Banks defer the hard numbers for now
"Itemised charges" is the label used by consulting outfit PwC for a Hayne and ASIC impost to the industry recorded at the weirdly low level of A$1.4 billion."Regulatory, compliance and restructuring costs were specifically called out" in the Australian banking sector's March 2018 reporting period, the firm noted in an overview of banking results this last week."These are expected to affect the cost base of future periods," PwC put for a bill guessed by some to soon balloon into the tens of billions. Per bank, maybe.The destructive misconduct in banking identified by the Hayne royal commission is a dynamic force. ASIC's reactive follow up, it will seem like they never let off.The provisions and itemised charges ahead for banks, courtesy of the Hayne tsunami, can be nothing but colossal.Responsible lending in banking? How much of that is safely documented and collectible? Or will loan refusers build an impairment shock of a novel kind? Class actions galore will be filed. Elites from the litigation and ruling class sides of these disputes will prioritise, the banks delaying at all costs. The industry cannot stave off judgement day on the income statement.The bank's insurers will fold, years' worth of bankers bonds will be claimed by a range of banks, sullying Australia and its banks in the Lloyds insurance market.For now, Australian banks hold nothing but the most trivial of provisions for the punishing circus ahead.The 2018 half year profit story of a return on equity of 13.05 per cent is overreach. Only six months more and who knows, the full year results of Australia's biggest banks may prove much more instructive.