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

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

ASIC takes issue with NAB’s debt collection letters

Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 27-Oct-15

Customers of National Australia Bank may have been misled by the bank. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission is concerned that the debt collection letters sent to borrowers contain references to Fairhalsen Collections and Brunswick Collections Services. Borrowers could be under the impression that they had received a warning from independent debt collectors, when in fact these two entities are part of the bank.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, FAIRHALSEN COLLECTIONS, BRUNSWICK COLLECTIONS SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Bank profits to slow, says Fitch

Original article by Clancy Yeates
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 13-Jan-15

Fitch Ratings notes that a decline in bad debts has contributed to the growth of Australian banks’ profits in recent years. However, a new report from Fitch warns that the banks are likely to face a rise in bad debts in 2015, which will result in lower profit growth. Factor such as rising competition in the home loans sector will also adversely affect growth in earnings

CORPORATES
FITCH RATINGS 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, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS