Australia and New Zealand Banking Group News

Australian shares fell 0.7 percent in late morning trade on Tuesday, with investors taking profits following the market's run-up to 5-1/2-year highs and ahead of the central bank's May meeting minutes.

New Zealand shares fell on concern prices have run up ahead of earnings and profit downgrades in Australia weighed on companies with businesses across the Tasman, including Mainfreight, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, Westpac Banking Corp and AMP.

Australian shares rose 0.3 percent on Friday as firms exposed to the U.S. market benefited from further weakness in the Australian dollar, while big-cap miners like BHP Billiton Ltd rebounded on short-covering. BHP jumped 1.9 percent while rival Rio Tinto Ltd climbed 1.1 percent, which helped offset a weak lead from Wall Street overnight, analysts ... (more)

Asian stock markets were mixed in holiday-thinned trading Friday as investors digested a slew of disappointing economic data and corporate results from the U.S. Applications for unemployment benefits jumped to their highest level in six weeks, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday, while manufacturing slowed in the mid-Atlantic region.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. cut its benchmark mortgage rate by 27 basis points, the first time one of the nation's four major lenders passed on more than the central bank's reduction since October 2008.

Australian shares edged up 0.2 percent in late morning trade on Thursday, notching a new high since July 2008, as miners made further gains and overall sentiment was buoyed by strong local employment data.

The "two strikes" rule that allows a vote against the remuneration report by 25 percent of shareholders to remove board members will be used as a tool during hostile takeovers, said David Gonski, chairman of Coca-Cola Amatil at the Australian Shareholders' Association conference in Sydney yesterday.

Australian job advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet fell for a second straight month in April in a sign firms are still cautious on hiring despite evidence of a revival in consumer demand.

Westpac Banking Corp, Australia's third-largest lender, posted a forecast-beating half-year profit on Friday, rewarding investors with a special dividend as it grew both its deposits and loan books while curbing costs.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has obtained an US$8 billion loan from nine banks, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. is planning a benchmark-size, euro-denominated, seven-year covered bond, one of the banks running the deal said Thursday.

Australian shares climbed 1.3 percent on Tuesday to close at their highest level in almost five years, led by sharp gains in the financial sector as Australia and New Zealand Banking Group jumped to a record high after a strong earnings report.

Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney, talks about the business outlook for Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.

Australian shares are set to open higher on growing hopes that the U.S. and European central banks will take steps to stimulate growth and on a bigger-than-expected hike in Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's first-half dividend.

Most Asian markets rose early Tuesday after a strong finish on Wall Street, with Australian shares climbing to their best level in years and Hong Kong rallying as well, though Japanese blue-chips declined as the yen strengthened.

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. , the nation's third-largest bank by market value, said first-half cash profit climbed 10 percent as costs dropped.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited 2013 half year results were released today, showing a lift in performance for ANZ New Zealand with statutory profit of NZ$655 million, up 1% on the preceding half.

Australian stocks rose Monday, with financial issues leading advances for the benchmark.

Australian shares rose 0.9 percent on Tuesday after Wall Street climbed overnight, but gains were kept in check as miners lost ground on weak metals prices and as investors await crucial manufacturing data from China for further indication of the growth outlook.