K: Financial and Insurance Services

APRA prepares to approve three new banks

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 28-Aug-18

There is speculation that the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority could grant full banking licences to fintech start-ups Volt Bank, 86400 and Judo Capital by the end of 2018. They would be subject to the same capital requirements as other banks, while gaining the trust of consumers will be a challenge. However, they should benefit from a lack of legacy IT systems and branch networks, as well as negative sentiment toward traditional banks in the wake of the royal commission.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, VOLT BANK LIMITED, 86400 PTY LTD, JUDO CAPITAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

NAB operations boss quits as Baird firms for top job

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 18 : 28-Aug-18

Former New South Wales premier Mike Baird is now regarded as the leading internal candidate to eventually succeed National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Thorburn. COO Antony Cahill had been seen as a potential successor, but he will leave the bank in mid-September to take up a role at Visa in the UK. Andrew Hagger was also regarded as a contender to replace Thorburn, but he attracted scrutiny by the banking royal commission over the fee-for-no-service scandal. External candidates are said to include former Westpac executive Jason Yetton.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, VISA INTERNATIONAL, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, SOCIETYONE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MLC LIMITED, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT

A whiff of optimism behind PE expanders

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 28-Aug-18

The average forward price-earnings multiple of the 25 most expensive stocks in the S&P/ASX 300 has risen by 9.8 per cent since these companies reported their latest financial results, while the PE multiple of the indice’s 25 cheapest stocks has contracted. Jason Steed of JP Morgan has attributed the PE expansion to factors such as momentum buying, short covering, deployment of high cash balances and the recent political uncertainty. Meanwhile, Steed notes that 30 per cent of the stocks that JP Morgan covers have exceeded expectations during the August reporting season, while 28 per cent have failed to meet expectations.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 300 INDEX, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, MONADELPHOUS GROUP LIMITED – ASX MND, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, APA GROUP – ASX APA, CHEUNG KONG INFRASTRUCTURE HOLDINGS LIMITED, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY LIMITED, ZTE CORPORATION, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

ASX looks steady as earnings draw to a close

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 27-Aug-18

Futures pricing suggests that the Australian sharemarket will drift lower when trading resumes on 27 August. The leadership crisis in Canberra weighed on investors in the previous week, with the S&P/ASX 200 shedding 1.5 per cent. However, US markets posted solid gains for the week, with the S&P 500 officially recording its longest bull run on record.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, PEOPLE’S BANK OF CHINA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Exposure was good for banks: Elliott

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 21 : 24-Aug-18

ANZ Bank CEO Shayne Elliott has no regrets about his involvement in calling for the financial services royal commission, even though the evidence it has presented has been "confronting". The CEOs and chairmen of the major banks urged Treasurer Scott Morrison to hold the inquiry in a letter sent to him in November 2017. They noted that confidence in the financial system was being hurt by the ongoing speculation about the prospect of a royal commission.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Change agent’s mission to restore trust in AMP

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Original article by James Eyers, Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 & 22 : 23-Aug-18

AMP’s incoming CEO Francesco De Ferrari will receive a base salary of $2.2m when he takes up the role in December, while his remuneration package also includes incentive payments. He faces a major challenge in turning around AMP’s fortunes in the wake of the banking royal commission’s revelations. De Ferrari is currently the head of Credit Suisse’s private bank in Singapore, and AMP chairman David Murray has praised the corporate culture at Credit Suisse. Shares in AMP closed $0.06 lower at $3.39 on 22 August, after the stock began trading ex-dividend.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, CREDIT SUISSE AG, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

NAB withheld size of fee scandal from ASIC for 11 months

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 22-Aug-18

Australian financial services providers could be forced to repay clients more than $1bn over the fee-for-no-service scandal. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s deputy chairman Peter Kell has told the banking royal commission that just $260m has been refunded to date. Meanwhile, National Australia Bank informed ASIC in early November 2016 that clients affected by the scandal were owed $34.6m, but ASIC contends that NAB was aware of the extent of these liabilities some 11 months earlier. ASIC’s first report on the scandal had estimated that NAB owed just $12m.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

Turmoil slashes $20bn from ASX

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 19 & 27 : 22-Aug-18

Political uncertainty is expected to continue to weigh on the Australian sharemarket, which recorded its largest single-day fall in five months on 21 August. The Australian dollar also fell sharply in the wake of the leadership spill, before recovering late in local trading. Analysts note that investors are concerned that the Coalition’s lack of unity could ensure that Labor wins the next election, which could in turn have negative implications for financial markets and the economy.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WAM CAPITAL LIMITED – ASX WAM, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, PENGANA CAPITAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX PCG, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, INFIGEN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX IFN, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW

Industry funds demand banks and super split

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 21-Aug-18

Industry Super Australia chairman Peter Collins says the banking royal commission’s revelations regarding retail superannuation funds warrant the separation of super from banking. Collins says those who thought that industry super funds might fare badly under the commission’s scrutiny got it wrong. He says the commission has shown that the industry funds sector was right to run its controversial "fox and henhouse" advertising campaign, which claimed that the $600 billion pool of default savings would be at risk if the government allowed the banks to access it.

CORPORATES
INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, HOST-PLUS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COLONIAL FIRST STATE INVESTMENTS LIMITED, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Music to the ears of investors as the beats go on

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 21-Aug-18

The August corporate reporting season in Australia has generally been positive, with about half the companies that have reported to date announcing earnings and dividend payouts that met expectations. This has been reflected in share prices, with stocks that have beaten expectations rising by 2.8 per cent on average and those that failed to do so tending to fall by around three per cent. However, Jason Steed of JP Morgan notes that earnings per share forecasts have been downgraded for 29 per cent of stocks, while just nine per cent have been upgraded.

CORPORATES
JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BRAMBLES LIMITED – ASX BXB, COLLECTION HOUSE LIMITED – ASX CLH, ARB CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX ARB, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, CHALLENGER LIMITED – ASX CGF, MINERAL RESOURCES LIHIR PTY LTD, PACT GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX PGH, COCHLEAR LIMITED – ASX COH, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, ANSELL LIMITED – ASX ANN