The media may have expected fireworks at the ASX’s two-and-a-half-hour annual general meeting in Sydney on Tuesday. But the board of the national stock exchange instead delivered a performance far more focused on stamping out flames.
About half a dozen reporters, including from Capital Brief, descended on the bourse operator’s iconic Exchange Square headquarters on Sydney’s Bridge Street expecting to hear more about the myriad issues it has faced over the past year — from regulatory investigations into its bungled tech upgrade, to an embarrassing announcement mix-up, to a new era of competition with Chicago-based Cboe.
Instead, the final AGM at that venue — the ASX recently moved into new offices in Martin Place — was a subdued affair.
Suited-up retiree shareholders filled the auditorium but were visibly bored. One could be heard muttering “no” under his breath multiple times in a bid to speed up proceedings after ASX chair David Clarke asked whether there were any more questions.
