Top tier bad debts rip into ANZ profits
ANZ picked the Thursday before Easter to release bad news on what it euphemistically styled in an ASX release as an "update on the credit environment."The widening strife at Arrium and Peabody, two resources companies overshadowed by losses and debts in need of reduction, restructuring or deferral lies behind what amounts to a minor profit warning in the scheme of big bank profits.ANZ said five weeks ago in a quarterly trading update that it expected the credit charge for the March 2016 half year to be "a little above A$800 million," which is equal to two-thirds of the charge incurred over the full year to September 2015.Now ANZ has revised that to $900 million.This represents a dent of 1.4 per cent or so in the bank's cash earnings, if the 2015 outcome is a guide.Shares in ANZ took a five per cent hit on Thursday to $24.02.