Please note that as of August 2012, The Bank Investor site is no longer being updated. Australia and New Zealand's best analysis of the banking and finance industry can be found at Banking Day.
Articles by Ian Rogers
Ian Rogers contributes to The Bank Investor on a wide range of banking topics and edits its sister publication, Banking Day.
Grimshaw cleans house at BOQ 
Bank of Queensland is seeking to sell $450 million in new shares, equal to more than a third of its capital base, after announcing a loss for the half year to February 2012 today.
The bank published a simplified version of its six-month profit today alongside a timetable for the capital raising, ... More
Published on Monday, 26 March, 2012
Filed under BoQ
ECB stymies ANZ's Asian plans for now
There are few opportunities for banks such as ANZ to buy unwanted banking businesses in Asia thanks to the support for European banks by the European Central Bank, ANZ's chief executive Mike Smith told an investor conference last week.
The injection of liquidity by the ECB (including the most ... More
Published on Monday, 26 March, 2012
Filed under ANZ
NAB considers options for its UK banking operation
A "good bank, bad bank" solution is under discussion at National Australia Bank concerning its underperforming Clydesdale Bank franchise in the UK.
NAB is likely to separate out the retail banking and small business banking operations of Clydesdale from its commercial real-estate business in the ... More
Published on Monday, 12 March, 2012
Filed under NAB
What the analysts are saying: lower funding costs with help earnings
Lower funding costs in the wholesale and retail market may lift profits for major banks by as much as three per cent compared with recent estimates, new estimates prepared by RBS Equities (Australia) show. Andrew Lyons and John Buonaccorsi, analysts at RBS Equities, published research last week ... MoreNew Customers Ltd CEO must win over sceptical investors
ATM network operator Customers Limited has appointed John Russell as chief executive. This will be the first CEO-level job for Russell, who has been head of strategy at AWB for the past four years, and possibly his first job in the payments arena.
Previously, Russell held management positions at ... More
Published on Monday, 12 March, 2012
Filed under small institutions, Customers Limited
ATM fleet operators, Customers and GRG International, are doing it tough
Around four per cent of the profit of automatic teller machine operator Customers Limited may be at risk as curbs on access to cash at gambling venues begin to bite from the middle of this year. The firm, which operates the largest fleet of ATMs in Australia, hopes to limit the impact on profit to ... More
Published on Monday, 5 March, 2012
Filed under small institutions, Customers Limited
The Rock Building Society proves a handy buy for MyState Financial
The Rock Building Society may prove a handy acquisition for MyState Financial, with the former producing a net profit of A$6.2 million in the December 2011 half-year, three times the level of profit reported by The Rock in either of the corresponding halves in 2009 and 2010.
This improvement is ... More
Published on Monday, 5 March, 2012
Filed under small institutions
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank results soft and outlook for continuing weakness
With a lacklustre, but well telegraphed, half-yearly profit to announce last week, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's chief executive, Mike Hirst, used the regular briefing to reflect on some of the key debates in banking - and to explain why the bank lifted home-loan interest rates by more than any ... More
Published on Monday, 27 February, 2012
Filed under Bendigo and Adelaide, analysts
Fitch considers downgrade for Australian banks
Fitch Ratings is considering a downward revision in the long term credit ratings of Australia's major banks, a step that may cost one of them an 'AA' class rating.
At present, Fitch has long-term credit ratings for Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Westpac of AA. Fitch rates ANZ at ... More
Moody's cuts Bank of Queensland rating
Moody's Investors Service cut the long term credit rating of Bank of Queensland to A3, from A2. The credit ratings agency said the outlook remained negative for the bank's rating. Moody's placed BOQ's ratings on review for possible downgrade in October. It justified its rating action on a ... More
Published on Monday, 30 January, 2012
Filed under BoQ
IMB capital structure under review
IMB has managed to offset the effects of an erosion in its margins and a rise in the level of liquid assets over the December 2011 half and post a mild increase in net profits. The building society said its profit increased to A$15.13 million over the half, compared with $15.07 million in the ... More
Published on Monday, 30 January, 2012
Filed under IMB
