Live: Building company collapse exposes private credit issues
The Bathla Group collapse exposes private credit issues and oil is up on Middle East tensions. Follow the day's events and insights from our business reporters on the ABC News live markets blog.
The collapse of Australia's Bathla Group has exposed significant concerns about the private credit system supporting the construction sector. Over 2,000 homes under construction or nearly completed, along with a pipeline of more than 13,000 projects, now face peril due to the high-risk nature of the industry and the lengthy time between investing in development and seeing returns from selling properties.
Banks are hesitant to lend to developers, leading to the sector relying on private credit, non-bank lenders who charge higher rates due to the risks involved. The corporate regulator ASIC has warned of significant cracks in the system, marking its first real test amid the collapse of several large borrowers and limiting redemptions at major funds.
Despite this, superannuation funds, which include many Australians' investments, are still tied to private credit.
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