K: Financial and Insurance Services

Super funds push for more ESG disclosure

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Original article by Ruth Liew
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 3-Mar-16

Australian-listed companies are under pressure to report more thoroughly their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. On 2 March 2016, the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) and the Financial Services Council launched a new guide on corporate disclosure of ESG information to shareholders. Research by ACSI suggests that the ESG disclosure practices of ASX 200 companies are inadequate.

CORPORATES
FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence dips 3pts to 111.3

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Mar-16

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia fell by 2.6 per cent to 111.3 in the week ended 28 February 2016. The modest recovery in confidence seen in the previous three weeks proved to be short-lived. Confidence is now back to the levels seen post the financial market volatility in January and below its long run average. The weakness in confidence this week was largely driven by consumers’ views towards the economic outlook. The subindex for the "economic outlook in the next 5 years" fell 7.2 per cent, and the subindex for "economic outlook in the next 12 months" fell 6.3 per cent.

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

Global search for Reserve boss on the cards: Costello

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Original article by James Glynn
The Australian – Page: 19 & 28 : 2-Mar-16

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens will step down in September 2016, after 10 years in the role. The Federal Government may accelerate the appointment of a successor given that it is an election year. Deputy governor Philip Lowe is widely seen as the leading contender to replace Stevens, but former federal treasurer Peter Costello believes that international candidates should be considered. Martin Parkinson, David Gruen and Warwick McKibbin have been touted as potential successors to Stevens.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, BANK OF ENGLAND, TD SECURITIES, MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BANK OF JAPAN

ASX200 payout slide set to dwarf counterparts

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Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 30 : 1-Mar-16

A number of companies in the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 have increased their dividends in 2015-16, despite the financial market volatility. However, Hasan Tevfik of Credit Suisse expects the combined dividend payout of S&P/ASX 200 companies to fall from $A79bn in 2014-15 to just $A73bn. Meanwhile, the total capital returned to shareholders will be boosted by share buybacks.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Higher dollar not enough to kill RBA’s chill

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires, Mark Mulligan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 29-Feb-16

There is general consensus among economists that the Reserve Bank will leave the cash rate unchanged at two per cent on 1 March 2016. Shane Oliver of AMP Capital is among the economists who expect an interest rate cut at some point in 2016. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Bank’s Michael Blythe does not expect the central bank to resume "jawboning" the Australian dollar in its monetary policy statement, despite its recent rise to a seven-week high.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NOMURA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BETASHARES CAPITAL LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ST GEORGE BANK LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, BANK OF JAPAN

Days of continuous dividend growth over

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 26-Feb-16

Australia’s top 200 stocks have recorded stronger growth in dividends per share than earnings per share in the last few years, but fiscal 2016 seems likely to see the situation reversed. Analysts attribute this to factors such as the abolition of the progressive dividend policies of both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, and expectations that the major banks’ dividend will be broadly in line with their previous payouts.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEXBHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHPRIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIOCOMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBAWESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBCNATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NABAUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZCITIGROUP PTY LTDGOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTDHENDERSON GLOBAL INVESTORS LIMITED

Australian Roy Morgan Business Confidence rises in February bringing a halt to three months of falls

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Feb-16

A Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey has found that Australian business confidence rose by 2.7 points to 113.3 in February 2016, following a combined fall of 8.7 points over the previous three months. The stabilisation in business confidence comes after sharp falls on the Australian sharemarket early in 2016 levelled off in February. The level of business confidence in February is clearly positive for the economy overall, but below the five-year average (116.7), and the weakness of indicators related to the health of the Australian economy is a sign that confidence remains fragile and easily impacted by negative economic events.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITEDAUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINETAUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURYAUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZSTANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEXDICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSHMASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Resources uncertainty keeps ASX below 5000

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 25-Feb-16

Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index has failed to remain above the 5,000-point level so far in February 2016. The local market has been weighed down by continued weakness in the resources sector, while Julian Beaumont of Bennelong Australian Equity Partners adds that the market is likely to remain range-bound until concerns about the banking sector are alleviated. Meanwhile, Marcus Padley says any market rebound will be driven by an upturn in commodity prices.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BENNELONG AUSTRALIAN EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, PENGANA GLOBAL RESOURCES FUND, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence tracking up – now at 114.3

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Feb-16

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rating for Australia rose by 0.6 per cent to 114.3 in the week ended 21 February 2016. The 2.8 per cent increase over the past three weeks partially retraces the declines recorded through January. With the negative impact from the financial market volatility in early January appearing to be short-lived, confidence is now tracking higher with most sub-indexes showing an improvement. Consumer confidence in the past few weeks shows that consumers’ views towards their current personal finances and the near term economic outlook were most sensitive towards the financial market rout, falling between 6-8 per cent in the last four weeks of January. They have, however, recovered in the past three weeks, with both rising a cumulative 4.2 per cent. Overall though, households’ confidence in the economic outlook remains much weaker than their view of their own finances.

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

ASX cracks 5000 to hit three-week high

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 23-Feb-16

The Australian sharemarket posted solid gains on 22 February 2016, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding one per cent to close at 5,001.2. The Commonwealth Bank advanced 1.1 per cent to end the session at $A74.24 and BHP Billiton was 3.4 per cent higher at $A17.18. Brambles rose by 8.5 per cent to finish at $A12 and NIB Holdings was up 7.3 per cent at $A3.52.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, BRAMBLES LIMITED – ASX BXB, NIB HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NHF, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, BLUESCOPE STEEL LIMITED – ASX BSL, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, SHANGHAI COMPOSITE INDEX