Online articles

• Conditions coalesce for Australian government-sector issuers

  The annual roundtable for Australia’s leading government-sector borrowers, hosted by KangaNews and Westpac Institutional Bank in July, found the issuers in buoyant mood. They have been able to shake off market volatility and economic uncertainty to deliver positive funding outcomes – while the semi-government sector in particular may have hit a new level of liquidity and global relevance.

• High-grade issuer profiles and perspectives 2023

  Key data and information on 15 high-grade lenders active in Australia and New Zealand, including programme information, funding strategy, debt data and issuer insights. 

• Near-term headwinds and supportive fundamentals in New Zealand

  The New Zealand capital market is working its way through regulatory changes and awaiting certainty on the turn of the rates cycle. But domestic and international high-grade market participants who joined a roundtable discussion hosted by KangaNews and Westpac in July say the direction of travel is largely positive.

• Semis take centre stage in Australian liquidity evolution

  A step-change in supply dynamics has combined with positive demand factors to boost secondary turnover in Australian semi-government bonds. Local real-money investors generally agree with the suggestion that semi-government tradability has reached a new level, while bid-side liquidity is strong even for less heavily traded names.

• Size matters in New Zealand's liquidity story

  Local investors say liquidity in New Zealand’s high-grade bond sector is imperfect, but generally around the mid-point of historical ranges for spreads and turnover. The uncertain regulatory environment is a near-term hurdle.