Treasurer Wayne Swan says a massive drop in expected revenue has caused the Government to slash its forecast Budget surplus from over $21 billion to around $5b. Unemployment figures have also been revised up, with the jobless rate expected to hit 5 per cent by the middle of next year, while growth is expected to…
THE Australian dollar was weaker at noon, as investors sold commodities-driven currencies on ongoing worries that a global recession will demand for raw materials. The domestic unit has depreciated nearly 37 per cent since hitting a post-float high of US98.49c in mid-July. At 12noon (AEDT), the Australian dollar was trading at $US0.6212/17, down from Friday’s…
Superannuation analysts are predicting super funds will have fallen 15 per cent for the year, by the end of October. In the year to September balanced funds were down about 12 per cent. It is the first time there has been four consecutive quarters of negative returns since the compulsory scheme was introduced in 1992.…
More property and mortgage related funds have suspended redemptions amid the financial services industry’s efforts to gain some further accommodation from the Federal Government around the bank guarantee. APN Funds Management today joined Colonial First State in announcing temporary suspensions to redemptions. Colonial First State announced that it had suspended applications, daily withdrawals and switches…
Leading superannuation body, the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), has called for a change in chief executive pay and disclosure and has labelled some CEO termination payments as “too generous”. In a media statement by ACSI, the council said it supports the introduction of UK-style proposals that provide for the outstanding term of a…
Colonial First State, ING and APN Funds Management have joined the ranks of the country’s leading mortgage funds that have suspended redemptions in the wake of the Government’s guarantee on banking deposits, locking up more than $6 billion of investor capital. Colonial First State will suspend applications, daily withdrawals and switches relating to funds with…
For the past two years bank chief executives have been explaining away the rising trend in bad and doubtful debt charges by saying rhe increases were off a low – abnormally low – base. The tone of the discussion changed yesterday when National Australia Bank’s chief executive designate, Cameron Clyne, said the bad-debt cycle had…
This note looks at the slowdown now unfolding in China. The key points are as follows: – Chinese growth has already slowed significantly on the back of slowing exports and a property slump. Growth is likely to slow to 8% in 2009. – However, a hard landing (say 5% growth) is unlikely: the global financial turmoil…
TELSTRA’S main rival in the bidding process for the national broadband network says it remains committed to the project despite the withdrawal of one of its key members. Terria chairman Michael Egan said he regretted today’s withdrawal of AAPT from the consortium of eight telecommunications companies, just six weeks before the federal government’s deadline for…
This note looks at the latest gyrations in financial markets. The key points are as follows: • While shares collapsed last week this appeared to owe much to an investor panic regarding the freezing up of money and credit markets. • Government moves to guarantee bank borrowing and inject capital into banks along with US…