APRA urges more capital be held against NZ banks

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 17 : 16-Oct-19

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has warned that the nation’s major banks may need to increase the amount of capital they hold domestically in response to proposed changes to capital requirements in New Zealand. APRA is concerned that the Reserve Bank of NZ’s reforms may prompt banks to shift capital to NZ, where they are the dominant players in the banking sector. The ANZ Bank estimates that APRA’s proposal would reduce its common equity tier 1 capital by about 75 basis points; Westpac in turn says its tier 1 capital would be reduced by about 40 basis points.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Regionals undercut bigger bank rivals

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis, Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 16-Oct-19

Analysis by RateCity shows that some of Australia’s regional banks are currently offering much lower variable home loan interest rates than the ‘big four’ bank. However, Victor German of Macquarie Group notes that existing customers at some of the smaller banks are also paying much higher mortgage interest rates than new customers. The mortgage pricing of smaller banks is among the issues that will be examined by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s new inquiry into the sector.

CORPORATES
RATECITY PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, SUNCORP BALANCED PROPERTY FUND, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, AMP BANK LIMITED, ING BANK (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Young losing trust in democracy is a threat to society

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 16-Oct-19

The University of Western Australia has used its submission to a Senate inquiry to highlight the declining trust in democracy, particularly among younger Australians. The UWA submission has also called for greater emphasis on civics and citizenship in the national curriculum. In addition, the UWA has advocated allowing dual citizens to be elected to parliament by repealing section 44(i) of the Constitution.

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, MONASH UNIVERSITY

Water’s worth its weight in gold as big producers run dry in the drought

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 17 & 24 : 16-Oct-19

The Cowal gold mine in western New South Wales accounted for nearly 40 per cent of Evolution Mining’s total production for the September quarter. However, COO Bob Fulker has warned that production at Cowal may be hit by the end of 2019-20 if the drought in NSW persists and Evolution’s efforts to reduce the mine’s water consumption do not pay off. CEO Jake Klein notes that Evolution now recycles about 50 per cent of the water used at Cowal. The drought may also affect output at Newcrest Mining’s Cadia mine.

CORPORATES
EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN, NEWCREST MINING LIMITED – ASX NCM, GLENCORE PLC, AUSTRALIA. BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY

Cup day rate cut less likely on minutes

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 16-Oct-19

Financial markets have priced in a 36 per cent chance that the Reserve Bank will reduce the cash rate in November, following the release of the minutes from the central bank’s October board meeting. Amongst other things, board members expressed concern about the impact of historically low interest rates on savers and the housing market. The general consensus of economists is that the cash rate will remain on hold until February.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Southern Cross hit hard by sell-off

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Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 19 : 16-Oct-19

Southern Cross Media Group has advised that EBITDA for the first half of 2019-20 is expected to be within the range of $60m to $68m, compared with $82m for the same period in 2018-19. The group has also reported that revenue for the first quarter was 8.5 per cent lower than previously, due to challenging conditions in the advertising market. CFO Nick McKechnie says the group has no plans for further asset sales after selling its broadcast transmission assets in August.

CORPORATES
SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, BROADCAST AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Surplus safe with fast-track tax cuts

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 6 : 16-Oct-19

The Centre for Independent Studies has released a report which warns that the federal government’s changes to the low- to medium-income tax offset will decrease­ GDP and the economic efficiency of the tax system. The report’s author, John Humphreys, estimates that the LMITO will reduce revenue by $35bn over the next four years, as it provides a disincentive to work. He adds that the second and third stages of the government’s tax cuts package will reduce revenue by $145bn over 10 years, and argues that the tax cuts can be brought forward without jeopardising Budget surpluses.

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THE CENTRE FOR INDEPENDENT STUDIES LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Coalition win as ALP backs big stick laws on energy

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 4 : 16-Oct-19

Labor has agreed to support the federal government’s bill to force energy companies to divest assets if they fail to reduce electricity prices. However, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says the policy shift is not a backdown, as the proposed legislation has been changed significantly since it was rejected by the previous parliament. The government has agreed to some concessions sought by Labor in return for supporting the bill.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

IMF: global growth at decade low

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 16-Oct-19

The International Monetary Fund now expects global economic growth of three per cent in 2019, and has warned of a synchronised global slowdown. The IMF also expects the US-China trade war to reduce global growth by 0.8 per cent over the next two years. Australia’s economic growth forecast for 2019 has been downgraded from 2.1 per cent to 1.7 per cent, prompting shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers to urge the federal government to bring forward its mid-year Budget update. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the domestic economy is still growing faster than all G7 nations except the US.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down to 110.9

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Oct-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 1.2% to 110.9 in the week ended 13 October, its second straight weekly loss; confidence remains below its long-run average. Households’ views towards current financial conditions gained 0.2%, while views towards future financial conditions were up 0.7%. However. consumers’ views toward current economic conditions fell 1% and views towards future economic conditions lost 1.7%. The ‘time to buy a major household item’ fell 3.9% after two successive gains. Inflation expectations remained stable at 4.1%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