Please note that as of August 2012, The Bank Investor site is no longer being updated.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 John Kavanagh
John Kavanagh is the founding editor of The Bank Investor.
Small caps: Easier payday lending restrictions a boost to short-term lenders 
Short-term lenders received a fillip last week, when the Minister for Financial Services, Bill Shorten, released a revised draft of proposed payday lending regulation. The revised draft eases planned restrictions on high-cost, short-term finance contracts.
When the first draft of the Consumer ... More
Published on Monday, 30 April, 2012
Filed under small institutions
Macquarie Group faithful to its model
Macquarie Group is taking a long-term view of the earnings prospects for its capital markets' businesses, based mainly on the calibre of the managers charged with securing the turnaround of divisions that are either making losses or doing no better than break-even.
The group reported a profit of ... More
Published on Monday, 30 April, 2012
Filed under Macquarie Group, results
What the analysts are saying: Macquarie Group on Hold
Macquarie Group's planned A$500 million share buyback and other capital management initiatives might spark some interest in the company's stock, but not enough to encourage sell-side analysts to recommend investors buy it. In their commentaries on Macquarie's 2011/12 results, announced on Friday, ... More
Published on Monday, 30 April, 2012
Filed under Macquarie Group, analysts
Commonwealth Bank keeps its focus on the local market
Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ian Narev has committed the bank to pursuing its growth strategy "in Australia primarily" over the next few years. Narev believes the bank's key capabilities are best deployed meeting the needs of customers in its core franchises – the domestic retail and small ... More
Published on Monday, 23 April, 2012
Filed under Commonwealth, outlook
Analyst consensus leaves Commonwealth Bank on Hold
The strategy briefing presented by Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ian Narev last week will do nothing to move the bank's stock price, if analysts' reviews of the briefing are a reliable guide. Of the nine analyst commentaries sighted by The Bank Investor, only one was an upgrade. UBS changed ... MoreCommonwealth Bank downgraded ahead of strategy presentation
Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ian Narev will this week present his first strategy briefing since taking on the top job at the bank last year. Analysts are looking for a tougher approach to costs, a bigger push into business areas where the bank presently has a small presence now (such as ... MoreIPO watch: Genworth Australia prepares for listing on the Australian Securities Exchange
Genworth Australia is putting the pieces in place for its planned listing on the Australian Securities Exchange later this year. Over the past month the company has announced the appointment of a new non-executive chairman and a new board member. Genworth is yet to announce details of its initial ... More
Published on Tuesday, 10 April, 2012
Filed under Genworth, initial public offering
ANZ and Suncorp grow mortgage share
ANZ and Suncorp are two lenders growing at above system in the home loan market over recent months, with Westpac being the lender showing a notional loss in market share.
Monthly data compiled by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority shows ANZ growing at around twice the level of the ... More
Published on Monday, 2 April, 2012
Filed under ANZ, Suncorp, Westpac, home lending
What the analysts are saying: support for BOQ's equity raising
Macquarie Securities has downgraded Bank of Queensland to Underperform, after the bank's capital-raising and provisioning announcements last week. Macquarie's view is that there is "significant uncertainty around the BOQ model and earnings outlook." Citi – the adviser to BOQ on its present ... MoreECB 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
What the analysts are saying: Suncorp non-core bank runoff going to plan
Suncorp will be in a position to return around A$500 million of capital from its non-core bank to the core bank, with half of this amount to be distributed in the 2012/13 financial year, according to a UBS review of the group.
Last week, UBS Investment Research published a review of the group's ... More
New boss must lift performance of Westpac's St George division
The newly appointed chief executive of St George Bank, George Frazis, will have to help his boss, Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly, show sceptical investors that her takeover of St George was a good move.
At the moment not many think it was. Typical of investor sentiment is this comment from ... More
Published on Monday, 19 March, 2012
Filed under Westpac
