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Finance

This Month

Kalpi Prasad, who founded Renown Lending in 2023, is upfront with potential clients in non-bank lending, telling them straight away he spent almost two years in prison for fraud almost a decade ago.

Meet the ex-con behind this $400m private credit business

Kalpi Prasad is riding Australia’s private credit wave, drawing on a troubled past to serve clients who don’t fit neatly into traditional financing.

May

Nuno Matos starts work at ANZ’s Dockland headquarters on Monday.

ANZ’s Matos era to begin with a letter from Elliott

When the bank’s new boss opens the top drawer of his desk on Monday morning, he’ll find a letter from his predecessor, before starting meetings and visits.

NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine is defending his hard-won turf against a horde of rivals.

NAB is Australia’s most hunted bank. It’s fighting back

Chief executive Andrew Irvine knows he’s got what everyone wants – the leading business bank in the nation. And he’s not giving up his turf without a fight.

NAB CEO Andrew Irvine in Sydney before the bank’s interim results.

NAB ekes out profit growth as it fends off business lending rivals

NAB, like its rivals, is facing pressure on its interest margins, but CEO Andrew Irvine still managed to beat market expectations sending the shares higher.

Judo chief executive Chris Bayliss.

Judo, Block shares smashed after misses

Quarterly updates from the business bank and payments player met a savage market reaction, with loan and sales growth undershooting because of business uncertainty.

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April

Behind on bills: Tim Roberts.

Billionaire Tim Roberts falls behind on his bills

Perhaps the Multiplex heir was just surprised to get an invoice from a business other than Mineral Resources.

March

Andrew Irvine, Mike Vacy-Lyle from CBA and Rachel Slade.

NAB’s $230b business bank crown jewel faces its biggest test yet

Even on the day he was named as the bank’s chief executive, Andrew Irvine knew the barbarians were at the gate. Thirteen months later, they are over the wall.

Perennial’s head of smaller companies and micro caps, Andrew Smith, says the sector is turning the corner.

Small caps bulldozed by ETFs

Small and micro-cap stocks are meant to be the mid to large caps of the future. But a combination of structural and cyclical trends have some in the market questioning their long-term viability.

Ben Madsen leaving a Centennial Park home.

The stressful life of Sydney’s left-of-field distressed debt broker

Ben Madsen has long had a low profile. Now he’s found himself the centre of unwanted attention, and is fighting for his home. Can he come back from the brink?

February

Tyro Payments has been popular in the health sector, where it is upgrading its terminals.

Tyro’s profit lifts from health payments boom

ASX-listed payments stocks Tyro, Cuscal and EML reported interim results on Wednesday. All three rose on the market on stronger numbers.

Judo chief executive Chris Bayliss.

Judo shares jump as business bank says economy has ‘safely landed’

In contrast to Bendigo, Judo said its margin was expanding as it managed growth from both sides of its balance sheet. Investors reacted positively.

George Frazis, CEO of George Capital Finance Solutions.

George Frazis is back and wants to start a private credit fund

Two years after his acrimonious exit from Bank of Queensland, the former CEO has returned to corporate Australia with his own start-up brokerage.

Westpac’s business banking is growing again.

Westpac to offer legal services as it vies for business bank customers

The big four bank has made a strategic $10 million investment in Lawpath, as it looks to maintain its recent market share gains.

Westpac looked to CBA to find Anthony Miller’s successor as head of business banking.

Westpac poaches from CBA for its new head of business banking

Paul Fowler, who has been leading business banking across regional Australia for the Commonwealth Bank, has defected to a big four rival.

December 2024

People-pleasing can come at a significant financial cost.

People pleasing cost me $32,000. Here are four ways to stop it

Since people pleasing is a personality trait, dialling back your spending requires more than learning the nuts and bolts of money management.

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October 2024

AMP is on track to launch its new business bank in February.

AMP eyes February for long-planned expansion into business banking

The company, which already has a major mortgage loan book, will target start-ups and sole traders as it attempts to find higher margins.

The hospitality industry is concerned that it may have to bear the costs of a ban on debit card payment surcharges.

RBA puts payment industry on notice to protect shops, restaurants

Business groups including those representing the hospitality and convenience sectors worry they will be left wearing the cost of a ban on debit card fees.

July 2024

Andrew Griffin, the chief executive of Balmain, is targeting companies that have failed ESG tests for his latest private credit fund.

This private credit fund is going big on companies failing ESG tests

Balmain Corporation said it had considered calling the strategy a “Vulture Series” – but decided naming it after a different bird of prey was more appropriate.

Alex Syhanath runs Citi’s Australian commercial bank, a 34-person team that targets companies with more than $15 million in revenue.

Bankers seeking their next big pay day are chasing these clients

Investment banks are now after riskier, smaller companies so they can pounce on the spoils of a trophy listing or a huge sale to private equity.

June 2024

CBA has remained disciplined and kept its margins despite increasing competition.

CBA unveils aggressive business banking strategy to take on Macquarie

Among measures outlined by the bank is a plan to target $20 billion in deposits real estate agents hold for renters, a niche dominated by Macquarie.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/finance-5x8