Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
Reflect and reposition
After hopefully overcoming the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian securitisation industry is taking stock of a period of resilience and a reshaped competitive landscape. Top of mind for market participants are the way crisis response has changed the cost of funding unevenly for different issuer types and mooted changes to responsible-lending rules.
Solid foundations more important than records in SSA Kangaroo sector
The pace of early-year SSA Kangaroo issuance in 2024 outstripped all previous records. Whether or not the full year produces record supply once more – and intermediaries have their doubts that the tailwinds of 2023 will remain in place – there are reasons to believe the sector has reached a new level of baseline demand and thus deal flow.
Wider ripple from new small bank liquidity rules
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s plans to uplift liquidity rules for a swathe of smaller local banks is likely to shake up the sector once more, market participants say. The increased cost of funding liquidity books and likely loss of demand for their wholesale debt instruments may be enough to spark further consolidation among financial institutions with smaller and less established capital markets presence.
2023 year in review: Bank issuance in 2023 speaks to Australian dollar capacity growth
After back-to-back record issuance years, it is clear that increased capacity for Australian dollar financial institution bonds is not just a post-pandemic rebound but representative of at least some degree of system growth. A raft of domestic and international banks benefited in 2023, including finding ample liquidity across the capital stack.
AT1 back in the regulatory crosshairs
The Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority suspects the major banks’ additional tier-one funding instruments are increasing risk in the sector. The regulator has reopened the debate about the amount of this form of capital in banks’ mix and the appropriateness of AT1 for retail investors.
Securitisation sets flight path to minimise turbulence
The Australian and New Zealand securitisation sector has grown significantly in recent years, driven by a proliferation of nonbank lenders. With rates rising for the first time in years and an economic downturn on the horizon, the market is readying itself for ongoing challenges. But participants at the Australian Securitisation Forum’s annual conference, which attracted a record attendance to Sydney at the end of 2022, say the industry is well positioned to manage them.