According to a report in the Australian Financial Review, global investment bank Morgan Stanley has listed a number of potential 'surprises' shareholders in a handful of blue-chip companies should be on the look-out for in 2015. They're not predictions as such; rather Morgan Stanley suggests they are events with a greater chance of occurring than the market appreciates.
Here are four of the potential surprises:
- AMP Limited (ASX: AMP) could exceed expectations for funds under management (FUM) growth in 2015. While the wealth management company should attract around $2 billion in net FUM inflows, there is the potential it could be closer to $3 billion. Morgan Stanley suggests this could lead to a re-rating of the stock.
- Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) has had a stellar debut since listing via initial public offering late last year. Morgan Stanley identifies the potential for a fall from grace should the health insurer miss market expectations for underlying margins.
- Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) could look to improve its competitive position by exiting its banking operations to allow it to focus purely on its insurance operations. Morgan Stanley also offers up the suggestion that Suncorp may look to buy a health insurer to expand its offering within the insurance industry.
- ASX Ltd (ASX: ASX) could become a new force in the direct-to-consumer offering of managed funds. Currently, traditional investment platforms dominate this market and have a strong entrenched position, however, the recently launched mFunds service could become a disruptor to the status quo.
