K: Financial and Insurance Services

Property risk to credit market

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Samantha Bailey
The Australian – Page: 19 : 9-May-19

Fitch Ratings’ latest quarterly survey of fixed-income investors shows that 70 per cent of respondents consider a housing market downturn to be the biggest risk to Australia’s credit market. This compares with just 29 per cent a year ago. The survey also shows that nearly all respondents anticipate a further decline in house prices, compared with 52 per cent a year ago. Meanwhile, 60 per cent of respondents expect official interest rates to be cut by up to 50 basis points over the next 12 months.

CORPORATES
FITCH RATINGS LIMITED

RBA pressures banks to cut rates

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 & 28 : 8-May-19

Australian banks’ net interest margin fell by 11 basis points in the first half of 2018-19, compared with the previous corresponding period. Jarrod Martin of Credit Suisse says ongoing margin pressure means the banks are unlikely to reduce their variable mortgage interest rates independently of the Reserve Bank. Victor German of Macquarie Group adds if the Reserve Bank had reduced the cash rate by 25 basis points on 7 May, the banks would probably have reduced their variable rates by around 20 basis points.

CORPORATES
CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Westpac profit plunges 22pc as costs mount

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Frost, James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 7-May-19

Westpac has posted a 2018-19 interim net profit of $3.296bn, which is 22 per cent lower than previously. The result was marred by provisions of $617m associated with Westpac’s customer remediation program. Westpac’s costs increased by one per cent to $5.04bn, although costs fell by three per cent when compensation and restructuring costs are excluded. Meanwhile, net income was down 10 per cent at $9.979bn for the half-year. CEO Brian Hartzer expects house prices to bottom in late 2019 or early 2020.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WATERMARK FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CLIME ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, WESTPAC NEW ZEALAND LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE

AMP Capital’s Oliver the economist of choice for media mentions

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: Online : 6-May-19

AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver was mentioned more than 2,500 times in metropolitan newspapers and online news sites over the period from April 2018 to March 2019, according to media monitoring company Streem. Oliver, who is also AMP Capital’s chief strategist, received more than twice as many mentions as Craig James from Commsec (1041), while REA Group’s Nerida Consisbee was the third-most mentioned economist, with 959 mentions.

CORPORATES
AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH SECURITIES LIMITED, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA

NAB narrows list of candidates for CEO

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 20 : 3-May-19

National Australia Bank’s interim CEO Phil Chronican has indicated that the short-list of contenders to succeed Andrew Thorburn is "manageable". Mike Baird and Anthony Healy are widely regarded as the leading internal candidates for the role. Chronican will become chairman when a permanent CEO is appointed, and he says NAB has taken measures to ensure that his independence as chairman is not compromised due to his current role.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP PLC, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

Look beyond bank shares to grow wealth: fund managers

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 3-May-19

National Australia Bank reduced its interim dividend by 16 per cent on 2 May, but Andrew Martin of Alphinity Investment Management does not expect further dividend cuts in the banking sector. He adds that a credit crunch would be a key driver for any future dividend cuts. Prasad Patkar of Platypus Asset Management says the ‘golden era’ for Australian bank shares ended in the wake of the global financial crisis, rather than the Hayne royal commission, and investors should consider other investment options.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

RBA set to cut, Macquarie predicts

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 3-May-19

Inflation remains well below the Reserve Bank’s target range of 2-3 per cent, and Ric Deverell of Macquarie Group notes that it is continuing to trend lower. He says the inflation outlook is the key factor that will prompt the Reserve Bank to reduce official interest rates by 25 basis points on 7 May. Deverell adds that a rate cut will have more impact while the unemployment rate is low rather than if the central bank waits until it rises.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

ANZ to cut $1bn in search of growth

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 & 22 : 2-May-19

The ANZ Bank has posted a 2018-19 interim cash profit of $3.56bn, which is two per cent higher than previously. The result for the six months to 31 March included provision for $175m worth of remediation charges. CEO Shayne Elliott has flagged further cost-cutting measures in coming years, although he has downplayed talk of further staff cuts and branch closures. Meanwhile, Elliott says the banking sector’s mortgage loan repayment buffer of 7.25 per cent should be revised, given that the cash rate is just 1.5 per cent at present.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, TRIBECA INVESTMENT PARTNERS PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Big four reap gains and reward contrarians

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 28 : 2-May-19

The S&P/ASX 200 Banks Index has gained nearly 15 per cent since late December, following a sell-off in the wake of the misconduct exposed by the Hayne royal commission. Tony Brennan of Citigroup says bank stocks still represent a buying opportunity for investors, even though the sector continues to face headwinds. Meanwhile, JP Morgan notes that banks’ revenue may come under pressure if the cash rate is reduced more than once in coming months.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 BANKS INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Keep RBA’s rate trigger away from politics

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Perry Williams, Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 & 22 : 2-May-19

APA Group’s Mick McCormack has weighed into the debate on the outlook for monetary policy, saying the Reserve Bank should not reduce the cash rate in May. He argues that a rate cut during an election campaign would "inevitably" become politicised. ANZ Bank CEO Shayne Elliott also believes that an interest rate cut is needed in May, and a number of economists have forecast a rate cut. However, financial markets have priced in a 44 per cent chance of a rate cut at the central bank’s monthly board meeting.

CORPORATES
APA GROUP – ASX APA, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, TD SECURITIES, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, NOMURA AUSTRALIA LIMITED