Australia: After the gold rush

Money from pension funds is fuelling a boom in corporate bond issuance. But long-dated bonds and equities are lagging. Hans van Leeuwen reports

Sydney seeks financial-centre status

Australian domestic bond issues 1999 Month Issuer Amount (A$m) Credit rating Jan GMAC 50 A Jan AMP Bank 200 AA/A2 Jan Suncorp Metway 250 A- Jan Newcourt 75 BBB Feb CommonwealthBank 185 + 115 A+ Feb Case Credit 125 + 50 A Feb ANZ 300 AA- Feb Westpac (sub) 215 + 85 A+ Mar Schroders Property Fund 100 A- Mar St George 300 A Mar Ford Credit 100 A Mar Sydney AirportCorp 400 A+ Mar National Australia Bank 350 AA In the gold rush of 19th-century Australia, it seemed as if the country was made of money: one person squatting by a river would pan some gold and within weeks an industry of prospectors had set up camp.

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