September 2021
News Corp still open to M&A activity as it sets new buyback
CEO Robert Thomson has not ruled out further merger and acquisition activity for the media company as it announces a $US1 billion share buyback program.
- Miranda Ward
June 2021
REA to offer exclusive home loan rates, quick applications
The largest home listings company has bought into the Simpology mortgage applications and lodging business.
- Michael Bleby
March 2021
REA Group eyes 10pc market share after buying Mortgage Choice
Listings companies need to offer home-buying customers a seamless experience; traditional mortgage brokers need to modernise, so this takeover is a natural fit.
- Michael Bleby
REA Group makes $244 million bid for Mortgage Choice
Online real estate advertising outfit REA Group has come for CBA-backed mortgage broker Mortgage Choice Limited.
- Sarah Thompson, Anthony Macdonald and Tim Boyd
January 2021
Buy, hold, sell: Fund managers' No.1 stock picks for 2021
Small caps have been the right place to be for the past few years. Livewire Markets asks fund manager for their top picks for the year ahead.
November 2020
'There is a lot of demand': Bank bosses back housing market
Australia's top bankers have declared record low interest rates will save the housing market from a population-driven slump but say a bubble is not forming.
- Matthew Cranston and Jessica Gardner
August 2020
ASX up 0.2pc; NEXTDC meets guidance; Fortescue hits record
The S&P/ASX200 Index gained 9.8 points, or 0.2 per cent, t o 6126 points as iron ore miners offset weaker banks. Appen slumped as earnings, sales fall short. Woolworths gained 2.8 per cent on strong sales in July and August.
- Robert Guy, Vesna Poljak, Sarah Turner, William McInnes and Tom Richardson
January 2020
How mortgage broking was saved from near death
The Hayne recommendations nearly finished off mortgage brokers a year ago. Today, their services are more in demand than ever.
- James Frost
November 2019
Investors are loving property again
Property market sentiment has rebounded sharply among investors but first home buyers are starting to feel the pinch of affordability pressures.
- Nila Sweeney
September 2019
July's strong housing loan growth continues
Mortgage brokers and banks say home loan growth has kept growing into September.
- Duncan Hughes and Michael Bleby
June 2019
Rate cut the third boost for property market
Tuesday's rate cut continued the recent run of good news for a property industry already boosted by the Coalition's return to power and a loosening by the banking regulator of mortgage serviceability requirements.
- Michael Bleby and Nick Lenaghan
May 2019
Hallelujah: Brokers rejoice over Coalition win
Mortgage brokers win a reprieve after controversial policy to scuttle upfront and trailing commission is defeated.
- James Frost and John Kehoe
March 2019
Mortgage brokers push for more concessions
Having extracted promises from both parties not to shift to a consumer-pays system, the mortgage broking industry is pushing for more.
- James Frost
Mortgage brokers dragging their heels on pay reform
Banks are making good progress implementing recommendations from a 2017 review, but the pace of change from mortgage brokers has been modest.
- Updated
- James Frost
February 2019
Mortgage Choice warns more tough times ahead as property tanks
Growth prospects for Mortgage Choice, the listed broker network, remain challenging as debate rages about broker commissions and retail property market downturn adds to the difficulty of attracting more brokers to its franchise.
- Updated
- Duncan Hughes
Aussie's James Symond says Hayne change will destroy mortgage competition
Eliminating mortgage broker trail commissions will halve the average annual income of a broker to $40,000 and trigger an exodus from the industry, says Aussie Home Loans boss James Symond.
- James Eyers
Banking royal commission: Hayne prompts $19b rally for the banks
Shareholders in the big four banks celebrated a record day of gains as the Hayne royal commission recommendations left the structure of the banking sector intact.
- Updated
- Sarah Turner, Jonathan Shapiro and Vesna Poljak
Banking royal commission: Mortgage brokers fuming at loss of trailing commissions
Mortgage brokers are fuming about the government's move to kill trailing commissions, warning this could cause upfront commissions to rise.
- Updated
- James Eyers
January 2019
Borrowers won't pay $2000 mortgage broker fee: Momentum Intelligence survey
A report by Momentum Intelligence found 96.5 per cent of mortgage broking consumers wouldn't be willing to pay $2000 for the service – the fee equivalent to the average upfront commission currently paid by banks.
- Updated
- James Eyers
September 2018
Banking royal commission interim report: Mortgage brokers in damage control
The MFAA says any call by the Hayne inquiry to eliminate broker commissions will have "unintended consequences" by reducing competition for home loans.
- Updated
- James Eyers and Joyce Moullakis