A reasonably quiet week in deals is about to draw to a close.
Saturday’s election has been the big talking point over lunches at the back end of this week, with no one too sure as to who’ll be in control come Monday morning and how much of a mandate they will have to govern.
The equity markets have also been quiet all week, as big investors sit on their hands and wait for clarity.
Among the deals progressing, KKR-backed Colonial First State has rocketed into pole position for Westpac Banking Corp’s Panorama and wealth business, putting it on track to become the country’s biggest wealth management group.
CFS, always the auction favourite, and Westpac are understood to have bunkered down for a round of exclusive talks, to see if they can agree on a deal after an auction run by Morgan Stanley.
Elsewhere, we’ve dug around equities desks and found a little-talked-about block trade contender: Woodside Petroleum.
