EY

While the firms agreed there’s an opportunity to review the regulatory oversight of consulting firms, they told a Senate inquiry they had no plans to voluntarily break up their businesses, despite claims of inherent conflicts of interest.

Higher net interest margins helped drive a nearly 17 per cent increase in the banks’ combined cash profits from a year ago. But a 400 per cent increase in their interest expenses and stiffer lending competition are contributing to a weaker outlook going forward, analysts say.

The 2023 EY Global Wealth Management Research Report showed 37 per cent of Australian investors think managing their wealth has become more complex in the past two years, with nearly half reporting they are looking for more financial advice across investment services.

Following the IPO bonanza in 2021, it looks like much of the strong, positive momentum failed to materialise in 2022. The IPO market in 2021 recorded the highest number of new floats in a decade, more than the previous two years combined.