K: Financial and Insurance Services

Inner-city suburbs risk mortgage default, says NAB

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 29-Sep-15

National Australia Bank has identified about 80 postcodes across Australia where it will restrict loan-to-valuation ratios due to concerns about the potential for home loan borrowers to default. Home buyers in some 40 postcodes are regarded as being particularly at risk of default, and home loan borrowers in these postcodes will require a minimum deposit of 30 per cent. While many of the postcodes are in mining areas, the list also includes 34 in Sydney and five in Melbourne, and the CBDs of all five major capital cities.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, HOMELOANEXPERTS.COM.AU, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

New Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull gives immediate Consumer Confidence boost in all States and a wide range of demographics

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Original article by Michele Levine, Gary Morgan, Julian McCrann, Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Sep-15

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence jumped by a one-week record 9.2 points to 114.5 in the week ended 20 September 2015, after Malcolm Turnbull was sworn in as the 29th Prime Minister. The increase to consumer confidence was broad-based, with consumer confidence increasing strongly for both genders, across all age groups and all States and capital cities. Sentiment regarding the Australian economy over the next 12 months increased the most strongly with 31 per cent (up 10 per cent) of Australians expecting "good times" for the Australian economy over the next 12 months. Over the next few weeks and months several Roy Morgan indicators will provide the clearest measure of whether Turnbull has what it takes to introduce the required reforms to boost the Australian economy and provide the confidence to businesses and consumers to get the economy growing on a sustainable path.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Peter Warne to take ‘big gig’ at Macquarie

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 25-Sep-15

Macquarie Group has appointed Peter Warne as chairman. He will assume his new role on 31 March 2016, replacing Kevin McCann. The Australian Shareholders’ Association is concerned that Warne will not be able to devote enough time to Macquarie, because of his many other commitments. Warne is chairman of ALE Property Group and OzForex Group. He also holds directorships at ASX Limited and the New South Wales Treasury Corporation.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIAN SHAREHOLDERS’ ASSOCIATION, ALE PROPERTY GROUP – ASX LEP, OZFOREX GROUP LIMITED – ASX OFX, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, NEW SOUTH WALES TREASURY CORPORATION, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY. OFFICE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, CADENCE CAPITAL LIMITED – ASX CDT, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ESANDA FINANCE CORPORATION LIMITED

RBA needs to cut official interest rate to 1.5pc: ANZ

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 25-Sep-15

The ANZ Bank says Australia’s unemployment rate of 6.2 per cent is unlikely to fall significantly in the near-term due to factors such as slowing global economic growth and the uncertain outlook for the Chinese economy. Chief economist Warren Hogan warns that the unemployment rate could potentially rise over the next year or so. ANZ believes that a combination of factors means the Reserve Bank will have to reduce the cash rate in both February and May 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Re-think urged on share income tax

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 25-Sep-15

Australia’s dividend imputation system is under scrutiny in the wake of BHP Billiton’s proposal to use a payment from its Australian-listed company to fund a dividend payout for British shareholders. This would result in Australian shareholders losing some franking credits. Fidelity Australian Opportunities Fund portfolio manager Kate Howitt says the dividend imputation system should be retained, as shareholders in large companies often use their dividends to invest in smaller and more innovative businesses.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, FIDELITY AUSTRALIAN OPPORTUNITIES FUND, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CORPORATE TAX ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

ASX recovers from low to close above 5000

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Original article by Vesna Poljak, Mark Mulligan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 26 : 25-Sep-15

The Australian sharemarket rebounded on 24 September 2015, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 73.57 points to close at 5,071. Rio Tinto was 0.6 per cent higher at $A48.30 and Senex Energy advanced 24 per cent to end the session at $A0.155 Wesfarmers rose by 2.5 per cent to finish at $A39.14 and Metcash was up 5.05 per cent at $A1.04

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, SENEX ENERGY LIMITED – ASX SXY, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, ILUKA RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX ILU, SYRAH RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX SYR, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, G8 EDUCATION LIMITED – ASX GEM, IG MARKETS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, IGA, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

Branch numbers are on the wane as digital banking gains popularity

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 24-Sep-15

Alan Shields, the MD of advisory firm RFI, expects the trend for banks to reduce branch numbers to continue. Figures from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority show that Westpac cut its branches by 48 to 1,237 in 2014-15. The ANZ Bank reduced branch numbers by 19 to 751, while National Australia Bank closed two branches. The Commonwealth Bank opened one branch in 2014-15.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RETAIL FINANCE INTELLIGENCE PTY LTD

Miners savaged as ASX plunges below 5000

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 24-Sep-15

The Australian sharemarket lost ground on 23 September 2015, with the S&P/ASX 200 shedding 105.4 points to close at 4,998.1. The Commonwealth Bank was down three per cent at $A71.60 and BHP Billiton was 4.4 per cent lower at $A22.80. Telstra eased 0.9 per cent to end the session at $A5.62 and Woolworths fell by 1.7 per cent to finish at $A24.38.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS LIMITED – ASX LNG, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, NUFARM LIMITED – ASX NUF, IG MARKETS LIMITED, SAXO CAPITAL MARKETS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, FIDELITY AUSTRALIAN OPPORTUNITIES FUND, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX

ANZ-Roy Morgan Hong Kong Consumer Confidence Falls in September

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Sep-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan Hong Kong Consumer Confidence Index has fallen by 4.2 points to 134.0 in September 2015, after reaching a record high of 138.2 in August. The number of respondents who say their families are "better off" financially than 12 months ago has fallen by 4.1 per cent to 38.5 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of respondents who expect Hong Kong to have "good times" economically over the next 12 months has fallen by 2.8 per cent to 54.6 per cent. Inflation expectations rose by 0.2 per cent to 3.6 per cent in September.

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

Dividends seek caring home

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 23-Sep-15

Australian-listed companies are poised to pay investors some $A18bn worth of dividends. However, UBS Wealth Management’s David Sokulsky says that in the near-term investors may be better off retaining their dividends in cash rather than reinvesting in shares. He says investors should wait until the US Federal Reserve increases the cash rate, as bank stocks may offer value when the central bank finally tightens monetary policy. He also says equity markets may have further downside.

CORPORATES
UBS WEALTH MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA