BANKS AND BANKING – AUSTRALIA

Westpac filled forms with false details

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Original article by Ben Butler, Elizabeth Redman
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 23-May-18

Westpac’s loan practices continued to attract scrutiny by the banking royal commission on 22 May, in the wake of revelations regarding the bank’s handling of a case in which a blind woman had acted as a guarantor. Westpac executive Alastair Welsh told the inquiry that the bank’s employees have been known to enter false information into loan documentation. He also conceded that the procedures Westpac follows in assessing whether a guarantor is likely to gain any financial benefit are more "form than substance".

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE LIMITED, NEW SOUTH WALES LEGAL AID COMMISSION

Bank confessions reach new lows

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Original article by James Frost
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-May-18

The banking royal commission is currently examining small business lending, with public hearings on the issue commencing on 21 May. Counsel assisting the commission read out a summary of admissions of poor behaviour in this area from various banks, including a confession from the Bank of Queensland that it had been charging corporate loan customers the wrong interest rates and fees. The commission was told that 87 per cent of loans to small businesses are secured by real estate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION

Westpac in hot seat over business lending

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Original article by James Frost, James Eyers, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 21-May-18

The banking royal commission’s third round of hearings will focus on loans by banks to small and medium businesses. The hearings are expected to examine issues such as unfair contracts, what defines a small business and the banking code of practice. Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh is among the witnesses who are scheduled to appear before the inquiry, while Westpac is expected to come under attack over its lending practices to small businesses.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, CAMERON RALPH PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, CUSTOMER OWNED BANKING ASSOCIATION, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Super funds slam short term banks

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 17-May-18

Institutional investors want directors and executives of Australia’s banks to be more accountable in the wake of the banking royal commission. AustralianSuper’s chief investment officer Mark Delaney says the major banks have been too focused on short-term profits, although he notes that this has changed in the last two years. UniSuper chief investment officer John Pearce says the findings of two recent Australian Prudential Regulation Authority investigations have been more damning than the royal commission’s revelations.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, UNISUPER LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, FIRST STATE SUPER, REST SUPER PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, BLOOMBERG LP

Fears of big job losses from inquiry fallout

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 20 : 15-May-18

Automation has already put around 50,000 financial services jobs at risk, and job losses in the sector may increase in the wake of the banking royal commission. Sally Auld of JPMorgan says the loss of jobs as a result of the inquiry could be greater than those shed during the last financial crisis. Tommy Wu of IBISWorld notes that the banking sector’s revenue has fallen by over $A10 billion in the last five years, and it could fall even further as a result of the royal commission.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, IBISWORLD PTY LTD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG

CommBank finance boss Jesudason jumps ship

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Original article by James Eyers, Jonathan Shapiro, Will Willitts
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 14 : 15-May-18

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has named Alan Docherty as its acting CFO following the sudden resignation of Rob Jesudason after less than a year in the role. Docherty is currently the CFO of the institutional banking and markets division, and he joined CBA in 2003. Jesudason’s departure for a role in Hong Kong is the latest setback for CEO Matt Comyn, with six key executives resigning since he succeeded Ian Narev. Jesudason has expressed interest in becoming CEO, but sources have indicated that he was not in contention.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BLOCK.ONE, CREDIT SUISSE AG, JP MORGAN AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, BARCLAYS BANK PLC, GE CAPITAL CORPORATION, McKINSEY AND COMPANY

Commonwealth Bank admits it broke law over fees

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Original article by Sarah Danckert, Clancy Yeates
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 3 : 11-May-18

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has issued a statement acknowledging that its financial planners had breached the Corporations Act by charging fees for services that were not provided. However, the bank has rejected several of the open findings of the senior counsel assisting the banking royal commission with regard to its financial planning division. Meanwhile, Westpac has rejected all of the open findings of the royal commission regarding its financial planning business.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL PLANNING LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, RI ADVICE GROUP PTY LTD, M3 FINANCIAL, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, DOVER FINANCIAL ADVISERS PTY LTD

CBA falls as legal costs take toll on profit

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 19 & 24 : 10-May-18

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has posted an underlying cash net profit of $A2.35bn for the March quarter, which is nine per cent lower than previously. CBA has advised of an increase in home loan, personal loan and credit card arrears during the period, while its expenses rose by three per cent. Meanwhile, CBA has agreed to pay fines totalling $A25m to settle allegations that it manipulated the bank bill swap rate.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, DIGITAL FINANCE ANALYTICS, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Westpac anger at royal commission tactics

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 14 : 8-May-18

Westpac’s shares rose $A0.24 to $A29.34 on 7 May after the bank reported an interim cash profit of $A4.25 billion, up six per cent. In releasing its latest results, Westpac took the opportunity to criticise the banking royal commission’s release of documents that had been critical of its lending standards. CEO Brian Hartzer also took the opportunity to restate the bank’s commitment to its BT Financial Group wealth business, despite other banks having indicated their intention to exit the wealth management sector.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BTT, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

ANZ scraps product-linked bonus score

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Original article by Alice Uribe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 19 : 7-May-18

The ANZ Bank has announced that it will sack financial planners who twice fail a compliance audit, as the banking royal commission continues to reverberate among Australia’s 25,000 financial planners. ANZ has also announced that it will abolish product-linked bonuses for its financial planners, with CEO Shayne Elliott stating that the problems that the royal commission has revealed regarding financial planners have been created by a structure that rewards them for selling products.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL