BANKS AND BANKING – AUSTRALIA

NAB shareholders back Clydesdale spin-off

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Original article by Sally Rose, Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 18 : 28-Jan-16

National Australia Bank (NAB) will proceed with plans to demerge its Clydesdale Bank subsidiary in the UK, after 98 per cent of shareholders voted in favour of the deal. NAB shareholders will receive 75 per cent of Clydesdale’s shares, with the balance to be offered to institutional investors. However, the latter component of the transaction may be delayed if NAB fails to obtain a satisfactory price for the stock. NAB chairman Ken Henry says the bank’s dividend will not be affected by the sale of Clydesdale.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, CLYDESDALE BANK PLC, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Australians feeling "financially stable" but currently below pre-GFC levels

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Jan-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was carried out in the year to October 2015, has found that 60.4 per cent of Australians aged 14+ agree that they feel "financially stable at the moment". This compares with 61.2 per cent in the year to October 2007, prior to the global financial crisis, and 56.5 per cent in the year to October 2008. The survey also shows that 61.1 per cent of people who are customers of banks feel more stable regarding their finances than those who do not deal with banks (50.2 per cent).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, MACQUARIE BANK LIMITED – ASX MBL, ING DIRECT, CITIBANK PTY LTD, BENDIGO BANK, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BANK OF QUEENSLAND LIMITED – ASX BOQ, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Ratings agency predicts weaker bank profit growth in 2016

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 20-Jan-16

Fitch Ratings warns that Australian banks are likely to face lower growth in earnings in 2016, citing factors such as a rise in bad loans, an increase in the cost of funding and stronger competition in the sector. However, the ratings agency notes that capital raisings in 2015 mean the four major banks are well-placed to handle any increase in bad loans.

CORPORATES
FITCH RATINGS 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, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

NAB unveils pricing range for Clydesdale

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 19-Jan-16

National Australia Bank (NAB) expects to float its British lender Clydesdale Bank in early February 2016. Volatility on global share markets has forced the Australian-listed bank to lower its price expectations for the float. NAB’s Craig Drummond says the British bank will be offered to shareholders at between Stg1.75 and Stg2.35 a share which suggests a market capitalisation of between Stg1.54 billion and Stg2.07 billion ($A3.19 billion and $A4.29 billion).

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, CLYDESDALE BANK PLC, LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Satisfaction with big four banks dips further in November

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Dec-15

A Roy Morgan Research Single Source survey shows that the satisfaction level of the personal customers of Australia’s four major banks fell by 0.5 per cent to 80.4 per cent in the six months to November 2015. The Commonwealth Bank continued to have the highest customer satisfaction rating of the four major banks, at 81.7 per cent, which is 0.7 per cent lower than previously. It also had the highest satisfaction rating among the home loan customers of the big four banks, at 80.1 per cent. Smaller banks had the highest level of customer satisfaction overall, at 86.6 per cent, while the mutual sector’s customer satisfaction rating was 91.2 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, TEACHERS MUTUAL BANK LIMITED, SUNCORP BANK, BENDIGO BANK, ING DIRECT

Bank branches under threat

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Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 14-Dec-15

Gerard du Toit of Bain & Company says Australian banks may close 10-30 per cent of their bank branches within five years, as the trend toward mobile banking gathers pace. He notes that the number of visits to branches fell by nearly 10 per cent year-on-year in the September 2015 quarter. However, du Toit cautions banks against shifting their focus to digital banking before it is fully accepted by customers, particularly those in older age demographics.

CORPORATES
BAIN AND COMPANY, ABN AMRO BANK NV, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Westpac under fire over pay

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Original article by Adele Ferguson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 30-Nov-15

Westpac has refuted claims by Ownership Matters that its executive bonuses for 2013-14 and 2014-15 were inflated by a decision to exclude a software write-off from its cash earnings. Ownership Matters argues that Westpac’s ex-CEO Gail Kelly and other senior executives would not have received bonuses if the $A354m software write-down had been included in the bank’s cash earnings. The firm has advised Westpac shareholders to vote against the bank’s remuneration report at its 2015 annual meeting.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Consumer satisfaction with big four banks dips in October

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Nov-15

A Roy Morgan Research Single Source survey shows that the satisfaction level of the personal customers of Australia’s four major banks fell by 0.3 per cent to 80.9 per cent in the six months to October 2015. The Commonwealth Bank continued to have the highest customer satisfaction rating of the four major banks, at 82.4 per cent, which is 0.1 per cent lower than previously. It also had the highest satisfaction rating among home loan customers of the big four banks, at 81.8 per cent (down 0.2 per cent). Smaller banks had the highest level of customer satisfaction overall and among home loan customers in October.

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, TEACHERS MUTUAL BANK LIMITED, SUNCORP BANK, BENDIGO BANK, BANK OF MELBOURNE LIMITED, ST GEORGE BANK LIMITED, ING DIRECT, ME BANK, BANK OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Westpac’s Gail Kelly gets $11m in final year

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Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 : 12-Nov-15

Westpac’s 2015 annual report shows that former CEO Gail Kelly received $A11.76 million for her last four months at the helm of the bank. This figure comprises $A2.25 million in cash in the year to September 2015 and $A9.51 million in performance share options awarded in prior years. Kelly retired in February 2015.

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

ANZ’s Smith is $10.8m a year man

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 10-Nov-15

The ANZ Bank’s 2015 annual report shows that CEO Mike Smith was paid a cash salary of $A3.3m in 2014-15, while bonuses and an incentives scheme lifted his total remuneration to $A10.8m. In contrast, Commonwealth Bank CEO Ian Narev was paid $A8.32m in total for 2014-15. ANZ CFO Shayne Elliott will succeed Smith at the beginning of 2016, and he is expected to be paid around $A6.5m in total in his first year as CEO.

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