K: Financial and Insurance Services

Tax breaks to lift borrowing

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 18-May-15

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) expects more small businesses to take out loans as a result of the Australian Government’s May 2015 Budget. CBA’s Clive van Horen says the $A5.5bn small business package should boost the confidence of small businesses and provide them with the incentive to invest in new equipment. However, TS Lim of Bell Potter says that even with the tax breaks, many small businesses will be reluctant to increase their debt.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Deposits levy to hurt big credit unions’ profit

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Original article by Shaun Drummond
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 15-May-15

The Customer Owned Banking Association believes that the proposed deposits levy will reduce the annual profits of many small credit unions by around seven per cent. CUA estimates that its earnings will be cut by about six per cent, while People’s Choice Credit Union anticipates that its profit will be reduced by 5-7 per cent. The Australian Government will issue its response to the financial system inquiry before deciding whether to proceed with the levy.

CORPORATES
CUSTOMER OWNED BANKING ASSOCIATION, CREDIT UNION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, PEOPLE’S CHOICE CREDIT UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Four reasons why it’s time to buy shares now

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 15-May-15

Deutsche Bank says investors should capitalise on the Australian sharemarket’s five per cent decline since late April 2015 and buy stocks that offer value before it rebounds. Deutsche says a number of factors suggest that a pullback was overdue, and it favours non-bank financial stocks such as AMP, IOOF, Challenger and Magellan Financial Group. AMP Capital says global issues could result in further market volatility, although it also expects the Australian bourse to rebound.

CORPORATES
DEUTSCHE BANK AG, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, CHALLENGER LIMITED – ASX CGF, MAGELLAN FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX MFG, COMPUTERSHARE LIMITED – ASX CPU, IRGUNIT COMPANY, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, HENDERSON GROUP PLC – ASX HGG, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Want to know where the $A is going? Here’s where to look

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Original article by Philip Baker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 15-May-15

The Australian dollar was trading at around $US0.81 on 14 May 2015, and US economic data is likely to be a major influence on its outlook in the near-term. Most of the recent data suggests that US economic growth remains subdued, and the timing of the first interest rate rise in six years will depend on the state of the economy. BetaShares CEO David Bassanese believes that US economic data will improve, which would most likely result in a rate rise in either June or September.

CORPORATES
BETASHARES CAPITAL LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, STANDARD LIFE PLC, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Macquarie result wins praise and upgrades

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 12-May-15

Analysts are upbeat about the earnings outlook for Macquarie Group in fiscal 2016, after its net profit for the year to 31 March 2015 rose by 27 per cent to $A1.6bn. Data from Bloomberg shows that the consensus forecast is for a profit of $A1.79bn in fiscal 2016, and Macquarie itself expects a modest rise in earnings. CLSA has lifted its 12-month share price target to $A102, compared with Macquarie’s closing price of $A78.78 on 11 May.

CORPORATES
MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, BLOOMBERG LP, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MACQUARIE CAPITAL PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MACQUARIE SECURITIES PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Westpac banks on cloud push to rein in costs

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Original article by Paul Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 12-May-15

Westpac anticipates significant cost savings from a proposal to shift many of its IT systems to a hybrid cloud environment. Chief information officer Dave Curran says the banking major aims to capitalise on the efficiencies that can be derived from shifting to cloud technology. Westpac also aims to reduce its cost-to-income ratio, which rose from 41.6 per cent to 42.5 per cent in the first half of 2014-15.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AMAZON WEB SERVICES LLC, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED

Aussie tipped to tread water until US lifts rates

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Original article by Rose Powell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 12-May-15

The Australian dollar was buying $US0.7893 late in trading on 11 May 2015. The currency was not unduly affected by an interest rate cut in China, while Westpac’s Robert Rennie expects it to trade at around the $US0.78 level for some time. He forecasts that it will fall to around $US0.73 by late September, while Thomas Averill of Rochford Capital does not expect further monetary policy easing in Australia.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, ROCHFORD CAPITAL PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, SOCIETE GENERALE SA

Market to take cue from Hockey budget

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 11-May-15

The Australian sharemarket is tipped to take its lead from the US when trading resumes on 11 May 2015. Futures traders have priced in a 43-point rise for the S&P/ASX 200, after it shed 3.1 per cent in the previous week. Investors will be awaiting the Federal Budget on 12 May, as well as the upcoming release of wages and housing finance data.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS AND SCIENCES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S 500 INDEX, NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, BANK OF ENGLAND, CONSERVATIVE PARTY (GREAT BRITAIN), RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Cbus advised to appoint more independents

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 11-May-15

An independent report has made recommendations aimed at improving corporate governance at the Cbus superannuation fund. They include appointing more independent directors, including an independent chairman. The report, which was produced by Graeme Samuel on behalf of Cbus, also recommends measures aimed at preventing scandals such as the leaking of members’ personal information to the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union in 2014.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Dividends to outgrow earnings

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Original article by Patrick Begley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 14-Apr-15

There was five per cent growth in the dividend payouts of Australia’s 200 largest listed companies in the first half of 2014-15. In contrast, earnings increased by just two per cent. Morgan Stanley notes that the dividend payout ratio is currently 73 per cent, compared with an average of 65 per cent. However, the firm expects dividend payouts to keep growing faster than earnings, and says there is little chance of reduced dividend payouts unless earnings fall dramatically

CORPORATES
MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PENGANA CAPITAL LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX