K: Financial and Insurance Services

Resources strength holds up reporting season

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 28 : 5-Mar-19

Paul Winter of UBS notes that Australia’s latest February reporting season featured more earnings downgrades than upgrades for the first time in the last four years. Hasan Tevfik of MST Marquee adds that while the reporting season was better than expected, this was largely due to a strong performance by the resources sector, which offset weakness in other sectors. Earnings-per-share growth for S&P/ASX 200 stocks is now forecast to be 6.3 per cent in 2018-19, compared with 7.6 per cent in 2017-18.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MST MARQUEE, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

S&P cuts AMP rating, more action to come

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 5-Mar-19

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has downgraded AMP’s credit rating from ‘A’ to ‘A-‘ in the wake of the wealth manager’s decision to sell its life insurance arm. S&P has flagged the potential for a further downgrade once the sale is completed, noting that the deal will affect AMP’s creditworthiness. Rival ratings agency Moody’s Investor Services recently downgraded the credit rating of AMP Life after it posted a 2018 operating loss of $176m.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AMP LIFE LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, AMP BANK LIMITED, RESOLUTION LIFE GROUP LIMITED, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Morgan backs broker fee reform

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 17 & 18 : 4-Mar-19

David Morgan has stepped down as deputy chairman of Dutch bank NIBC after eight years. Morgan notes that the mortgage broking industry in the Netherlands had survived after commissions were replaced by borrower-paid fees, and he does not see why the same system, as recommended by the banking royal commission, should not work in Australia. Morgan, a former CEO of Westpac, does not believe that it will take the banks as long to regain trust as some have speculated.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NIBC BANK NV, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Mortgage customers more satisfied dealing with banks than mortgage brokers

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Mar-19

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey for the six months to January 2019 shows that home loan customers who obtained their loan in person at a bank branch had a satisfaction rating of 77.2%, compared to 75.1% for those who used a mortgage broker. Dealing in person with a mobile bank representative had the highest level of satisfaction, at 80.6%. It is important to note that even among more recent home loans (held for under six years), satisfaction with going to a branch to obtain the loan was 79.8%, compared to 77.7% for mortgage brokers. Among the largest home loan banks, St George has the highest satisfaction with loans obtained through mortgage brokers (83.9%), closely followed by Bankwest (81.0%). Satisfaction among those obtaining their home loan through a branch was the highest for Bendigo Bank with 89.6%, well ahead of St George on 79.6%. The Single Source survey is based on in-depth interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 consumers per annum in their homes, including over 12,000 mortgage holders.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, ST GEORGE BANK LIMITED, BANKWEST, BENDIGO BANK

Mobile banking highest customer satisfaction

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 4-Mar-19

Mobile banking is the most rapidly growing banking channel, and this is supported by the fact that it has the highest customer satisfaction. In January 2019, satisfaction with mobile banking users was 89.3% and higher than internet banking (87.7%), branches (85.2%), personal banker/advisor (81.2%) and phone banking (77.2%). Mobile banking is now used by 44.7% of Australians in an average four-week period, compared to only 22.9% who use branches. All four of the major banks’ customers have higher satisfaction with their mobile banking compared to those using branches. Internet banking users also have higher satisfaction than those using branches, but on average remain a little below that of mobile bankers. These are some of the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s ‘Service Satisfaction Report-Consumer Banking Market January 2019’. This report is based on data collected from Roy Morgan’s Single Source survey, which involves in-depth interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 consumers per annum in their homes.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

RBNZ could end big four’s NZ super profits

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 1-Mar-19

New Zealand has traditionally been a cash cow for Australia’s major banks, but experts warn that profit growth could be dampened by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s proposal to increase their capital requirements. Westpac has warned that any move to impose higher capital buffers could push up interest rates on loans and result in a downturn in deposit rates. The RBNZ has downplayed concerns that it proposal may prompt Australian banks to exit the NZ market.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NEW ZEALAND INITIATIVE, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Big four may mull NZ exit due to capital call

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 28-Feb-19

Brian Johnson of CLSA and Jonathan Mott of UBS have warned that Australia’s four major banks could seek to divest their New Zealand subsidiaries if the nation’s central bank presses ahead with plans to increase their capital requirements. However, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has downplayed such suggestions, arguing that the nation’s banks are among the most profitable in the world. Mott does not expect the RBNZ to back down on its proposal.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Industry super wins $11b from retail

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 27-Feb-19

Data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority show that retail superannuation funds’ outflows totalled $10.9bn in 2018, compared with just $3.5bn in 2017. Industry funds benefited from the bearish sentiment toward retail funds. AustralianSuper’s funds under management rose by 17 per cent to $140bn, lifting its market share to 5.7 per cent. AMP, which was highly criticised by the Hayne royal commission, remains the nation’s largest retail super fund. It boasts some $123bn worth of funds under management, although its market share has fallen below five per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

‘Flawed but not illegal’: NAB digs in over fees for no service

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 26-Feb-19

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s case against National Australia Bank over claims that it charged customers for services that were not provided is due to go to court in May. NAB has conceded that it did the wrong thing in regard to customers who were not linked to a financial adviser, but the bank has rejected claims that it was in the wrong in instances where the customer was linked to a financial planner. It appears to be arguing that making advice available to this second group of customers justified the charging of a fee.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, MLC LIMITED

RBA could jump rates gun: UBS

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Original article by Samantha Bailey
The Australian – Page: 28 : 26-Feb-19

UBS still expects the Reserve Bank of Australia to reduce the cash rate in November 2019 and February 2020. However, UBS has warned that there is potential for monetary policy to be eased sooner if domestic and global conditions justify such a move. These include a further downturn in house prices and a rise in the unemployment rate.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD