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Post Market Wrap | Telstra legal restructure on track for completion in October 2022

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This Post Market Wrap is presented by KOSEC – Kodari Securities

  • Legal restructure formalises separate ownership of infrastructure assets in new entities
  • Restructure creates optionality to monetise embedded value in privileged infrastructure assets
  • Strong global demand exists for mobile tower assets at compelling valuations 
  • Telstra International to be established, with a focus on subsea cables
  • Global demand for high quality telecommunication infrastructure assets supports long term shareholder value accretion. 

Telstra legal restructure  

Telstra is on track to finalise its legal restructure over the course of 2022, which will see the establishment of a new parent entity, to be known as Telstra Group Limited. Telstra shareholders will receive one new Telstra Group Limited share for each of their existing Telstra Corporation Limited shares. The legal restructure will result in the transfer of assets and liabilities between various entities within the Group. The transfers will be effected by a Scheme of Arrangement, which requires Court approval before the changes can be implemented.   

The restructure is much more than a variation to Telstra’s name; it is a fundamental change that responds to a rapidly evolving telecommunications industry driven by digitisation, analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and related technology network ‘smarts’, as well as unlocking the inherent value embedded in Telstra’s privileged assets. These key essential assets include the towers, ducts, fibre, data centres, subsea cables and exchanges that support Australia’s leading telecommunications network. The restructure is a complex process and the most significant corporate change since privatisation. 

A key outcome for shareholders is that the restructure should enable a higher overall market value to be attributed to the Group by improving visibility and returns on essential fixed assets with monopolistic style characteristics and value. This is because Telstra’s infrastructure assets have identifiable, contracted, long term, recurrent and low-risk cash flows. These assets, on a standalone basis, autonomously managed by a separate leadership group, should release value to shareholders over time. While not explicitly stated by Telstra’s management, the legal and structural separation of key monopolistic style assets provides optionality for the sale or separate ASX listing of these assets. Given their reliable cash flow and low risk profiles, compared to other service-oriented parts of the business, a standalone entity comprising these assets is likely to command a premium valuation by global investors. 

Four Standalone Business Units 

Once implemented, Telstra’s legal structure will comprise four main operating entities:

  • InfraCo Fixed
  • InfraCo Towers
  • ServeCo
  • Telstra International.  

InfraCo Fixed will own and operate Telstra’s physical infrastructure assets. These assets include ducts, fibre, data centres, and exchanges. 

InfraCo Towers will own and operate Telstra’s mobile tower assets. It is these assets that have the market keenly interested, given the strong demand and compelling valuations for this type of high-quality infrastructure. 

ServeCo will maintain Telstra’ focus on products and services, including the radio access network and spectrum assets that are mission critical to the Group’s mobile coverage and network superiority.   

Telstra International will be established as a separate subsidiary within the Group, with a focus on subsea cables. 

Intercompany Agreements have been created between the infrastructure owners (InfraCo Fixed and InfraCo Towers) and ServeCo  that support sustainable earnings for each of these entities and preserve shareholder value at the Group level.

Image: File

Looking Ahead 

The legal restructure terms, once approved by the Court, will be put to a shareholder vote to ratify the Scheme of Arrangement. The Scheme Booklet outlining the restructure terms is expected to be available to shareholders in September 2022. Depending on the date of the shareholder meeting to vote on the restructure, the exchange of new shares in Telstra Group Limited is expected to occur by the end of October 2022.

For now, investor focus is less about the state of the business today and more about how well positioned Telstra is for the future. The digital economy is the future and its dependence on a reliable, technologically superior telecommunications platform is fundamental to the vibrancy and productivity of the Australian economy.  

The legal and physical restructure of Telstra is right for the times and with the increasing value of infrastructure assets globally, the soon to be re-named Telstra Group Limited, is well placed to deliver shareholder value accretion over the long term.

This Post Market Wrap is presented by Kodari Securities, written by Michael Kodari, CEO at KOSEC.

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RBA stands pat on interest rates as hopes dim for future cuts

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RBA stands pat on interest rates as hopes dim for future cuts

Stella Huangfu, University of Sydney

The Reserve Bank kept the cash rate steady at 3.6% at today’s meeting. In its post-meeting statement, the central bank said the monetary policy board

judged that it was appropriate to remain cautious.

This pause follows three cuts earlier this year — in February, May and August, each by 25 basis points — which lowered the cash rate from 4.1% to its current level. Governor Michele Bullock said the bank is watching those previous cuts work through the economy.

Bullock stressed that while inflation has eased from its peak, progress remains uneven, and the bank is not ready to declare victory.

For now, patience is the safer course. The next big test will be the September quarter inflation report, due at the end of October. That release will go a long way to deciding whether cuts resume later this year or slip into 2026. Market pricing, once confident of a November move, now sees the odds as little better than a coin toss.

“By the next meeting in November, we’ll have more data on the labour market and inflation data for the September quarter,” Bullock told a press conference after the meeting.

Why the RBA is waiting

The monthly consumer price index (CPI) for August showed annual inflation rising to 3.0%, up from 2.8% in July. Although this is a 12-month high, much of the increase came from the expiry of electricity rebates — a temporary factor the bank had already anticipated.

Bullock has repeatedly said the Reserve Bank puts more weight on the quarterly “trimmed mean” inflation measure — a point she emphasised most recently before the House of Representatives economics committee. This measure strips out one-off price swings and gives a clearer picture of underlying inflation.

