BANKS AND BANKING – AUSTRALIA

Westpac misses the profit mark

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Original article by Michael Bennet
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 3-May-16

Shares in Australia’s major banks were sold down on 2 May 2016, after Westpac posted lower-than-expected cash earnings of $A3.9bn for the first half of 2015-16. This was three per cent higher than previously, but impairment charges rose by 96 per cent to $A667m and the bank’s return on equity fell to 14.2 per cent. CEO Brian Hartzer says Westpac will cease offering financial products that do not generate a sufficient return. Shareholders will receive an unchanged interim dividend of $A0.94 per share.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD

Pressure on dividends in bank earnings

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 2-May-16

The earnings and dividend payouts of Australia’s four major banks will come under scrutiny in the first week of May 2016, with three set to release their half-year results. Westpac is tipped to post an interim net profit of at least $A4bn, while the ANZ Bank and National Australia Bank are expected to report half-year profits of about $A3.58bn and $A3.34bn respectively. Hugh Dive of Aurora Funds Management says NAB is the most likely to reduce its dividend payout, although Mark Nathan of Arnhem Asset Management believes that all four major banks will leave dividends unchanged in the near-term.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AURORA FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, WATERMARK FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION

Bank bad debts to rise $1.2b, UBS downgrades earnings

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 15-Apr-16

Australian banks’ exposure to corporate failures will affect their financial results when they are reported in early May 2016. Jonathan Mott, an analyst at UBS, wrote in a note to clients that total exposures to companies such as Arrium, the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal, Dick Smith, McAleese and Slater & Gordon would be around $A899 million for National Australia Bank, $A809 million for Westpac, $A688 million for the ANZ Bank and $A657 million for the Commonwealth Bank.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, PEABODY COALTRADE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, McALEESE LIMITED – ASX MCS

Banks cheap on valuations, but ‘buy’ status questionable

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 12-Apr-16

The share prices of Australia’s four major banks have fallen by 7-12 per cent in the last month. As a result, the banks are trading at a sizeable discount based on their forward price-to-earnings ratio, which has fallen to about 11 times. However, Omkar Joshi of Watermark Funds Management notes that the banks are still much more expensive than their international peers on a price-to-book ratio.

CORPORATES
WATERMARK FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, BLOOMBERG LP, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ARRIUM LIMITED – ASX ARI, AURORA FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED, CONTANGO ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, ESANDA FINANCE CORPORATION LIMITED, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

BoQ lifts mortgage rates as profit jumps 11pc

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 8-Apr-16

The Bank of Queensland has reported an 11 per cent rise in 2015-16 interim profit to $A171 million. CEO Jon Sutton says the bank’s variable interest rates for owner-occupier home loans will be raised by 12 basis points to 5.86 per cent. Mortgage rates on investor loans will rise by 25 basis points to 6.28 per cent. The new rates will take effect in mid-April 2016.

CORPORATES
BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MACQUARIE EQUITIES LIMITED, VIRGIN MONEY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Consumer satisfaction with big four banks dips again in February

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Mar-16

A Roy Morgan Research Single Source survey has found that the overall satisfaction level of the personal customers of Australia’s four major banks fell to 80.5 per cent in the six months to February 2016, compared with 80.6 per cent in January. The Commonwealth Bank continued to have the highest customer satisfaction rating of the four major banks, at 82 per cent. Meanwhile, many smaller banks had higher customer satisfaction ratings than the "big four", with Beyond Bank Australia boasting a satisfaction rating of 95.4 per cent. Smaller lenders also had higher satisfaction ratings among home loan customers, with ING Direct topping the list with a satisfaction rating of 94.6 per cent.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BEYOND BANK AUSTRALIA, ING DIRECT, TEACHERS MUTUAL BANK LIMITED, HERITAGE BANK LIMITED – ASX HBS, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, BENDIGO BANK, BANK OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ME BANK

Bank of Qld hit with second class action

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Original article by Georgia Wilkins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 15-Mar-16

Law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has launched legal action against Bank of Queensland, alleging that the bank "knowingly assisted" Sherwin Financial Planners in distributing-Ponzi-like products. The law firm is representing investors in the Petersen Superannuation Fund who invested in Money Market Deposit Accounts offered by Sherwin Financial Planners.

CORPORATES
BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART AND SULLIVAN LP, WICKHAM SECURITIES LIMITED, SHERWIN FINANCIAL PLANNERS PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, DDH GRAHAM LIMITED, SHINE LAWYERS, BRISBANE MAGISTRATES’ COURT, PETERSEN SUPERANNUATION FUND

Besieged bank vows to improve process

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Original article by Michael Bennet
The Australian – Page: 7 : 11-Mar-16

The Commonwealth Bank has promised to thoroughly investigate recent allegations of unethical behaviour at its insurance business. Reports in the media outline allegations of doctors being under pressure to change their diagnoses of life insurance policyholders to match CommInsure’s commercial goals. Superannuation fund HESTA is reviewing its relationship with CommInsure.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, COMMINSURE, HEALTH EMPLOYEES’ SUPERANNUATION TRUST AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Citi expects bank dividends to be ‘significantly lower’

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Original article by James Chessell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 8-Mar-16

Citi Global Markets’ Sebastien Bland has warned that hedge funds and long-only fund managers in the UK and Europe are not convinced that Australian banks’ dividend payouts are sustainable given their current capital levels. He says hedge funds believe that the banks will need to reduce their dividend payout ratios, but he adds that long-only funds expect the banks to maintain dividends via measures such as dividend reinvestment plans.

CORPORATES
CITI GLOBAL MARKETS, CITIGROUP INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, VARIANT PERCEPTION

NAB Challenge satisfies NAB customers

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Mar-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 82 per cent of National Australia Bank customers aged +14 who "occasionally" watch NAB Challenge games during the AFL’s pre-season are very or fairly satisfied with the bank, while the satisfaction level among those who "almost always" watch NAB Challenge matches is 88 per cent. Meanwhile, 80.2 per cent of National Australia Bank customers overall were satisfied with the bank during the six months to December 2015.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE