Welcome to the latest edition of “Investment Intel: Australia”, dedicated to providing key news, insights and opportunities from the Australian market specifically for Asia-based investment managers.

Please contact me if you would like any further information about our newsletter or our services, and feel free to forward this email to anyone you know who would value receiving this information.

We will be taking a short break and returning with our next edition on 12 January 2024. Wishing you and your families a joyful festive season and prosperous New Year.

Best wishes,

David Thomas
APAC Financial Services
Email: davidthomas@apacfinancialservices.com

Current News and Insights

Australia super funds experienced strong performance across all risk categories in November, paving the way for annual returns of 8.8% in 2023. International shares and the tech sector were key drivers of this healthy performance. More details can be found here....

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation has agreed to acquire Link Group in a deal worth A$1.2 billion. Mitsubishi UFJ said this deal will provide the firm with greater access to Australian superannuation funds and strengthen its global reach. You can find out more here...

Australia remains in first place in APAC for corporate governance in the latest biennial report from the Asian Corporate Governance Association (ACGA). The report canvasses responses to 108 questions in seven different categories across 12 markets. In the latest report, Japan took out second place, with Singapore and Taiwan in equal third position. You can review the full report here...

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has fined Northern Trust Asset Management Australia for alleged greenwashing, leading the firm to pay A$29,820 to comply with two infringement notices. The notices were related to purported false and misleading statements about the implementation of a carbon emissions exclusion screen. You can read more about this here...

BlackRock has appointed Stephen Allan as Head of Australasia Private Credit and will lead the origination and sourcing of private credit investments in Australia and New Zealand. He joins the firm from Nomura. The announcement notes that “private credit continues to gain a significant share of client portfolios, thanks to attractive risk-adjusted returns and diversification benefits throughout economic cycles”. More about this appointment can be found here...