BANKS AND BANKING – AUSTRALIA

Chalmers eases fears: banks are safe

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 15-Mar-23

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has downplayed concerns about the potential implications of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse for Australian banks. He says the federal government, the Treasury and regulators are monitoring the situation and the potential impact on Australia’s financial system. Chalmers has emphasised that the nation’s banks are well-capitalised and have high levels of liquidity. The fallout from SVB’s collapse has prompted a global selldown of bank shares, while many investors now expect the Reserve Bank to leave the cash rate on hold in April.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, SILICON VALLEY BANK, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Two more rate hikes on the way, tips NAB chief

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 15 & 19 : 15-Mar-23

National Australia Bank CEO Ross McEwan says the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank will have little or no direct impact on NAB’s customers. However, he has acknowledged that the NAB Ventures unit has invested in five small fintech start-ups that have links to SVB. McEwan adds that the rapid demise of SVB underlines the value of Australia’s strong regulatory regime for the banking sector. Meanwhile, McEwan believes that SVB’s collapse will not deter the Reserve Bank from increasing official interest rates another two times in order to curb inflation. NAB still expects the cash rate to peak at 4.1 per cent.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, SILICON VALLEY BANK, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

NAB faces test case over unpaid overtime

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 8-Mar-23

The issue of ‘reasonable additional hours’ for white-collar workers will come under scrutiny in a test case launched by the Finance Sector Union. The case centres on four National Australia Bank managers who allege that they were required to work unreasonable unpaid hours over several years. The FSU’s national secretary Julia Angrisano says the NAB managers are nominally employed to work 38 hours a week, but their actual hours can range between 10 and 16 hours per day, every day of the week. Angrisano adds that the FSU will seek compensation for all of NAB’s managers if it wins the test case, while it would also pursue action against the nation’s other major banks.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, FINANCE SECTOR UNION

Chalmers asks ACCC to probe deposit rates

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Original article by Ayesha de Kretser
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 & 15 : 11-Jan-23

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says consumers with savings accounts should consider switching banks to get a better deal, given that some banks still have low deposit interest rates despite eight increases in the cash rate during 2022. Chalmers contends that banks should treat their customers fairly with regard to savings accounts, and he has asked the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission to examine this issue in 2023. Analysis shows that smaller banks generally have much more competitive interest rates on deposit accounts than the nation’s four major banks.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

ACCC calls on banks in merger probe

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 4-Jan-23

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is currently assessing the ANZ Bank’s proposed deal to acquire Suncorp Group’s banking arm. Sources have indicated that the ACCC has requested information and data from the nation’s major and regional banks as part of the process, using its compulsory powers under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. This information is said to include bank returns, net interest margins, funding costs and market share. The ACCC is seeking submissions on the ANZ deal by 18 January, and it aims to make a final decision on the transaction in June.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ,SUNCORP BANK,SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN,AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Banks demand buy now, pay later details for home loans

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 13 & 17 : 23-Dec-22

ING and Macquarie Bank have told mortgage brokers that they are now including buy now, pay later debts when assessing a person’s ability to repay a mortgage or other type of loan. ING has also advised brokers that outstanding Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) or Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt amounts need to be included in the loan serviceability assessment, while it is to increase the minimum required deposit from five per cent to 10 per cent to line up with its align with its lenders’ mortgage insurer’s policy on "high-risk postcodes".

CORPORATES
ING AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL

NAB is the most trusted agribusiness bank among farmers, followed by Rural Bank and Rabobank

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Nov-22

A special Roy Morgan Agribusiness Brand Trust Survey of Australian farmers measured trust and distrust in the nation’s agricultural sector. National Australia Bank has emerged as the most trusted bank in the agribusiness sector in 2022, with farmers commending NAB for maintaining good relationships with farmers, for their reliability, good service and high standards. Farmers also trusted Rural Bank and Rabobank for their commitment to customer relationships, as well as their good service and reliability. Trust towards individual agribusiness banks varied by farmer demographics, with Rural Bank and Rabobank receiving high trust scores among Victorian farmers, while ANZ was most trusted in South Australia. Dairy farmers were more trusting of agribusiness banks overall, with all six banks measured in the survey recording higher Net Trust Scores among this group of farmers. Rural Bank and Rabobank were more trusted among wool farmers. The results of the Roy Morgan Farmer Agribusiness Brand Trust Survey Report are based on detailed interviews with 1,230 Australian farmers conducted during June and July 2022.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RURAL BANK LIMITED, RABOBANK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

APRA warns on bank cyber risks

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 12-Oct-22

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority chairman Wayne Byres has told a parliamentary committee hearing that a cyber attack on one of the nation’s financial institutions is inevitable. Byres said the sector has invested significantly in protecting their systems from hackers, but it is only a matter of time before a hacker is successful. He added that it is equally important to invest in response capabilities so any breaches are detected quickly and action is taken to limit the damage. S&P Global Ratings recently warned that Australia’s regional banks in particular are vulnerable to data breaches.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS

Crisis as bank branches closed

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 15 : 21-Sep-22

The Finance Sector Union has urged the federal government to hold an inquiry into the impact of bank branch closures on customers and communities. The FSU’s national secretary Julia Angrisano says the union has been particularly concerned about the closure of branches in regional areas. BankWest has advised that it will close 14 branches in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, while 29 branches in regional areas in Western Australia will have reduced trading hours. Angrisano has accused BankWest’s parent the Commonwealth Bank of putting "profits before people".

CORPORATES
FINANCE SECTOR UNION, BANKWEST, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Westpac closures take branch losses to 225 since last January

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Original article by Ayesha de Kretser
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 16-Sep-22

Westpac’s latest round of branch closures has been criticised by the Finance Sector Union, with national secretary Julia Angrisano also describing the bank as "mean and stingy" with regard to pay negotiations. Westpac will close another 24 branches across Australia, with the loss of 103 jobs; it previously closed 24 branches in both July and August, and a total of 225 branches have now been closed since the start of 2021. The Commonwealth Bank in turn will close three branches in NSW and South Australia.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, FINANCE SECTOR UNION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA