner Kenneth Hayne.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN FINANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX AFG, MORTGAGE CHOICE LIMITED – ASX MOC, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS

Less bad outcome a relief for banks

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 21 : 5-Feb-19

There is general consensus among equity analysts and portfolio managers that the final report of the financial services royal commission has not been as harsh on the banking sector as it could have been. Shares in the major banks and AMP are expected to rise when trading resumes on 5 February, although listed mortgage brokers are likely to face a sell-off after the inquiry recommended that brokers’ commissions paid by lenders be phased out in favour of ones paid by borrowers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, NOMURA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BELL DIRECT, TRIBECA INVESTMENT PARTNERS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MORTGAGE CHOICE LIMITED – ASX MOC, AUSTRALIAN FINANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX AFG

Queue for new share listings shrinks after 18pc loss last year

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Original article by Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 31-Jan-19

HLB Mann Judd expects Australia’s IPO market to remain subdued in 2019, after a poor performance in 2018. Companies that listed in 2018 had shed an average of 18 per cent of their value by the end of the year. IPO activity was also lower, with the number of floats falling from 110 in 2017 to just 93. Marcus Ohm of HLB Mann Judd notes that the 17 companies that have applied to list on the sharemarket so far in 2019 are seeking to raise just $179m in total.

CORPORATES
HLB MANN JUDD, IFLIX LIMITED, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, VIVA ENERGY GROUP LIMITED – ASX VEA, CORONADO GLOBAL RESOURCES INCORPORATED – ASX CRN, L1 LONG SHORT FUND LIMITED – ASX LSF, ADRIATIC METALS PLC – ASX ADT, EXOPHARM LIMITED – ASX EX1, ELIXINOL GLOBAL LIMITE – ASX EXL

Tough earnings season ahead as pressure builds

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 31-Jan-19

Tony Brennan of Citigroup says earnings guidance in the February 2019 reporting season is likely to be influenced by factors such as the slowdown in Australia’s housing market and falling business sentiment. Brennan says companies in a range of sectors have downgraded their earnings forecasts in recent months, and this may be reflected in the upcoming profit reporting season. The S&P/ASX 200 has gained 4.3 per cent so far in 2019, and Citigroup still expects it to test the 6,300-point level by the end of the year.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Storm clouds gathering after a promising start

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 24 : 30-Jan-19

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 has gained more than four per cent so far in 2019, putting it on track to achieve its best performance in the month of January in five years. However, the local market could face a number of headwinds in the near-term, including the outlook for US interest rates and trade negotiations between the US and China. There is growing speculation that the Federal Reserve will pause its monetary policy tightening in 2019, and the exact timing of the next move in the cash rate remains uncertain.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, PEPPERSTONE GROUP LIMITED, JP MORGAN AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED

Sharemarkets burst out of blocks

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 29-Jan-19

The S&P/ASX 200 has gained 4.6 per cent so far in January 2019, and it has risen eight per cent since reaching a two-year low in December. Jason Steed of JP Morgan says the benchmark index could test the 6,300-point level by the end of 2019, which implies a 12 per cent gain for the year. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank expects the S&P/ASX 200 to finish the year at 6,150 points. Overseas sharemarkets have also started the year strongly, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average having risen for five consecutive weeks.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED – ASX ALL, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, BRAMBLES LIMITED – ASX BXB, RELIANCE WORLDWIDE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX RWC, TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE

Funds end in the red after a horror year

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 15 & 22 : 18-Jan-19

Data from Mercer shows that long-only Australian share funds posted a median loss of 4.2 per cent in 2018, compared with a loss of 2.7 per cent for the S&P/ASX200 Accumulation Index. The December quarter was particularly challenging, with the median active Australian share fund losing 9.6 per cent before fees and the ASX200 Accumulation Index falling 8.1 per cent. Panther Trust Australian Shares, a boutique long-only fund, was the top performer in 2018 with a return of 5.6 per cent.

CORPORATES
MERCER INVESTMENTS PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 ACCUMULATION INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, PANTHER TRUST AUSTRALIAN SHARES FUND, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, BENNELONG FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, IDP EDUCATION LIMITED – ASX IEL, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, AFTERPAY TOUCH GROUP LIMITED – ASX APT, RESOLUTE MINING LIMITED – ASX RSG, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, ASALEO CARE LIMITED – ASX AHY, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, BELL ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BLM, APPLE INCORPORATED, MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, ALPHABET INCORPORATED

Looming federal election puts a dampener on dealmaking

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Original article by Scott Murdoch
The Australian – Page: 13 & 18 : 17-Jan-19

Data from Acuris shows that mergers and acquisitions activity in Australia totalled $US88.5bn ($123bn) in 2018, compared with $US85.6bn previously. Joe Fayyad from Bank of America Merrill Lynch notes that the upcoming federal election will affect inbound M&A activity in 2019, which will boost local companies’ ability to transact deals. Meanwhile, Aidan Allen of UBS expects M&A activity in 2019 to be dominated by private equity firms and Australian companies making offshore acquisitions.

CORPORATES
ACURIS, BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION, MERRILL LYNCH AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, BEMIS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, REECE AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX REH, MORSCO, WORLEYPARSONS LIMITED – ASX WOR, JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP INCORPORATED, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Hurdles ahead, but ASX could reach 6000

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 18 : 9-Jan-19

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 reached an intra-day high of 5,733.7 points on 8 January, having fallen to 5,410.2 points on 24 December. Morgan Stanley says the financial services royal commission, the upcoming federal election, the impact of falling house prices on consumer confidence and the outlook for the Chinese economy are key risks for the local bourse in the near-term. However, Chris Nicol and Daniel Blake of Morgan Stanley expect the market to rise above 6,000 points in 2019.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, MORGAN STANLEY AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, APPLE INCORPORATED