APRA's extraordinary gift to banks under pressure to pay dividends
- Written by Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW
Last week the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) sent an extraordinary letter to Australia’s banks and insurers, essentially telling them to cut their dividend payments to shareholders in light of the coronavirus crisis.
It said it expected banks and insurers to “seriously consider deferring decisions on the appropriate level of dividends”.
Authors: Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW