K: Financial and Insurance Services

Japan tipped to lead inbound M&A

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Original article by Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 6-Jan-20

Alex Cartel of Deutsche Bank expects Japanese companies to pursue more takeover deals in Australia during 2020, following bids for Carlton & United Breweries and DuluxGroup in 2019. He notes that Japan has replaced China as a key driver of inbound mergers and acquisitions deals in the last several years. Simon Ranson of JP Morgan adds that offshore private equity firms are cashed up, noting that factors such as the low Australian dollar will make the nation attractive to them.

CORPORATES
DEUTSCHE BANK AG, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CARLTON AND UNITED BREWERIES, DULUXGROUP LIMITED, ASAHI GROUP, NIPPON PAINT, HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS PTY LTD, BELLAMY’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FOREIGN INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

US rates likely to stay on hold, Fed indicates

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Original article by James Dean
The Australian – Page: 14 : 6-Jan-20

The minutes of the Federal Reserve’s December meeting show that the US central bank expects official interest rates to remain unchanged for some time, although this is likely to depend on the economic outlook. Some Federal Reserve officials expressed concern that an extended low interest rate environment may encourage ‘excessive risk-taking’. Meanwhile, former Federal Reserve chairman contends that the central bank has options other than quantitative easing and forward guidance to stimulate the economy in the event of a downturn.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

One in five households facing mortgage stress

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Original article by Duncan Hughes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 3-Jan-20

Around two million households are finding it hard to make mortgage repayments despite low interest rates, according to comparison website Finder. The number of households in this position has risen since May 2018, the month before the Reserve Bank made the first of its three cash rate cuts. Brendan Coates from the Grattan Institute notes that borrowers should be looking around more for better mortgage rate offers, while Kate Browne from Finder comments that "mortgages need constant monitoring"

CORPORATES
FINDER.COM.AU, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Call to regulate medical devices

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Original article by Natasha Robinson
The Australian – Page: 3 : 2-Jan-20

Sheena Jack, the CEO of health insurance company HCF, has called for the creation of an independent regulator of medical devices. Jack says there should be a review of the ‘clinical efficacy’ of items that are on the prostheses list, similar to what is done for items on the pharmaceuticals list. Research conducted by Private Healthcare Australia indicates big price differences between medical devices in Australia and comparable products provided in other countries, while Jack claims public hospitals often have to pay much less for medical devices than private ones.

CORPORATES
THE HOSPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS FUND OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Insurers seek changes to NSW funding

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Original article by James Fernyhough
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 : 2-Jan-20

The Insurance Council of Australia has called for changes to the way that emergency services are funded in New South Wales. ICA spokesman Campbell Fuller claims the ’emergency services levy’, which is imposed on insurance companies, leads to underinsurance and is unfair on policyholders. Victoria had a similar levy, but scrapped it after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, replacing it with a broader property tax. NSW passed legislation in 2016 to enact a similar tax, but deferred its implementation not long before it was due to take effect in 2017. Fuller says that decision was "regrettable".

CORPORATES
INSURANCE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

ASIC next in line to be climate cop

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Dec-19

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission will begin to legally enforce a requirement that listed companies must inform their shareholders and customers of any material risks from climate change. ASIC has not yet used this enforcement power under the Corporations Act 2001, but it intends to do so in 2020. Woolworths and Treasury Wine Estates are among the companies that have warned of the potential impact of climate change in their financial reports.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Paid leave for ANZ’s fire volunteers

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Original article by Gerard Cockburn
The Australian – Page: 14 : 24-Dec-19

The ANZ Bank has advised that its employees who are volunteer firefighters will be entitled to special paid leave in addition to their standard leave entitlements. ANZ provides its employees with up to five days of paid community service leave each year, and staff who use all of this leave during the current bushfire crisis will be able to access the bank’s special leave policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Economy fear with credit in the doldrums

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Original article by David Rogers, Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 24-Dec-19

Data from the Reserve Bank of Australia shows that lending to businesses and property buyers increased by 0.1 per cent in November and 2.3 per cent in the year to November. This is the lowest rate of growth in private sector credit since April 2010. The figures also show that growth in home loans was 0.2 per cent in November and 2.9 per cent year-on-year, while non-housing credit fell by 0.5 per cent in November and 4.9 per cent year-on-year.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, COUNCIL OF FINANCIAL REGULATORS, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Australia’s economic interests at risk with RBA out of ammunition

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 21-Dec-19

Paul Brennan of Citigroup notes that the Reserve Bank of Australia’s average cumulative interest rate cut in the last four monetary policy easing cycles was three percentage points. With the cash rate already at a record low of 0.75 following three rate cuts since June, experts warn that the RBA has limited ‘firepower’ in the event of an economic downturn. RBA governor Philip Lowe has ruled out negative interest rates; while he is open to quantitative easing, his preference is for fiscal stimulus and structural reform.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Westpac slapped with $9m penalty over poor advice

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Original article by Aleks Vickovich
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 20-Dec-19

Westpac has been ordered to pay a total of $9.15m for 22 breaches of the Corporations Act. The bank was found to be liable for the ‘deficient and defective’ financial advice that ex-employee Sudhir Sinha provided in 2013 and 2014. Sinha was deemed to have failed to act in the best interests of his clients by providing financial advice that was inappropriate for their personal circumstances. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has banned Sinha from working in the industry for five years, while it launched legal action against Westpac in 2018.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA