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☆ Chinese AI firm SenseTime refutes short-seller report allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Chinese artificial intelligence software developer SenseTime Group (0020.HK) said on Tuesday that a short-seller report by Grizzly Research LLC is 'without merit' and will review the allegations against the company. Earlier on Tuesday, the short-seller's report alleged the AI firm was artificially inflating revenue through revenue fabrication schemes. Shares of the company fell as much as 9.7% to trade at HK$1.30 per dollar, hitting its lowest since last November. Reporting by Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Archishma Iyer, Nivedita Organizations: SenseTime, HK, Grizzly Research, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. That has left NAB, ranked third for mortgages but first for business loans, in a prime position as the country's retail lenders look elsewhere for growth. We're not abandoning (mortgages), we're tilting towards our business bank." Larger mortgage rival Westpac (WBC.AX) also posted a higher annual profit on Monday, despite a decline in home loan profit. The company's net interest margin, a closely-watched bank metric of lending interest income minus payouts to deposit accounts, shrank to 1.71% as of Sept. 30, from 1.77% at March-end.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Ross McEwan, We're, Azib Khan, Roushni Nair, Archishma Iyer, Shounak Dasgupta, Jamie Freed Organizations: National, REUTERS, NAB, SYDNEY, National Australia Bank, Westpac, P, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ National Australia Bank's second-half cash profit falls as inflation persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Roushni Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. But for the half-year ended Sept. 30, cash earnings sank as the impact of monetary policy tightening and inflationary pressures crippled households and the economy. The annual performance of its business and institutional banking divisions stood out with of 10.1% and 14.9% in cash profits respectively, while the personal banking division was a drag on its results, posting a 9.1% decline in cash earnings to A$1.45 billion. The bank reported a jump in its credit impairment charge for the year to A$802 million, up from just A$125 million a year ago, which it said reflected volume growth and worsening asset quality. The bank declared a final dividend of 84 Australian cents per share, up from 78 Australian cents apiece a year earlier.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Ross McEwan, Roushni Nair, Archishma Iyer, Shounak Dasgupta, Jamie Freed Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, NAB, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ SingTel profit jumps 83% in first half on Indonesia gain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Singtel booth is pictured at the Money 20/20 Asia Fintech Trade Show in Singapore March 21, 2019. Telkomsel, the Indonesian associate of Southeast Asia's largest telecom firm, had agreed to merge with its parent's IndiHome broadband arm in an effort to expand into Indonesia's fixed broadband market. SingTel owns a 29.6% stake in the enlarged integrated mobile and fixed broadband company. SingTel said its net profit for the six months ended Sept. 30 was S$2.14 billion ($1.58 billion), compared with S$1.17 billion a year earlier. The company declared an interim dividend of 5.2 Singapore cents per share, higher than the 4.6 Singapore cents per share declared a year earlier.

Persons: Anshuman, SingTel, Archishma Iyer, John Biju, Shilpi Majumdar, Shounak Dasgupta, Subhranshu Organizations: Trade, REUTERS, Singapore Telecommunications, Thomson Locations: Asia, Singapore, Indonesian, Southeast, Telkomsel, Bengaluru

☆ Air New Zealand flags impact to operations from Pratt & Whitney engine issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

An Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane taxis at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 30, 2018. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 7 (Reuters) - Air New Zealand (AIR.NZ) said on Tuesday that a change in the servicing schedule of RTX's (RTX.N) Pratt & Whitney engines could significantly impact the airline's services for up to two years. The carrier in October had flagged a nominal financial impact in the first half of 2024 related to the engine issue. Reporting by Archishma Iyer in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Pratt, Archishma Iyer Organizations: Air New Zealand Boeing, O'Hare International, REUTERS, Air New Zealand, Pratt & Whitney, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Air New Zealand warns of operations impact from Pratt & Whitney engine issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane taxis at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 30, 2018. The carrier in October had flagged a nominal financial impact in the first half of 2024 related to the engine issue. Air New Zealand warned in September the engine inspections would have a "significant" impact on its flight schedule from next year. Air New Zealand added it will have to ground up to four aircraft at any one time due to the engine maintenance issues. The airline has 17 A320/321neo jets in its fleet of 108 aircraft, servicing Australia and the Pacific Island markets and the domestic market in New Zealand.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Pratt, Whitney, Greg Foran, Archishma Iyer Organizations: Air New Zealand Boeing, O'Hare International, REUTERS, Air New Zealand, Pratt & Whitney, Pratt, Airbus, New Zealand, Air, Pacific, Air New, NZ, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Auckland, Hobart, Seoul, Zealand, Australia, New Zealand, Bengaluru

Nov 6 (Reuters) - EIG Partners Chief Executive Blair Thomas said on Monday he is confident a Brookfield-EIG consortium can win support for its $10.5 billion bid for Origin Energy (ORG.AX) despite opposition from the Australian electricity and gas firm's top shareholder. Pension fund AustralianSuper said on Monday it had increased its stake in Origin to 15.03% from 13.67% and the A$9.53 per share bid remained "substantially" below its estimate of long-term value. Origin will hold a shareholder meeting on Nov. 23, where it will urge investors to vote in favour of the deal. If the deal is successful, Brookfield will take ownership of Origin's energy markets business, while EIG's MidOcean Energy will gain a 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG). Thomas confirmed both Brookfield and EIG had discussed with AustralianSuper the possibility of it participating in the deal earlier this year.

Persons: Blair Thomas, AustralianSuper, Thomas, EIG, Scott Murdoch, Lewis Jackson, Archishma Iyer, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: EIG Partners, EIG, Origin Energy, Brookfield, Energy, Australia Pacific LNG, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brookfield, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Australia's Treasury Wine surges on hopes of China revival
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Archishma Iyer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummaryCompanies China agrees to expedited review of wine import tariffsTreasury Wine gets set to rebuild China businessTreasury shares jump 5%Oct 23 (Reuters) - Australia's Treasury Wine Estates (TWE.AX) said on Monday it is well placed to rebuild its business in China, sending its shares up more than 5%, should Beijing's tariffs on Australian wine be removed as signalled by the two countries on the weekend. "Should tariffs be removed, these measures will be implemented sustainably and with the aim of growing the business in China," Treasury Wine, the world's biggest standalone winemaker, said in a statement. Treasury Wine used to make one-third of its profit in China but lost most of that business when Beijing imposed tariffs on Australian wine in 2021, after Canberra called for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. "If the tariffs are removed, we see this as a significant positive for the Australian wine export industry and specifically Treasury Wine," Goldman Sachs analysts said in a research note. Measures for reviving its China business would include shifting a portion of Penfolds Luxury from other markets back to China and rebuilding distribution for the Penfolds Australian entry-level luxury portfolios, the company said.

Persons: Treasury Wine, Goldman Sachs, Archishma Iyer, Lisa Shumaker, Diane Craft, Sonali Paul Organizations: Treasury Wine, Treasury, Wine Estates, Sunday China, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Canberra, Bengaluru

☆ Australia's Treasury Wine looks to rebuild China business after tariff review
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 23 (Reuters) - Australia's Treasury Wine Estates (TWE.AX) said on Monday it is well placed to rebuild its business in China, should tariffs by China of the country's wine be removed, as signalled by the Australian government on Sunday. The Australian government, which is currently rebuilding its economic ties with Asia's largest economy, had said that an expedited review of tariffs on Australian wine into China will commence and is expected to take up to five months. "Should tariffs be removed, these measures will be implemented sustainably and with the aim of growing the business in China," the company said in a statement. Some of the measures for Treasury Wine to build its China business include a re-allocation of a portion of Penfolds Luxury from other global markets back to China and to re-build its distribution for the Penfolds Australian entry-level luxury portfolios. The world's biggest standalone winemaker used to derive a third of its profits from China, before anti-dumping and subsidy tariffs of up to 212% were imposed on Australian wine in late 2020.

Persons: Archishma Iyer, Lisa Shumaker, Diane Craft Organizations: Wine Estates, Treasury Wine, Treasury, Thomson Locations: China, California, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Australian Shareholders' Association to vote against Qantas CEO's nomination as director
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Phil Noble///File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 19 (Reuters) - The Australian Shareholders' Association will vote against the nomination of Qantas (QAN.AX) Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Hudson as a director in the company, it said on Thursday. Hudson, who used to be the chief financial officer at the national carrier, was appointed as its first-ever female CEO in May this year, taking over from Alan Joyce. read moreThe carrier is dealing with multiple legal and regulatory actions, which led to the resignation of Joyce and chairman Richard Goyder. The association intends to vote for the nomination of Doug Parker, the former CEO of American Airlines (AAL.O), as a director. Shares of the national carrier are down around 21% on a year-to-date basis.

Persons: Phil Noble, Vanessa Hudson, Hudson, Alan Joyce, Joyce, Richard Goyder, Doug Parker, Archishma Iyer, Mrigank Organizations: Qantas, Melbourne International Airport, REUTERS, Australian Shareholders, Association, American Airlines, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Australia's CSL tanks as Novo Nordisk's kidney trial success stokes competition concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Archishma Iyer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Shares of biotechnology firm CSL (CSL.AX) fell to a four-year low on Thursday, after rival Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) Ozempic drug showed early signs of success in delaying the progression of kidney disease in diabetes patients. Shares of CSL closed 5.7% lower at A$239.77, their lowest since Oct. 10, 2019, after falling 6.7% earlier in the session. The stock also marked its worst intraday session in four months and was the top loser on the benchmark. CSL's Vifor segment, which includes therapies for kidney diseases and iron deficiencies, faces concerns of competition in the segment after Ozempic's early trial success, analysts said. Reporting by Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H KOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Novo, Shane Ponraj, Morningstar, Tim Waterer, Archishma Iyer, Varun Organizations: CSL, Novo Nordisk's, CSL Vifor, Novo Nordisk, KCM Trade, Sonic Healthcare, Thomson Locations: Danish, Bengaluru

☆ Indian shares set for subdued open as Fed angst weighs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sethuraman N R | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man walks past the new logo of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2023. Already, foreign investors have been net sellers so far this month, offloading shares worth $996.2 million as of Sept. 20. Foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth 31.11 billion rupees ($375.2 million), on a net basis, on Wednesday and 30.07 billion rupees worth on Thursday, according to stock exchange data. Domestic investors, meanwhile sold shares worth 5.73 billion rupees on Wednesday but bought shares worth 11.58 billion rupees on Thursday, the data showed. Meanwhile, Indian government bonds will be included in JPMorgan's widely tracked emerging market debt index from June 2024, the Wall Street bank said on Friday.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Dalal, Aparna Iyer, Raja, Tesla, Archishma Iyer, Anisha Ajith, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, NSE, Exchange, BSE, Federal Reserve, Wipro, LG Energy, Exide Industries, Power Systems, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Sciences, Glenmark Pharma, Teck Resources, Sethuraman NR, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Teck

☆ Indian shares set to open lower with HDFC, Fed decision in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

India's GIFT Nifty (.GIFc1) on the NSE International Exchange was down about 0.1% at 20,080.5 points, as of 8.20 a.m IST. HDFC Bank (HDBK.NS) on Monday said its gross non-performing assets will likely increase as of July 1, after its merger with HDFC. CPP had increased its investment in Indian markets to about $15 billion, as of the fiscal year ending March. Foreign investors sold 12.37 billion rupees ($148.64 million) worth of shares on a net basis on Monday, while their domestic counterparts bought 5.53 billion rupees worth of equity, according to stock exchange data. ($1 = 83.2230 Indian rupees)Reporting by Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Niharika Kulkarni, Archishma Iyer, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, HDFC Bank, U.S . Federal, NSE, BSE, HDFC, Investors, Bharat Dynamics, IAF, Thyrocare, Tata Motors, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Canada, Bengaluru

☆ Indian shares set for cautious start; all eyes on Fed meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bengaluru, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Indian shares are set to begin a holiday-truncated week on a cautious note as investors digested economic data from China and looked ahead to the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting this week. India's GIFT Nifty (.GIFc1) on the NSE International Exchange was up 0.1% to 20,186.5 by 0755 IST. Separately, foreign investors bought 1.64 billion rupees ($19.74 million) worth of shares on a net basis on Friday, while their domestic peers bought 19.39 billion rupees worth of equity, according to stock exchange data. STOCKS TO WATCH** Bharat Electronics (BAJE.NS): Bharat Electronics receives orders worth 30 billion rupees** Axis Bank (AXBK.NS): Investment banking unit co-CEO Chirag Negandhi resigns** HFCL Ltd (HFCL.NS): HFCL received order worth 10.15 billion rupees. ** Tata Steel (TISC.NS): Reaches deal with UK government for investment in the UK steel industry.

