K: Financial and Insurance Services

Shares deliver $560bn windfall

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 13 & 20 : 1-Jul-21

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 capped off a stellar recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by posting a gain in all but one month during 2020-21. The benchmark index’s 24 per cent gain was the best return for a financial year since its inception, and follows a pandemic-induced loss of 11.3 per cent in 2019-20. The S&P/ASX 200 reached a record high of 7,406.2 points in May, having slumped to a low of 4,402.5 points in March 2020 as the pandemic weighed on global financial markets. Utilities is the only sector that failed to post a positive return in 2020-21.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Medibank pays back unused $105m

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Original article by Liam Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 30-Jun-21

Private health insurer Medibank expects about two million customers of its flagship and ahm brands to be eligible for a discount on their next premium payment. Medical procedures such as elective surgery were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing policyholders from making full use of their private health coverage. HBF is among the other health funds that have previously revealed plans to return some money to its members.

CORPORATES
MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, AHM HEALTH INSURANCE, HBF HEALTH LIMITED

Super giant to reduce its stake in Ausgrid

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 18 : 30-Jun-21

Industry superannuation fund AustralianSuper proposes to reduce its stake in electricity distribution company Ausgrid from 25.2 per cent to about 10 per cent. AustralianSuper and IFM Investors paid $16bn for about 50 per cent of Ausgrid in 2016, as part of the New South Wales government’s privatisation program. AustralianSuper and IFM each have a right of first offer over any sale by the other of their Ausgrid holdings; AustralianSuper is in turn one of the largest shareholders in IFM.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, AUSGRID PTY LTD

Statewide, Hostplus in tie-up talks

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 13 : 29-Jun-21

Superannuation funds Statewide Super and Hostplus have confirmed they are discussing a merger that would create a fund with assets of $77 billion. Statewide Super is based in Adelaide and has assets of $10.8 billion, while Hostplus has assets of $66 billion and has traditionally focused on workers in the hospitality, tourism, recreation and sports sectors. It recently announced plans to merge with the $3 billion Intrust Super, while the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority suggested in May that any super fund with assets under $30 billion would become increasingly uncompetitive against so-called megafunds.

CORPORATES
STATEWIDE SUPERANNUATION PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, INTRUST SUPER FUND, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Aussie wealth rockets despite virus

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 17 : 23-Jun-21

Just under one in 10 Australians are millionaires in US dollar terms, according to Credit Suisse’s latest global wealth report. Credit Suisse found that Australians increased their wealth by more than all other countries except Switzerland during the pandemic, while it estimates that the number of Australian millionaires will rise by 70 per cent over the next five years to three million. Credit Suisse found that Australia topped the list for median wealth per adult in 2020, while it placed fourth in terms of mean wealth.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE AG

Soul Patts in $11bn LIC merger

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 23-Jun-21

Shares in listed investment company Milton rose by as much as 16 per cent to $5.80 on 22 June after it was announced it would be merging with investment house Washington H. Soul Pattinson. Soul Patts, which already owns a three per cent stake in Milton, will acquire it in an all-scrip merger that will increase Soul Patts’ market capitalisation to $10.8 billion. Soul Patts owns major holdings in Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, Brickworks, TPG Telecom and New Hope Group, while both it and Milton are chaired by Robert Milner. Soul Patts CEO Todd Barlow says the merger will mean a larger war chest for future investments and increased portfolio diversification.

CORPORATES
MILTON CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX MLT, WASHINGTON H SOUL PATTINSON AND COMPANY LIMITED – ASX SOL, AUSTRALIAN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED – ASX API, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPG, NEW HOPE GROUP, NEW HOPE CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX NHC, WAM CAPITAL LIMITED – ASX WAM

Insurers hit with flood of storm claims

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Original article by Lachlan Moffet Gray
The Australian – Page: 18 : 17-Jun-21

Insurance Australia Group is the latest insurer to advise that its natural hazard allowance for 2020-21 is set to be exceeded as a result of the recent storms in Victoria. IAG says it has received about 4,300 claims arising from the storms to date, which will result in its net natural peril claim costs rising to at least $720m for the financial year. IAG had previously advised that its peril claims costs for the year would be within the range of $660m to $700m, following storms on the east coast earlier in 2021; it has a perils allowance of just $658m for the financial year.

CORPORATES
INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX IAG

Our biggest M&A boom: $83b and counting

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Original article by James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 35 : 9-Jun-21

Some market watchers believe that Australia’s mergers and acquisitions activity in 2021 could top the record $US134bn worth of deals in 2011. Data from Dealogic shows that some $US64.3bn ($82.8bn) worth of M&A deals have been announced in the year to date, compared with just $US56.9bn for the same period in 2011. The surge in M&A activity is being driven by factors such as strong balance sheets and access to low-cost debt, while the boards of target companies have become more willing to engage with suitors following a rebound in valuations in the wake of the pandemic.

CORPORATES
DEALOGIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Buyback bonanza for bank investors

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 16 : 7-Jun-21

Richard Wiles of Morgan Stanley estimates that the combined surplus capital of Australia’s four major banks is within the range of $19.5bn to $28bn. He says the banks could potentially return about $15bn to investors via share buybacks over the next year, with the Commonwealth Bank tipped to repurchase $5bn worth of shares when its 2021 financial results are announced. Buybacks of this magnitude would reduce the number of bank shares on issue by 3-5 per cent.

CORPORATES
MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

CBA breaks through $100 for first time

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 27-May-21

Shares in the Commonwealth Bank of Australia reached a record intra-day high of $100.20 on 26 May, ending the session at $99.58. CBA’s share price has risen by 12 per cent so far in May, giving it a market capitalisation of $176.7bn. It is now the biggest stock on the local bourse, and the world’s 11th largest bank in terms of market capitalisation. Brett Le Mesurier of Velocity Trade expects CBA shares to trade at around $100 in the near-term, but Dean Fergie of Cyan Investment Management says the stock could rise further.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, VELOCITY TRADE, CYAN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD