Athena planning prime RMBS deal

Mutual banks: growth, and funding for growth

Australia’s mutual banks are innovating in response to sector-wide issues. Participants at the KangaNews Mutual Sector Wholesale Funding Seminar 2021 – which took place in Sydney in May – discussed an evolving business and funding environment, and how mutual banks can deliver in their areas of competitive advantage.

Growth and funding diversity drive Athena-Bluestone tie-up

Athena and Bluestone Mortgages say their whole-loan funding arrangement presents opportunities for both to grow sustainably and to leverage each other’s knowledge set. The strategic partnership will provide up to A$2 billion (US$1.6 billion) of whole-loan funding to Athena Home Loans over the next three years.

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.

TFF volume meets initial allowance but credit demand still soft

Authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) picked up their usage of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)’s term funding facility (TFF) before its cut-off date on 30 September, eventually subscribing for almost all their original allowance. While the RBA says the scheme is achieving its goal at least some market participants are concerned about its distortionary effect.