AMP ‘rotten all the way through’, investment forum hears

Speaking at the Future Generation Investment Forum in Sydney this week, the chairman of Wilson Asset Management quoted an unnamed AMP-aligned adviser as saying the issues exposed so far are “just the tip [of the iceberg].”

“[The adviser] said, [AMP] is rotten all the way through," Mr Wilson explained.

Alongside this cultural hearsay, Mr Wilson also expressed doubt about the merits of investing in AMP.

Sharing an anecdote, Mr Wilson said he had asked a “very well-known” executive in the insurance industry about determining a price at which he should purchase AMP shares.

“He said, ‘I can’t come up with a value for you.’ And to me, the risk is … I just don’t know what price AMP is a buy at. There mightn’t be a price,” Mr Wilson said.

AMP’s share price was $5.46 on 9 March and has fallen more than 30 per cent to a low of $3.69 on 11 May in light of revelations from the banking royal commission, which has prompted resignations from its chief executive and multiple board directors, as well as a number of class action lawsuits.