Banks charged customers $180m for no financial advice

Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 28-Oct-16

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has released a report on the dubious practices of financial advisers aligned with the "big four" banks and AMP. ASIC found that many customers had been charged for financial advice between August 2013 and December 2015, but they did not receive any such advice. ASIC noted that most of these cases occurred prior to the implementation of the Future of Financial Advice reforms. It is estimated that about 200,000 customers will be entitled to total compensation of some $A178m.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION

Dr Doom says ‘a serious recession desirable’ for the West

Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 31 : 28-Oct-16

Investment expert Marc Faber notes that global economic power has shifted from the developed world to emerging economies in recent decades. He adds that trade between Asian countries has also become much bigger than the region’s exports to the US. Faber also suggests that the financial sector still accounts for too much of the economy in Western nations, and a major recession may be beneficial for developed countries. He says mining stocks and emerging market equities offer good value at present compared with their peers.

CORPORATES
BLOOMBERG LP

Trump might win, and beware the turmoil

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 26-Oct-16

Hedge fund expert Jim Rogers says global financial market volatility is likely regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election. Rogers adds that a number of other factors will also contribute to looming financial market turbulence. He cautions against investing in bonds, and says investors should seek exposure to the agricultural sector, including farmland and agricultural futures. Rogers also says the Australian Government should take action to address the nation’s growing debt.

CORPORATES
QUANTUM FUND NV, APPLE INCORPORATED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, PARAWAY PASTORAL COMPANY LIMITED

Perth fundies see more upside in resources

Original article by Tess Ingram
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 24-Oct-16

Australia’s S&P/ASX 300 Metals & Mining Index has gained 45.3 per cent so far in 2016, while the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 has risen by just 6.2 per cent. The rebound in the share prices of resources and energy stocks has rewarded investors who capitalised on a sell-off in the sector earlier in the year. WestOZ Funds Management has been progressively lifting its funds’ weightings toward the sector over recent months, while scaling back their exposure to cash.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 300 METALS AND MINING INDEX, WESTOZ FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WESTOZ INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED – ASX WIC, PACKER AND COMPANY INVESTIGATOR TRUST, NORILSK NICKEL, CAMECO CORPORATION, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, INDEPENDENCE GROUP NL – ASX IGO, WESTERN AREAS LIMITED – ASX WSA, SANDFIRE RESOURCES NL – ASX SFR

How banks and resources could move in sync

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 31 : 21-Oct-16

The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index has significantly outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Banks Index in 2016, with a gain of 29 per cent compared with the latter’s eight per cent fall. Deutsche Bank notes that with the exception of the last four years, the two sectors have both regularly outperformed the broader sharemarket over the last 25 years. In addition, they have often outperformed in tandem. Tim Baker of Deutsche argues that the divergence of the two indices over the last few years suggests that they could be set for a new period of joint outperformance.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 MATERIALS INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 BANKS INDEX, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Trump win would trigger volatility: fund managers

Original article by Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 20-Oct-16

A survey of global fund managers shows that 53 per cent expect financial market volatility to increase if Republican Party candidate Donald Trump wins the US presidential election. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch survey also found that 55 per cent of respondents think equities and bonds are overvalued, while 44 per cent anticipate that treasury yields will be the biggest influence on share prices during the next six months.

CORPORATES
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION, MERRILL LYNCH AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, REPUBLICAN PARTY (UNITED STATES)

Small-cap party could end in tears when the next crash comes

Original article by Philip Baker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 20-Oct-16

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained almost 944 per cent since the Black Monday sharemarket crash of October 1987, while the S&P 500 has risen by 854 per cent. In contrast, Australia’s All Ordinaries Index has increased by nearly 245 per cent. However, analysis by Richard Coppleson of Bell Potter suggests that when dividends are taken into account the All Ordinaries Accumulation Index has only slightly underperformed the S&P 500. Meanwhile, Coppleson warns that the current rally in small-cap stocks is unsustainable and a major fallout is inevitable.

CORPORATES
DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

AFIC warns on bank dividends

Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 25 : 18-Oct-16

Australian Foundation Investment Company MD Ross Barker expects the S&P/ASX 200 to be trading at around its current level in 12 months’ time. However, he expects the 50 largest stocks to outperform small- and medium-capitalisation stocks over the next year. Barker does not anticipate any further easing of monetary policy and says there is potential for a rise in the cash rate before the end of 2017. He adds that the major banks may not be able to sustain their dividend payouts, while large miners could potentially increase their dividends in the next few years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED – ASX AFI, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW

Red flags to watch for in M&A season

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 18-Oct-16

Data from Mergermarket shows that the value of mergers and acquisitions fell by 20 per cent globally in the first nine months of 2016, to $US2.2trn ($A2.9trn). M&A activity in Australia is rising as the end of the calendar year approaches. Anthony Aboud of Perpetual has identified a number of factors which may indicate that a company is making acquisitions for the wrong reasons. These include pursuing deals solely in the interests of diversification, paying too much for goodwill and making acquisitions that are motivated by financial incentives.

CORPORATES
PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, MERGERMARKET LIMITED, CIMIC GROUP LIMITED – ASX CIM, UGL LIMITED – ASX UGL, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, THE GOOD GUYS, FANTASTIC HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX FAN, STEINHOFF INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED, FREEDOM FURNITURE, SNOOZE SLEEP WELL PTY LTD, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED, SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, QUINDELL PLC, PERPETUAL’S SHARE-PLUS LONG SHORT FUND

ASX to hit 6000 in ’17, says Credit Suisse

Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 18-Oct-16

Hasan Tevfik of Credit Suisse believes that the Australian sharemarket’s "profits recession" of the last several years has ended, which will be reflected in the market’s outlook. Credit Suisse expects the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 to reach the 6,000-point level by the end of 2017, buoyed by single-digit growth in earnings per share over the next year. Meanwhile, Matthew Sherwood of Perpetual is upbeat about the outlook for the economy, forecasting a rise in GDP growth over the next 12 months.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, ANSELL LIMITED – ASX ANN, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, CALTEX AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX CTX, COMPUTERSHARE LIMITED – ASX CPU, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, MAQUILADORA PARTNERSHIP, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR