Digitised lending ‘in a decade’: NAB

Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 : 13-May-19

Business banking contributes almost 50 per cent of National Australia Bank’s cash earnings. Anthony Healy, the head of NAB’s business banking division, forecasts that approvals for loans to small and medium enterprises will have been fully digitised within 10 years. He notes that platforms such as Quickbiz already allows NAB to do this. Healy has downplayed speculation that he is among the leading internal candidates to permanently replace Andrew Thorburn as CEO.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, JUDO BANK PTY LTD

Look beyond bank shares to grow wealth: fund managers

Original article by Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 3-May-19

National Australia Bank reduced its interim dividend by 16 per cent on 2 May, but Andrew Martin of Alphinity Investment Management does not expect further dividend cuts in the banking sector. He adds that a credit crunch would be a key driver for any future dividend cuts. Prasad Patkar of Platypus Asset Management says the ‘golden era’ for Australian bank shares ended in the wake of the global financial crisis, rather than the Hayne royal commission, and investors should consider other investment options.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, PLATYPUS ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC

Westpac to take $753m earnings hit

Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 : 1-May-19

Westpac has advised that its 2018-19 interim cash profit will be marred by writedowns totalling $753m. The bank has increased its half-year provisions for customer remediation by $357m, to $617m in total. Westpac’s financial accounts will also include provisions totalling $136m in relation to the restructuring of its wealth division. Westpac will report its half-year results on 6 May. The ANZ Bank and National Australia Bank will also release their interim results in coming days.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, VIRIDIAN ADVISORY PTY LTD

Investors wary in peak profit warning season

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 28 : 1-May-19

Matthew Ross of Goldman Sachs anticipates an increase in profit warnings ahead of the end of the 2018-19 financial year. He adds that factors such as the federal election will make it hard for listed companies to increase earnings momentum leading into the second half of the calendar year. However, Ross notes that despite a decline in profit margins in the last 18 months, the EBIT margins of 80 per cent of companies remained above long-term averages during the first half of 2018-19.

CORPORATES
GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK

Bank loan losses to reduce dividends

Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 21 : 24-Apr-19

Citigroup has downplayed investors’ concerns about the high dividend payout ratios of Australia’ major banks. Brendan Sproule of Citigroup says banks are likely to absorb one-off costs rather than reduce their payout ratios. Instead, a sharp increase in loan losses is seen to be the main threat to continued high dividend ratios. Sproules adds that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s review of its bank capital framework is unlikely to impact on Australia’s major banks.

CORPORATES
CITIGROUP PTY LTD, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, 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, RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND

Lendlease and Vicinity both takeover targets, says JPM

Original article by Nick Lenaghan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 23-Apr-19

JP Morgan’s Global REIT Radar report suggests that a sharp fall in the share prices of Lendlease and Vicinity Centres could make them potential takeover targets. Ben Brayshaw of JP Morgan says both stocks are currently trading well below the firm’s estimate of their net asset value. The report also notes that real estate investment trusts have delivered a total return of 18.5 per cent over the last year, while global equities have returned just 7.6 per cent.

CORPORATES
LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, VICINITY CENTRES – ASX VCX, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CROWN ESTATE, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Santos warns of PRRT tax hit

Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 20 : 18-Apr-19

Santos has posted sales revenue of $1.01bn for the March quarter, which is 28 per cent higher than previously, while free cash flow rose to a record $327m. Santos has also advised that it produced 18.4 million barrels of oil equivalent during the quarter, which is up 33 per cent year-on-year. Meanwhile, Santos has indicated that its earnings could be adversely affected by changes to the petroleum resource rent tax that take effect on 1 July.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, CONOCOPHILLIPS, QUADRANT ENERGY PTY LTD, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS

Iron ore players hit by Vale mine restart

Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 17 & 26 : 18-Apr-19

Shares in Fortescue Metals Group, BHP and Rio Tinto fell sharply on 17 April, after Vale was cleared to resume production at its Brucutu iron ore mine. News that Vale expects production to resume within days also weighed on the iron ore price. Meanwhile, BHP has advised that its iron ore production costs will rise due to the impact of Cyclone Veronica; full-year production guidance for its Pilbara operations has been reduced to between 265 and 270 million tonnes. BHP’s Pilbara iron ore shipments totalled 64 million tonnes in the March quarter.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, VALE SA, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, CITIGROUP PTY LTD

Rio cuts iron ore production guidance as port problem lingers

Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 17-Apr-19

Rio Tinto has advised that its iron ore production in the Pilbara is likely to be within the range of 333 million to 343 million tonnes in 2019. This compares with previous guidance of 338 million to 350 million tonnes. The downgrade follows disruptions caused by Cyclone Veronica and fires at two separate screening plants. Peter O’Connor of Shaw & Partners says the impact of these disruptions on Rio Tinto’s output should be offset by higher iron ore prices.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED

Industry funds to reach $2trn within 10 years

Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 16-Apr-19

KPMG has forecast that Australia’s superannuation industry will boast $5.4trn worth of funds under management by 2029, compared with just $2.7trn at present. The firm’s 2019 Super Insights report also forecasts that industry funds will manage $2trn in 2029, up from $631bn in 2019. Paul Howes of KPMG says union-backed industry funds must ensure that they comply with the ‘sole-purpose test’ as their dominance of the super industry increases.

CORPORATES
KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, SUNSUPER PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MLC LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP