NAB: a change for the better

The financial community was impressed by the bank's plans to slim down its operations. Certainly, the bank could do with some focus after its decade-long acquisition spree - but there could be still more changes to come. NAB may plan to follow HSBC's example, relaunching all its regional operations under a single brand name.

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Lion Nathan: up on the wine trail

While Lion's beer business is doing well at the moment, general beer sales in the Australian-based company's core markets are not growing fast. As a result, Lion is spending heavily on acquisitions in the faster-growing wine market. With such future planning, and favorable market conditions, its positive expectations for next year look attainable.

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Frucor: holding out for a hero

Danone, the dairy and biscuits giant that also happens to be the world's biggest water bottler, could be rebuffed in its attempts to buy New Zealand's Frucor. One factor behind this coolness towards the bid is the low level of the offer. However, Frucor may also be keener to join forces with a company whose strengths are closer to its own development goals.

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Frucor/Danone: cheap tricks

Investors and management seem to think Frucor is worth more than Danone's $121 million offer, but there's no sign of another bidder and Danone looks unwilling to pay more. Frucor has been successful, and would be a strong addition to Danone's portfolio. However, the company may have trouble funding its expansion if it lets the French offer fall through.

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Frucor/Danone: a V good deal

The waiting is over for Danone, which has finally got its hands on the company responsible for the popular V energy drink. The French firm has also paid much less for the company than many originally expected. It should now be able to take Frucor's portfolio of juices, bottled water and energy drinks into potentially lucrative Asian markets.

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DB: a warning to brewers worldwide

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ANZ: bad debts partly offset by consumers' preference for major banks

On October 29, ANZ revealed that increased bad debts would reduce its profits for the 2009 financial year by 11% to A$2.94 billion, although there were also positive aspects to the company's results, with its revenues rising by 17%. Large banks such as ANZ need to exploit their size advantage to maintain market share as the economy recovers.

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ANZ National: offshoring may damage reputation

According to the financial workers union, ANZ National has announced that it will cut 100 local jobs, offshoring 90 of the positions to India. The union also claimed that the bank turned its back on prior public commitments to provide all affected workers with alternative roles. ANZ National's decisions will ultimately damage its public image, while also hurting the team morale of its workers.

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