MacroBusiness covers Australian banks from the perspective of their macro-economic role, as political economy actors, as investment propositions and in terms of financial stability and capital adequacy. Australian banks have played a crucial role in inflating the Australian property bubble, exist within an utterly privileged position as “too big to fail” institutions and operate within a deeply distorted financial architecture that has Australian tax payers well and truly on the hook in the event of trouble. MacroBusiness seeks to define this role for investors as well as change it in the name of the Australian national interest.
From Banking Day comes the news that on Friday: …Westpac priced the Series 2013-1 WST Trust. The A$1.9 billion class A tranche, with a weighted average life of three years, was priced at 85 basis pointed over the one-month bank bill swap rate. Pricing on the $71 million class B tranche and the $97 class
From the AFR, APRA head John Laker last night snuffed out hopes that RMBS may be included in an expanded basket of qualifying assets for Basel III liquidity requirements for banks: “The discretion to add additional assets is qualified by the fact that these assets … must have a proven record of a reliable source
It is not always easy to determine bank funding costs. They’re complex. The AFR is very excited today about the prospect of out-of-cycle rate cuts from major banks: “Potentially, we could see out-of-cycle interest rate cuts, but not in the near, near future,” Morningstar bank analyst David Ellis said. “It depends on how offshore, wholesale funding
From Banking Day: Claim levels on the mortgage insurer Genworth Financial remain “elevated”, the company said yesterday. Claims by insured home-loan funders were A$71 million in the December 2012 quarter, down from $81 million in the September quarter. Claim hot-spots remain loans advanced to borrowers in Queensland and also to small business owners and the
One of the indicators I watch closely is the CDS prices for major banks. This is the cost to insure a bond issued by a bank and is a guide therefore to the robustness or otherwise of underlying credit markets. Here is the long term chart for CBA, JPM and ING. I have chosen these three
From Moody’s: Sydney, February 04, 2013 — Moody’s Investors Service has today announced the conclusion of its review of the Australian lenders’ mortgage insurance (LMI) sector, and downgraded the ratings of three LMI companies. The actions are: – Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Pty Limited’s (Genworth Australia) insurance financial strength rating (IFSR) was downgraded to A3 from A1; – Genworth Financial
