K: Financial and Insurance Services

Lower rates won’t help: AFIC boss

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 3-Mar-20

The Australian Financial Investment Company’s MD Mark Freeman argues that official interest rates are already at a historically low level, so further monetary policy easing is unlikely to stimulate the economy or stabilise financial markets. The Reserve Bank is widely tipped to reduce the cash rate on 3 March, and there is growing speculation that it could pursue quantitative easing later in the year. However, Freeman has questioned the merits of quantitative easing. He adds that the sharemarket’s recent pullback has created some good buying opportunities.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED – ASX AFI, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

$A catches coronavirus, plummets to 11-year low

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Original article by Tom Richardson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 3-Mar-20

The Australian dollar reached a low of $US0.654 in local trading on 2 March, ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s monthly board meeting. Financial markets have priced in a near-97 per cent chance that the central bank will reduce the cash rate on 3 March, and a 67 per cent chance of a second rate cut in May. Morgan Stanley expects the cash rate to remain on hold until April, giving the RBA time to assess GDP data to be released on 4 March. The Commonwealth Bank says the economic impact of the coronavirus could prompt the Australian dollar to fall further in coming days.

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

Rate cut tipped amid virus crisis

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 2-Mar-20

Financial markets have now priced in an 87 per cent chance that the Reserve Bank of Australia will reduce the cash rate on 3 March. This compares with an 18 per cent chance on 28 February. The case for further easing of monetary has been strengthened by the local sharemarket’s 9.8 per fall in the last week of February, amid global bearish sentiment as the coronavirus outbreak continued to spread beyond China. Shane Oliver of AMP Capital says the RBA would probably have preferred to wait a bit longer to act. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell has also flagged the possibility of interest rate cuts to stimulate the US economy.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

Regulator confident plans are in place

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Weekend Australian – Page: 26 : 29-Feb-20

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission is working with the Australian Financial Markets Association and large institutions to ensure that the coronavirus outbreak does not stop financial markets from remaining open. ASIC chairman James Shipton notes that it has a pandemic response plan in place, while ASIC’s executive director of markets Greg Yanco says the economic impact of the virus is uncertain. Shipton says ASIC has set up an internal working group to monitor the potential threat that the coronavirus poses and to work with other regulators.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL MARKETS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED

Investors rush to safe havens as stocks slide, dollar dives in coronavirus rout

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 26 : 28-Feb-20

The Australian sharemarket has fallen by seven per cent since reaching a record high of 7,197.2 points on 20 February, slashing its capitalisation by $150bn. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 reached an intra-day low of 6,630.5 points on 27 February, its lowest level in three months, while the Australian dollar tested an 11-year low. Mikhail Sprogis of Goldman Sachs has forecast that the gold price will top $US1,800 an ounce in the next 12 months, amid a flight to safe-haven investments.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INCORPORATED

APRA probes bank, insurer virus plans

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 17 & 26 : 28-Feb-20

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has not updated its guidelines on pandemics since 2013, but the coronavirus outbreak has prompted it to activate Prudential Practice Guide CPG 233 – Pandemic Planning. APRA has asked financial institutions such as banks, insurers and superannuation funds to demonstrate that they are sufficiently prepared for a global pandemic. Westpac has responded to the outbreak by imposing a ban on employees travelling to China for business purposes, while AMP is requiring some employees in coronavirus epicentres to work from home.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

Market sinking in a sea of red

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 27 : 27-Feb-20

The Australian sharemarket has shed 6.3 per cent since reaching a record high of 7,197.2 points on 20 February, slashing its capitalisation by $136bn. Richard Coppleson of Bell Potter believes that a further sell-off is likely amid growing concern about the spread of the coronavirus beyond mainland China. Wall Street and Asian sharemarkets have also retreated, while the Australian dollar fell to an 11-year low in local trading on 26 February.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED

Growing super’s $3 trillion funds pool

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 21 : 26-Feb-20

Data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority shows that the total value of assets managed by the nation’s superannuation funds increased by 13 per cent to $2.951bn in 2019. Rice Warner forecasts that the super pool will increase to about $7trn by 2034, and so-called mega funds will dominate the sector. MySuper accounts boasted assets under management of $802bn at the end of 2019, up nearly 20 per cent, while self-managed super funds had assets totalling $739.7bn, an increase of 7.8 per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD

Earnings shredded as virus fears bite

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Original article by Eli Greenblat, David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 24 : 26-Feb-20

The coronavirus outbreak has become a major theme for the February reporting season, with a growing number of listed companies issuing earnings downgrades due to the impact of the virus. Treasury Wine Estates, Blackmores and Seek are among the latest companies to issue profit warnings; Treasury has downgraded its earnings expectations for the third time in 2020. Meanwhile, retail group Mosaic Brands had advised that its dividends have been put on hold until the impact of the coronavirus becomes clear.

CORPORATES
TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE, BLACKMORES LIMITED – ASX BKL, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, MOSAIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX MOZ

Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards 2019: the best brands in banking and finance

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Feb-20

The 2019 Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards have been presented in Melbourne. This year’s awards added six new banking and finance categories, taking the total list of winning banks, insurers and superannuation funds to fourteen. Commonwealth Bank (Major Bank) continued its dominance by securing its seventh straight customer satisfaction award. Bank Australia (Bank) and Newcastle Permanent Credit Union (Building Society/Credit Union) both recorded their first win of the annual award. RACT (General Insurer) and RAC (Major General Insurer) won their respective categories with seven and 12 monthly wins respectively. Insuranceline (Risk and Life Insurer) took out its third annual award, and MLC (Major Risk and Life Insurer) was a first-time winner. Tasmanian-based St.LukesHealth (Private Health Insurer), Defence Health (Major Private Health Insurer – Not for Profit or Restricted) and ahm (Major Private Health Insurer – Retail) were the other insurance category successes. Macquarie (Retail Superannuation Fund) fought off stiff competition to win another annual award, whereas Colonial First State (Major Retail Superannuation Fund) won comfortably with 11 monthly awards. HESTA (Major Industry Superannuation Fund) was welcomed to the winner’s podium for the first time.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED