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Jemima Whyte

This Month

Major investment banks, from Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs to local upstart Jarden, are reconsidering how they work to accommodate the rise of private capital.

Investment bank org charts are getting remade for the age of big super

Jarden is just the latest big investment advisor to reconsider the best way to interact with retirement funds as they become bigger players in capital markets.

Glenn Morgan with Artwork on display at the Deutsche Bank.

Inside the art collections of our investment banks

Bulge-bracket finance firms are defying global trends and investing in fine artwork. How do their Australian offices look?

From traders to tweeters, there is a deluge of information for sharemarket investors – far more than any time before.

Need market guidance? The pithy stockpicker newsletter is in vogue

From traders to tweeters to all manner of pundits, investors are spoiled for choice by a deluge of information about how to trade the Trump tariff mayhem.

James Hardie chief executive Aaron Erter has run the building products group since late 2022. Australian investors are furious over the proposed $14b merger with Azek in the US.

Asbestos victims want compensation assurances from James Hardie

The building materials giant will shift its primary listing to New York under a plan to merge with American group Azek.

James Hardie chairwoman Anne Lloyd, with CEO Aaron Erter. The anger from Australian fund managers over the proposed $14 billion buyout of Azek has not diminished.

Investor wants government review of James Hardie waiver on $14b Azek deal

Long-term James Hardie investors say the Azek deal is value destructive and were disappointed by discussions with the company’s chair Anne Lloyd on Monday.

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Aaron Erter took the helm at James Hardie in late 2022. He says the integration of Azek will happen at a time of volatility in the US and then the enlarged company will be in a sweet spot to accelerate.

James Hardie chair to meet investors after backlash on Azek deal

The ASX waiver given to James Hardie for its $14 billion deal has hamstrung investors, who have stripped $5 billion but can’t block the unpopular transaction.

March

ASX CEO Helen Lofthouse. The market operator has been facing regulator scrutiny because of outages with its underlying trading systems.

ASX faces ASIC, RBA blowtorch over December settlement outage

The country’s sharemarket operator faces an external investigation and stricter oversight as early as Monday.

Major investment banks expect more activity this year after a long period of few IPOs.

JPMorgan on track to take out first quarter’s ECM dealmaking crown

Some of the country’s most prominent bankers say there is plenty of activity in preparing floats, although volatile markets could push those plans back for now.

Annie de Botton and John Sevior.

John Sevior returns to funds management as Ellerston Capital adviser

The veteran stockpicker had left the industry in 2023 after a long stint at Perpetual and having founded his own investment firm, Airlie Funds Management.

Unpicking gripes aplenty around the boardroom table

Founders are “misfits and nonconformists who don’t fit into nice boxes ... but they do create nice companies,” says veteran investor John Wylie.

Average total remuneration in the top pay quartile for financial and insurance services is $306,934 but only 36 per cent of people in that bracket are women.

The pay gaps at Morgan Stanley, Barrenjoey, UBS

The gender pay gaps in the top tier of Australian finance are the largest in the country.

UBS’s five new managing directors, from left, Holly Clements, Marcus Curley, Michael Abou-Seif, Richard Wilks and Jasmin Argyrou.

UBS promotes five Australian bankers to coveted top global tier

Last year, just two local staff were given the title of managing director. But the smooth integration of Credit Suisse helped build a case for an increase.

February

Jamie Garis, Managing Director, Luminis, Ron Malek Chairman, Luminis and Richard Marques, Managing Director Luminis .

Luminis’ dealmakers confront a new frontier – succession planning

The advisory firm is boosting its partnership ranks, including with a new hire from Goldman Sachs, and has teamed up with a new US outfit.

Alicia Gregory, managing director at Blue Owl, a Wall Street firm active in private markets.

Private markets dragged out of the shadows by corporate cop

ASIC is eyeing the future of investing and hellbent on keeping public and private markets on a level regulatory playing field.

Magellan executive chairman Andrew Formica and chief executive-in waiting Sophia Rahmani.

Magellan banks $4m Barrenjoey dividend, flags Guzman y Gomez bonus

Group executive chairman Andrew Formica says the best results from its share in the investment bank are yet to come.

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Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon said AI will change the role of investment bankers.

Investment banking grads survive AI test, for now

Local investment banks are adding graduate roles to firms, despite fears artificial intelligence will reduce the need for junior bankers.

The gates are still open at Tahmoor Colliery, despite GFG Alliance telling most of its workers to stop working for four weeks.

‘We were scrounging for stuff’: Home of the faltering GFG empire

At the Hotel Bargo (lunch special: $15) on a 30-degree day, mine workers say a cashed-up new owner for Tahmoor Colliery would be best for the town.

Macquarie’s Shemara Wikramanayake is maintaining a “cautious” outlook.

Macquarie strikes careful tone, answering to new global mood

The investment bank and asset manager maintains a “cautious stance”, noting transaction timing, foreign exchange and geopolitics are unpredictable.

Simon Rothery, local head of Goldman Sachs.

Why Rothery is ‘pound for pound Australia’s smartest banker’

Goldman Sachs local chief Simon Rothery remains relatively unknown and doesn’t even have a LinkedIn account, but he’s a survivor. Just ask his tennis partner.

Accenture chief executive Julie Sweet said the consulting firm was making the changes to comply with President Trump’s executive orders.

Accenture to end DEI policies to comply with Trump

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet advises staff of a global evolution as the consulting giant abandons DEI programs in response to President Donald Trump’s orders.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/by/jemima-whyte-gkpi1r