February
Block hungry bankers stay close to Challenger
Challenger’s major shareholder Apollo Management made headlines in September after it dramatically reduced its stake.
December 2024
Japanese giant shows courage with life insurance slam dunk deal
It takes Japanese-type conviction to double down on a challenged market, and pay a big price to do so.
NAB offloads rest of MLC to Nippon, new life insurer Acenda created
MLC Life Insurance will merge with the local subsidiary of Resolution Life to create Acenda, after Nippon Life bought Resolution for $US8.2 billion.
November 2024
AI gets real as big business finds its feet
An era of cautious, low-stakes experimentation is rapidly giving way to tangible changes in how some of Australia’s largest operations run.
September 2024
How to fix the dearth of retirement options
It is clear that Australians need better retirement-income products. Annuities make some sense, yet their uptake is low. But change looks to be on the horizon.
May 2024
Bonza administrators ask for more time to save stranded budget carrier
The airline’s owner, 777 Partners, and its financiers are mired in legal action in Britain and the United States over its aviation assets.
Allens, G+T tapped for $200m AUB Group acquisition raise
Macquarie Capital’s equity desk hit the phones on Wednesday morning, chasing down fresh equity to fund the insurer’s acquisition of Pacific Indemnity.
Why this executive uses generative AI every second hour
Microsoft says workers who use AI can be divided into four camps: sceptics, novices, explorers and power users, who get back more than 30 minutes a day in time saved.
April 2024
Allianz checks out Crescent’s ClearView; BofA at the wheel
Street Talk’s eagle eyes have spotted a major player lurking in ClearView’s data room.
Labor scrambles after accidentally axing insurance commissions
A wording error in financial advice reforms tabled to Parliament last week would have inadvertently banned commissions for insurance brokers.
This Australian executive is taking on a US private investment giant
As chairman of Cromwell Property Group, Paul Weightman saw plenty of corporate jousting. Now the Corinthia Global Management founder is staring down Barings.
March 2024
There are good reasons to have insurance in an SMSF
An SMSF is allowed to claim a tax deduction for insurance premiums.
PSC Insurance rides sector growth as Goldman fields inbound interest
PSC boss Tony Robinson and his Paul Dwyer-chaired board are seeking a price tag of about $2.3 billion as at least two offshore brokers circle.
February 2024
Allianz calls time at Hunter Premium Funding; hires sell-side adviser
Hunter, which traces its history back to 1977, helps large businesses split hefty bills for insurance premiums into smaller instalments.
December 2023
Super funds, insurers line up to get into financial advice game
Michelle Levy, whose review into financial advice led to many of the proposed new laws, said the changes would go “a long way” to making advice cheaper and more accessible.
Why execs don’t trust AI with big decisions yet
A year after the launch of ChatGPT, businesses dabbling with generative AI aren’t convinced the technology would hold up under the intense scrutiny of a senate inquiry or lawsuit.
November 2023
Opportunities exist in China but ‘tread carefully’: Janus Henderson
Portfolio manager Daniel Grana says some Chinese stocks are still good value, but warns investors dipping into emerging markets to consider the policy objectives of the ruling party.
Fund managers buy up insurers amid slowdown fears
Worried about the fallout from higher interest rates, investors including Airlie, Paradice and Ophir are favouring insurers over the big four banks.
‘Financial heartbreak’: Customer complaints about super jump 32pc
Former truck driver Christian Jensen had to apply for two hardship variations on his mortgage due to delays from his super fund.
September 2023
TA Associates closes in on financial planner roll-up AZ NGA
It looks like AZ NGA has done some soul-searching since then, and is ready to meet TA Associates at a mutually agreeable price.