Macquarie Group Says CEO Moss to Retire

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG.AX), Australia's top listed investment bank, named Nicholas Moore as its new chief executive, replacing the outgoing CEO Allan Moss, and forecast a record full-year profit.

The bank also reiterated it had no unusual trading exposures arising from the global credit market turmoil.

Macquarie said year profit would be at least A$1.8 billion ($1.6 billion) and it had no unusual concerns about credit quality, but added that funding costs had risen.

"Macquarie remains very profitable, well capitalized and well funded," Moss said in a statement, ahead of the company's operational briefing.

"Our holdings of cash and liquid securities are currently more than three times normal liquidity levels. We continue to record strong market shares," he added.

Moss, who has been the CEO for almost 15 years, will hand over the reins to Moore, who heads the investment banking division. Moore, who was widely seen as Moss's successor, will take charge from May 24, 2008.

The global credit crisis has forced global banks to writedown billions of dollars tied to their exposure to distressed subprime mortgage loans.

Macquarie, which manages about A$228 billion globally, has been relatively immune, but rising credit costs and volatile equity markets have cast doubt on its ability to pursue deals.

"Overall activity remained reasonable during the quarter despite volatile market conditions. Macquarie continues to pursue strategic growth initiatives," Moss said.

Still, in a report released on last Friday, Citigroup cut its forecasts for Macquarie's fiscal 2009 and 2010 profits due to a bearish outlook for equity markets and mergers.

Macquarie buys airports, toll roads and utility assets across the globe and bundles them into listed and unlisted funds and earns fees for managing the assets.

Citigroup said it expected broking and trading businesses to benefit from high volatility in financial markets in the December quarter, but added that base fees will be adversely impacted by a recent drop in equity markets.

Macquarie shares are down about 12 percent so far in 2008, compared with an 8.6 percent fall in the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO.

Moss said credit market conditions remained challenging and have affected Macquarie's listed real estate funds. He said if all the unrealized losses on the real estate funds are recognized the impact on full-year net profit would be about A$70 million.

($1=A$1.12)

(Reporting by Denny Thomas; Editing by James Thornhill)