Treasury sceptical about rate rationale

The flap over whether, and why, banks might lift margins on home loans has flared up again in Canberra, assisted by the measured observation of a Treasury official and the more colourful contributio.. read more

Financial conditions tighten with rising A$

The rising exchange rate is working to restrain rises in the cash rate in Australia, the Reserve Bank of Australia confirmed in the minutes of its October board meeting, published yesterday. read more

Reform works for Smith

Australia's political class must rekindle "leadership", ANZ's CEO, Mike Smith, told a business lunch in Melbourne yesterday. read more

RMBS remains loss-maker for AOFM

The Australian Office of Financial Management recorded mark-to-market losses of $72 million on its holdings of $9 billion in mortgage-backed securities as of June 2010, according to the agency's ann.. read more

Problems in the Post

Australia Post's financial services business recorded a decline in revenue, and presumably volume, in the year to June 2010, according to the corporation's annual report. read more

ACCC warns banks about price signalling

Graeme Samuel, chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, has warned banks over signalling their interest rate pricing plans to each other, saying it borders on misconduct. read more

BOQ prefers wholesale funding

Bank of Queensland will seek to wind back what it regards as excess liquidity, and emphasise wholesale funding in its plans for the next year. read more

Low yield BOQ aims high

Bank of Queensland will look to "asset repricing" of its existing loans and the higher yield it can earn from its newly expanded business finance arm to deliver the improvement in margin needed to rea.. read more

Eftpos queues for answers

Eftpos Payments is asking its members and vendors to explain how they might extend a life of a low cost system that makes lower profits for banks than rival schemes. read more

GRG International looks for extra capital

Automatic teller machine vendor GRG International will finally list on the Australian Securities Exchange tomorrow, making it the third specialist operator in the sector with a public listing of its.. read more