Even so, the monthly figures show the annual trimmed mean edged down from 2.7% in July to 2.6% in August. That suggests the underlying trend remains one of gradual disinflation (a slowing in the pace of price increases), despite the lift in the headline rate.

Bullock told reporters:

The monthly data are volatile […] I don’t want to suggest that inflation is running away, but we just need to be a little bit cautious.

Progress is not yet secure. Inflation must stay within the 2–3% target range on a sustained basis before the Reserve Bank can cut with confidence. Moving too early risks undoing hard-won gains and forcing harsher measures later.



Other data reinforce this cautious approach. June quarter economic growth surprised on the upside, showing the economy is more resilient than expected. Meanwhile, unemployment has ticked higher but remains low, pointing to a labour market that is cooling only gradually.

As the statement noted,

private consumption is picking up as real household incomes rise […] The housing market is strengthening […] Credit is readily available to both households and businesses.

Together, these signals give the Reserve Bank space to pause rather than rush into easing.

A big shift in expectations

The major banks have also adjusted their forecasts. NAB has ruled out any further move this year, dropping its earlier forecasts for November and February cuts and now expecting the next reduction in May 2026. Westpac still expects a November cut, but acknowledges the timing could slip.

Financial markets have also pared back their bets. Pricing once implied near-certainty of a November cut, but that probability has now fallen to roughly 50-50.

The September quarter consumer price index will be decisive: a softer result could revive expectations of an earlier cut, while a stronger one would reinforce the view that rate cuts will not resume until 2026.

With the economy stronger than forecast and CPI a touch higher, both banks and markets are pushing out the timing of cuts. The Reserve Bank’s message is clear: inflation must show sustained progress before policy can be eased. Until then, the next cut is a matter of when, not if.

Rates around the world

The Reserve Bank is not alone in being cautious. In the United States, the Federal Reserve delivered three cuts in 2024, but only made its first cut of 2025 in September. The European Central Bank has reduced rates four times this year, but has kept policy steady since June.

Political tensions, volatile energy prices and fragile global growth all add to the uncertainty, reinforcing the case for patience in Australia.

For households, today’s decision offers no relief. Mortgage repayments remain at an elevated level and consumer spending is weak.

Looking ahead, the Reserve Bank said it will remain data-driven and responsive to risks:

The Board will be attentive to the data […] focused on its mandate to deliver price stability and full employment and will do what it considers necessary to achieve that outcome.

For households, that means the wait for relief goes on. The next move is a cut, but today’s decision makes clear it won’t be rushed.The Conversation

Stella Huangfu, Associate Professor, School of Economics, University of Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Markets remain strong amid potential government shutdown fears

Markets remain strong as investors anticipate jobs data while ignoring government shutdown and tariff concerns

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Markets remain strong as investors anticipate jobs data while ignoring government shutdown and tariff concerns

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In Short:
– Major indices are near session highs, with the Dow up 382 points and resilient to shutdown concerns.
– Rising Treasury yields may challenge bullish sentiment, while upcoming economic reports will influence market direction.
Major indices are trading near session highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up by 382 points, the S&P 500 by 41 points, and the Nasdaq Composite by 100 points.
Investors seem undeterred by the looming government shutdown and new tariff announcements. Despite the challenges, markets appear resilient due to previous experiences with shutdowns.Banner

This coming week, markets should brace for monthly jobs data, assuming no shutdown occurs. Previous initial claims reports have lessened after reaching 263,000 on September 11.

Technical indicators show promise following a retreat to the 20-day SMA. The end of bearish seasonality approaches, coinciding with Q3 earnings season.

Market Perspective

However, rising Treasury yields could pose a challenge for bullish sentiment. The 10-year yield has increased over the past eight trading sessions and may close at a three-week peak.

If it stays below 4.25%, it could support ongoing bullish trends. A notable risk remains the potential negative impact of the jobs report.

Upcoming economic reports include pending home sales, consumer confidence, and nonfarm payrolls, all key to market direction.


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Crypto market plummets near $1 billion in liquidations

Crypto markets crash as liquidations approach $1 billion, marking a severe downturn in September 2025

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Crypto markets crash as liquidations approach $1 billion, marking a severe downturn in September 2025

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In Short:
– Cryptocurrency markets declined significantly, with liquidations nearing $1 billion and Bitcoin below $110,000.
– $442 million in positions were liquidated on Thursday, with Ethereum most affected, raising trader concerns.
Cryptocurrency markets faced significant declines on Thursday, with liquidations nearing $1 billion, contributing to a larger selloff that has cost the sector over $160 billion in market capitalisation.
Bitcoin fell below $110,000, trading around $111,400, while Ethereum dipped below the critical $4,000 support level, marking its lowest point in seven weeks.
The global crypto market capitalisation dropped by 2.2% to $3.91 trillion.Banner

Liquidation reports revealed that $442 million in positions were forcibly closed on Thursday, with Ethereum most affected, accounting for over $180 million.

The previous week saw a larger liquidation event, with $1.7 billion wiped out. Traders are concerned as a significant number of long positions were liquidated in this downturn.

Market Trends

Market analysts highlight a pattern of leveraged trading leading to cascading selloffs. Seasonal factors, regulatory uncertainty, and a strengthening US dollar contributed to the declines.

Despite the downturn, some large investors are taking the opportunity to accumulate assets.


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