FUND MANAGEMENT – AUSTRALIA

Aussie stocks still have room to grow: BlackRock

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 27 : 26-Jul-18

The BlackRock Concentrated Industrial Share Fund posted a return of 24.45 per cent net of fees in 2017-18, and its annual return has average 19 per cent since it was founded in December 2015. The fund’s biggest holdings include Wesfarmers, Qantas and Boral, while its focus is on mid-capitalisation industrial stocks. Charlie Lanchester of BlackRock is upbeat about the outlook for Australian industrial stocks.

CORPORATES
BLACKROCK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, BLACKROCK CONCENTRATED INDUSTRIAL SHARE FUND, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE, ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED – ASX ALL, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, PRAEMIUM LIMITED – ASX PPS, KOGAN.COM LIMITED – ASX KGN, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD

Perpetual motion: Lloyd to lead NAB wealth spin-off

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 17 & 21 : 18-Jul-18

National Australia Bank has advised that Geoff Lloyd will become CEO of its MLC wealth business on 1 September. Lloyd recently stepped down as CEO of Perpetual after six years, a period which saw strong growth in its profits and share price. NAB plans to divest MLC via a sharemarket float or trade sale, and Lloyd says the opportunity to grow the business as a stand-alone wealth manager was a key reason for his decision to take on the role. The spin-off will include NAB’s superannuation and financial planning businesses.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MLC LIMITED, PERPETUAL LIMITED – ASX PPT, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, JBWERE LIMITED, NABTRADE, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, LEND LEASE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LLC, NIPPON LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

Banks to stick with advice charges

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Original article by Anthony Klan
The Australian – Page: 8 : 29-Jun-18

Westpac-owned BT recently stated that it will abolish so-called "grandfathered" advice charges for customers with legacy investment products. AMP, National Australia Bank, ANZ, and the Commonwealth Bank have indicated that they will still impose the charges. The Productivity Commission noted in a recent report that around 630,000 superannuation accounts are subject to trailing commissions, with such charges having a detrimental impact on their balances.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

CBA retreats to simpler bank model

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Original article by Alice Uribe, Joyce Moullakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 18 : 26-Jun-18

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia will focus on its core banking operations after revealing plans to demerge its wealth management, financial planning and mortgage broking assets into a separately listed company. Analysts says the move was widely expected given the reforms that are likely to emerge from the banking royal commission. CBA has advised that it will not hold a stake in CFS Group, which is expected to have a market capitalisation of around $A8bn. CBA may also divest its general insurance business in a separate transaction.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CFS GROUP, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GROUP LIMITED, COLONIAL FIRST STATE GLOBAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED, FINANCIAL WISDOM LIMITED, AUSSIE HOME LOANS LIMITED, MORTGAGE CHOICE LIMITED – ASX MOC, COUNTPLUS LIMITED – ASX CUP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MLC LIMITED, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, BT FINANCIAL GROUP PTY LTD, CONCENTRATED LEADERS FUND LIMITED – ASX CLF, SHAW AND PARTNERS LIMITED, MORNINGSTAR PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL PLANNING LIMITED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP

AMP hit with fourth class action

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Original article by Michael Roddan
The Australian – Page: 23 : 8-Jun-18

Slater & Gordon is the latest law firm to formally file a class action lawsuit against wealth manager AMP in the wake of revelations that it charged clients for services that were not provided. Three other law firms have filed class actions to date, while Maurice Blackburn has yet to do so. Meanwhile, Kieren Chidgey of UBS estimates that financial planners who are affiliated with AMP and ANZ Bank are currently the least qualified to meet the new minimum education requirements for the sector that take effect in 2019.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, IOOF HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX IFL, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART AND SULLIVAN LP, SHINE LAWYERS, PHI FINNEY McDONALD PTY LTD, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED

Wilson warns on rotten AMP

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 26 : 16-May-18

Fund manager Geoff Wilson says former AMP employees have told him that its financial planning division is completely "rotten" and the banking royal commission’s revelations of misconduct are just the beginning. Wilson says the scandals at AMP have made it difficult to value the stock, and there may not be a price at which it constitutes a "buy". There is speculation that the royal commission may result in stricter regulation of the financial services sector, but Antipodes Partners’ Graham Hay cautions against any action that may actually reduce competition.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, ANTIPODES PARTNERS

Top pickers reveal their favourite stocks

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 16-May-18

Fund managers attending the Future Generation Investment Forum in Sydney have identified their preferred Australian and international stocks. Regal Funds Management’s Philip King likes Qantas, saying it is the cheapest stock in the ASX 100. Mastermyne and Freedom Foods are the top picks for Ben Griffiths of Eley Griffiths Group, while McPherson’s is the preferred stock of Centennial Asset Management’s Matthew Kidman. Wilson Asset Management’s Catriona Burns and Magellan Financial Group’s Domenico Giuliano favour US-listed Sensata Technologies and Facebook respectively.

CORPORATES
REGAL FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 100 INDEX, MASTERMYNE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MYE, FREEDOM FOODS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FNP, ELEY GRIFFITHS GROUP PTY LTD, McPHERSON’S LIMITED – ASX MCP, CENTENNIAL ASSET MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT, MAGELLAN FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX MFG, SENSATA TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, SANDON CAPITAL INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX SNC, SPICERS LIMITED – ASX SRS, COOPER INVESTORS PTY LTD, LIFESTYLE COMMUNITIES LIMITED – ASX LIC, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED, JETSTAR AIRLINES PTY LTD, QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER LIMITED

Fourth bid for AMP class action

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Original article by Ben Butler
The Australian – Page: 19 : 15-May-18

Maurice Blackburn is the latest law firm to propose launching a class action against wealth manager AMP in response to the scandals exposed by the banking royal commission. Phi Finney McDonald and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan have filed class action lawsuits to date, while Slater & Gordon has also flagged possible legal action on behalf of AMP shareholders. Andrew Watson of Maurice Blackburn stresses factors other than the lowest commission rate will determine which class action is allowed to proceed.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, PHI FINNEY MCDONALD PTY LTD, QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART AND SULLIVAN LP, SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, INTERNATIONAL LITIGATION FUNDING PARTNERS INCORPORATED, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, IMF BENTHAM LIMITED – ASX IMF

Wilkins sorry as first strike pounds AMP

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 11-May-18

AMP incurred a backlash from investors at its annual meeting on 10 May, with 61.5 per cent of votes cast rejecting its remuneration report. The financial services group could face a board spill in 2019 under the "two-strikes" regime. AMP director Andrew Harmos has retained his seat on the board, although 37.5 per cent of votes cast were opposed to his re-election. Meanwhile, acting executive chairman Mike Wilkins has apologised to shareholders for the "fees-for-no-service" scandal, and acknowledged that rebuilding trust and confidence in the AMP brand will take time.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, CLAYTON UTZ, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

AMP faces $2b class action

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Original article by Misa Han
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 10-May-18

AMP has declined to comment on a move by law firm Quinn Emanuel to launch a class action against the embattled financial services group. The class action is open to investors who bought AMP shares between 4 May 2013 and 18 April 2018. Several other law firms may also pursue class actions against AMP following the banking royal commission’s revelations that the group had charged fees for services that were not provided and had lied to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART AND SULLIVAN LP, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO MISCONDUCT IN THE BANKING, SUPERANNUATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SLATER AND GORDON LIMITED – ASX SGH, PHI FINNEY McDONALD PTY LTD, SHINE LAWYERS