Persons: Chirag Negandhi, HFCL, Sridhar Kalyanasundaram, Archishma Iyer, Sonia Cheema Organizations: U.S, NSE, Exchange, Bharat Electronics, Axis, Investment, Tata Steel, Dhanlaxmi, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, China, U.S . Federal

☆ Indian shares hit fresh record highs on strong China data, U.S. rate pause hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The new logo of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building is seen in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Sept 15 (Reuters) - India's benchmarks hit new record highs for the second consecutive session on Friday, tracking Asian peers, as stronger-than-expected macroeconomic data from China and easing U.S. rate concerns aided sentiment. The Nifty 50 (.NSEI) was up 0.35% to 20,173.15 by 9:15 a.m. IST, while the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) gained 0.38% to 67,774.46. ($1 = 83.0300 Indian rupees)Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran and Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Bharath Rajeswaran, Archishma Iyer, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, BSE, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, China, Bengaluru

☆ India's Nifty 50, Sensex hit record highs on rising hopes of a Fed rate pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A man walks past the new logo of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Sept 14 (Reuters) - India's blue-chips Nifty 50 and Sensex opened higher and hit fresh all-time highs on Thursday, as sentiment improved after U.S. inflation data cemented the likelihood of a pause in the rate hike cycle by the Federal Reserve. The Nifty 50 (.NSEI) was up 0.29% to a new all-time high of 20,127.95 by 9:15 a.m. IST, while the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) gained 0.24% to 67,627.03. The Nifty had scaled new peaks on Monday and Tuesday, while the Sensex hit a record high for the first time since July 20. ($1 = 82.9000 Indian rupees)Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran and Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Sensex, Bharath Rajeswaran, Archishma Iyer, Janane Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, BSE, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Bengaluru

☆ India's Nifty scales new peak; Sensex inches towards record high
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The new logo of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building is seen in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Indian shares opened higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark Nifty 50 hitting a record high for the second consecutive session, ahead of retail inflation data for August. The Nifty 50 (.NSEI) index was up 0.45% at 20,079.50 by 9:16 a.m. IST, while the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) rose 0.44% to 67,443.08. While the Nifty hit fresh all-time high on Tuesday, the Sensex is about 0.5% shy of the record high hit on July 20. Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran and Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francis Mascarenhas, Bharath Rajeswaran, Archishma Iyer, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Bombay Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, BSE, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Bengaluru

People walk past a Woolworths supermarket following the easing of restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, June 16, 2020. A day earlier, Coles said a cost blowout sent its underlying annual profit lower. Woolworths said its earnings margin from food was 6% in the year to end-June, from 5.3% a year earlier. The company gave no profit guidance except that growth in Australian food sales, its main earnings driver, remained strong although inflation was moderating. "We think the result will be taken well in the context of yesterday’s weaker result from Coles," Citi analysts said.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Coles, Brad Banducci, Jim Stanford, Byron Kaye, Nausheen, Archishma Iyer, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Stephen Coates, Muralikumar Organizations: Woolworths, REUTERS, JPMorgan, Macquarie Group, Citi, Centre, Future, Australia Institute, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Coles, Bengaluru

☆ Qantas focuses on international capacity recovery after record annual profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Travel demand is incredibly robust and we've taken delivery of more aircraft and opened up new routes to help meet it," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said. Qantas said its group domestic capacity is expected to remain above pre-COVID levels throughout fiscal 2024. Additionally, its profit was helped by the completion of the group's A$1 billion recovery programme launched in 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results beat the mid-point of Qantas' profit outlook of A$2.43 billion to A$2.48 billion, nearly A$850 million higher than its 2018 record levels of A$1.60 billion. The company, however, did not announce a final dividend, continuing the trend of non-payment for the past three years.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Alan Joyce, Refinitiv Eikon, Roushni Nair, Archishma Iyer, Shailesh Kuber, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Qantas, Sydney Airport, REUTERS, Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Australia's Woolworths posts nearly 5% rise in annual profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk past a Woolworths supermarket following the easing of restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, June 16, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Australia's largest supermarket chain Woolworths Group (WOW.AX) reported an 4.6% rise in full-year profit on Wednesday, helped by elevated shelf prices on the back of rising inflation and increasing normalization of customer habits. The company said annual net profit after tax from continuing operations, after significant items, was A$1.62 billion ($1.04 billion), compared with A$1.55 billion a year earlier. The Sydney-based company also declared a final dividend of 58 Australian cents per share, higher than 53 cents per share declared last year. ($1 = 1.5567 Australian dollars)Reporting by Nausheen Thusoo and Archishma Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Brad Banducci, Nausheen Thusoo, Archishma Iyer, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Woolworths, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Bengaluru

☆ Westpac flags higher expenses in quarterly update; shares drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Archishma Iyer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Sydney-based Westpac fell about 2.1% to trade at A$20.82 at 0040 GMT, hitting their lowest since July 12. Broadly, Australia's major banks have all flagged stiff competition in the mortgage space, along with higher expenses as inflationary pressures weigh. The higher interest rates have also contributed to increased living costs, which are pushing up debt arrears. Westpac did not publish a comparable quarterly net profit figure for the same period a year earlier. The figure reported on Monday was below the A$2 billion average profit for the first two quarters of fiscal 2023.

Persons: David Gray, Riya Sharma, Archishma Iyer, Sam Holmes, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Westpac Banking Corp, Sydney, Westpac, Citi, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Australia Bank, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Australia's IAG misses annual cash earnings estimates; shares slip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Nausheen Thusoo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Small toy figures are seen in front of displayed IAG (Insurance Australia Group) logo in this illustration taken, November 8, 2021. The country's top general insurer posted cash earnings of A$452 million ($290.00 million) for the year ended June 30, up from A$213 million a year ago but missing analysts' average estimate of A$656.7 million, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. Australian insurers have seen their profits soar this year, as they incur higher premiums in an elevated interest-rate environment, while also benefiting from a rebound in investment income. The company also expects an insurance margin in fiscal 2024 of 13.5%–15.5%, higher than the 12.6% margin last year. However, elevated inflation in home and motor claims costs, as well as the higher natural perils allowance, impacted the underlying insurance margin, IAG said in a statement.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, IAG, Nick Hawkins, Nausheen Thusoo, Archishma Iyer, Paul Simao, Stephen Coates, Rashmi Organizations: Insurance, REUTERS, cps, Insurance Australia Group, New Zealand, Citi, UBS, Thomson Locations: Australia, New

☆ Westpac flags margin squeeze from rising home loan competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/David Gray Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Reports quarterly cash profit A$1.8 billionLate loan repayments rises to 0.8% in AustraliaCET1 Ratio of 11.9%Aug 21 (Reuters) - Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX), Australia's third-largest lender, on Monday posted a quarterly cash profit of A$1.8 billion ($1.15 billion), as increased competition for home lending squeezed margins. Australia's major banks have all flagged stiff competition in the mortgage space, along with higher expenses as inflationary pressures weigh. Sydney-based Westpac said expenses for the second half to date were up 5% from the first half, fuelled by higher supplier costs and staff wages. In Australia, loan repayments past 90 days late rose to 0.80% in the three-months ended June, up 7 basis points from 0.73% in March, Westpac said. The lender reported a core net interest margin of 1.86% for the quarter, down 4 basis points from the first half of fiscal 2023.

Persons: David Gray, Riya Sharma, Archishma Iyer, Lisa Shumaker, Sam Holmes Organizations: Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, REUTERS, Westpac Banking Corp, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Australia Bank, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Australia's IAG sees lower double-digit gross written premium growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Small toy figures are seen in front of displayed IAG (Insurance Australia Group) logo in this illustration taken, November 8, 2021. Australia's top general insurer reported a 10.6% rise in GWP to A$14.73 billion ($9.4 billion) for fiscal 2023, matching the Refinitiv estimate. The company also expects an insurance margin in fiscal 2024 of 13.5%–15.5%, higher than the pervious year's margin of 12.6%. IAG also declared a dividend of 9 Australian cents per share, up from 5 cents per share a year ago. The insurer posted cash earnings of A$452 million for the 12 months ended June 30, up from A$213 million a year ago.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Nick Hawkins, IAG, Refinitiv Eikon, Nausheen Thusoo, Archishma Iyer, Paul Simao, Stephen Coates Organizations: Insurance, REUTERS, cps, Insurance Australia Group, ”, Thomson Locations: GWP

☆ Aussie lender NAB's quarterly margins decline on stiff competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Australia Bank Logo is seen on a branch in central Sydney, Australia, February 8, 2018. A high interest rate environment has benefited Australian banks, but they now face headwinds from rising bad debt and increasing competition for mortgages. Last week, the country's biggest lender Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX) posted record annual profit on the back of rising interest rates, but warned higher living costs were pushing up debt arrears and competition was squeezing margins. NAB's net interest margin - a key measure of profitability - slipped to 1.72% in the April-June quarter from 1.77% as at March 31. The country's second-biggest lender, however, reported a 5% increase in cash earnings from higher interest rates.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, NIM, Ross McEwan, Upasana Singh, Archishma Iyer, Shilpi Majumdar, Shinjini Organizations: National, REUTERS, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, NAB, CBA, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, 3Q23, Bengaluru

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