RBS Morgans opens doors for successful investing in Australia

RBS Morgans is in a league of its own in finding opportunities for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and institutional investors. The company combines the strengths of Australia's most experienced stockbroking professionals and the global reach of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

RBS Morgans is a joint venture between Morgan Stockbroking, one of Australia's largest independent equities trading firms, and the Australian unit of Edinburgh-based RBS Group. The merger created Australia's largest full-service retail stockbroking and wealth management network. With more than 60 branches throughout Australia and 500 advisers on board, RBS Morgans has more than HK$200 billion worth of funds under advisory. Its corporate advisory services range from mergers and acquisitions, equity raisings, divestitures, privatisations to restructurings, strategic reviews, spin-offs and takeover defence.

With a solid reputation and track record of more than 20 years for successfully bringing new companies to market and building long-term relationships, RBS Morgans has been the No1 small and mid-cap corporate finance house in Australia since 2007. RBS Morgans is licensed to trade at the Australia Securities Exchange, Bendigo Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of Australia. Through the RBS global network, it has ready access to financial markets in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

"We have unequalled, unrivalled distribution capacity in Australia," says Tim Crommelin, RBS Morgans executive chairman. "We are in every capital city across Australia - the only brokering house with that kind of reach. So when it comes to transactions needing a broad-based distribution, we are No1."

The firm has played lead roles in Australia's historic privatisations. In the three-stage divestment of Telstra, the country's telecommunications giant, RBS Morgans served as the retail lead manager for the T3 offer. Completed in 2006, the T3 offer raised an equivalent of HK$118.6 billion for the federal government. It was the second-largest share sale in Australia's history, wherein more than one million retail investors participated.

RBS Morgans distinguished itself anew in November 2010 as part of the team that listed QR National, Australia's largest rail freight operator. The initial public offering (IPO) raised HK$31.4 billion for the Queensland government. It was significant not only as the largest IPO since Telstra but also for shoring up confidence in stock market investing after the global financial crisis. Not surprisingly, QR National won accolades in 2010 including Insto Magazine's equity deal of the year and FinanceAsia's best IPO award for the listing.