The Australian financial sector has a rather strong history when it comes to the rise and fall of investment companies. While it pales in comparison to the likes of Wall Street and London, deregulation of Australia’s financial sector, starting way back in the 1980s, has allowed for the growth of competition and business innovation. Here is our list of Australia’s best investment companies.
#1 AMP Capital
AMP Capital’s major shareholder is AMP Group, which remains one of Australia’s largest retail groups. AMP Group was founded in 1849, while its investment branch, AMP Capital, is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. However, they have a growing international presence in Singapore, Japan, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Dubai and India.
#2 Great Southern Group
While the Great Southern Group did go into voluntary administration in 2009, it was one of Australia’s most successful investment companies for a while. The company was founded by John Young in 1987, and the company was so successful that it went public in 1999.
The GFC in 2008 hit the Great Southern Group hard, having peaked in 2006 with an after-tax profit of $132 million AU. However, worsening economic conditions and restrictive regulatory changes forced the group into administration. The ongoing debate arose following the Great Southern Group’s collapse, primarily because of the corporation’s taxation treatment. They also courted controversy when the group gave funds to the Labor opposition in the lead up to the federal election in 2007, which Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party subsequently won.
#3 Archer Capital
Coming in at number 3 on our list is Archer Capital – a private equity firm based in Sydney. They were founded in 1996 and have invested across a variety of sectors. They own or co-own several large Australian and New Zealand companies, including the Supercars Championship. Previously, the company had sizeable investments in Rebel Sport, MYOB and Australian Geographic.
