Property curbs pave way for RBA rate cuts

Original article by Jonathan Shapiro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 11-Dec-14

Martin Whetton of the ANZ Bank says the decision to implement measures aimed at curbing growth in loans for investment properties could lead a reduction in the cash rate. The bond market had anticipated such action by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, with the 10-year bond rate falling below three per cent and the three-year bond rate easing to 2.27 per cent

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, COUNCIL OF FINANCIAL REGULATORS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, TRIPLE T CONSULTING LIMITED

Shares still compelling as ageing population chases income

Original article by Philip Baker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 24-Oct-14

Experts advise investors to focus on equities that are likely to benefit from so-called megatrends such as population growth, ageing societies and the rising of the middle class. Yield will be the primary consideration for investors. With a 10-year government bond yielding only about 3.2 per cent, investors are likely to choose equities instead

CORPORATES
SANOFI PHARMACEUTICALS, COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY, JOHNSON AND JOHNSON, SABMILLER PLC, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED

RBA warns: share sell-off will be violent

Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 21 : 15-Oct-14

A Citi investment conference in Sydney on 14 October 2014 heard from Guy Debelle, head of financial markets at the Reserve Bank of Australia. He argued investors were showing irrational exuberance and were ignoring risk at their own peril. Debelle said the stock market volatility of recent weeks was coming unexpectedly late given factors such as rising geopolitical tensions, and an eventual selling of fixed-interest instruments globally would be "violent". He also noted that new regulations prompted by the global financial crisis had reduced the scope for liquidity

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, CHICAGO BOARD OPTIONS EXCHANGE VOLATILITY INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD

NAB funding costs hit GFC low

Original article by Michael Bennet
The Australian – Page: 23 : 26-Aug-14

Debt financing has become more affordable for Australia’s four main banks, meaning they can compete more vigorously for mortgage loan customers without sacrificing margins. National Australia Bank has in mid-August 2014 sourced $A1.65bn via bonds with a maturity of 5.25 years and an interest rate of just 82 basis points above the bank bill swap rate. This is the lowest cost for such a move by the "big four" since the global financial crisis. The majority of bank funding still comes from deposits, but long-term debt accounts for 12%

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Australian rally on Fed statements could be short-lived

Original article by Sally Rose
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 and 22 : 20-Jun-14

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose by 1.6 per cent on 19 June 2014, and the All Ordinaries Index was up 1.5 per cent. The bullish sentiment was prompted by indications that US interest rates are set to remain at a historic low in the near-term. Meanwhile, the Australian dollar rose to $US0.9423 and the yield on 10-year government bonds fell by two per cent. George Clapham of Arnhem Investment Management cautions that economic data in China will remain the key influence on the Australian sharemarket

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX ALL ORDINARIES INDEX, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, BANK OF ENGLAND, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL OPEN MARKET COMMITTEE, WILSON HTM LIMITED, MLC LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK