Financial Services Talking Points 18-02-16

Turnbull not beating ‘round the bush about a GST increase Malcom Turnbull has reaffirmed government standing on rumours of a possible GST increase. Despite Senator Cash telling Sky News on Monday night that the idea has not be completely dropped, Turnbull firmly stated that the Australian Government “will not be taking a proposal to increase …

Financial Services Talking Points 28-01-2016

Slater & Gordon shares plunge Slater & Gordon shares slid by as much as 17 per cent as the company appears to have missed its self-imposed deadline to update investors about closely watched cashflows. Slater & Gordon said that the process of reviewing its approach to financial forecasting was also proceeding as planned under its …

Financial Services Talking Points 21-01-2016

Shanghai Index falls after IPO announcements Shanghai stocks fell yesterday after the securities regulator announced a new batch of initial public offerings. The China Securities Regulatory Commission said after the market closed on Tuesday that it had approved seven companies to sell new shares under new listing rules that took effect on January 1. Under …

Financial Services Talking Points 14-01-2016

No end to Chinese appetite for Sydney real estate Global investment in properties are not expected to wane in 2016, with Sydney and Melbourne retaining their positions as the investment destinations of choice in Asia Pacific, a survey by the Asian Association for Investors in Non-listed Real Estate Vehicles (ANREV) has shown. Despite jitters in …

Financial Services Talking Points 07-01-2016

  2016-01-07 Wealthy foreigners snub significant investor visas Interest in the federal government’s $5 million visa targeting wealthy Chinese has slumped since the introduction of new rules requiring applicants to invest in higher risk venture capital products. “SIV applicants are still grappling with perceived risks of emerging company investment,” Taronga Group managing director Avi Naidu …

Financial Services Talking Points 17-12-2015

2015-12-17 Trade-weighted index to keep yuan stable China aims to maintain a stable yuan by valuing it against a basket of foreign currencies to create a flexible exchange rate system, rather than pegging only to the USD. The People’s Bank of China has released a trade weighted index, with the US dollar, euro and the …

Financial Services Talking Points 10-12-2015

2015-12-10 Inaugural ACRI-NAB Australia-China Business Engagement Index Published The Australia-China Relations Institute in partnership with National Australia Bank have published the first-ever report comparing attitudes of Chinese and Australian business leaders towards bilateral engagement. Two polls were conducted in parallel, with NAB surveying 580 Australian business leaders and ACRI surveying 1000 Chinese-resident business leaders. Some …

Financial Services Talking Points 03-12-2015

2015-12-03 Yuan accepted into IMF’s group of global reserve currencies The International Monetary Fund has included the yuan in its basket of currencies used to value their special drawing rights (SDR). The change, effective in October 2016, means the yuan will join the US dollar, euro, yen and pound sterling in the SDR basket. The …

Financial Services Talking Points 26-11-2015

26th Session of US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade The 26th Session of the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade in Guangzhou has been concluded successfully with agreement being reached in several key areas. The Commission focused on intellectual property rights, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, competition policy and technology policy. At present, China …

National Australia Bank opens new branch in Beijing

Andrew Thorburn, National Australia Bank Group CEO, toasts to the success of the bank’s China business alongside David Wang, Beijing Branch Manager Building on existing capability and coverage in China, National Australia Bank formally opened its Beijing branch on 17 November. Officiated by Group CEO, Andrew Thorburn, and Group Executive Business Banking, Angela Mentis, the …