Westpac

Bill Evans, who will step down next year after three decades as Westpac’s chief economist, says “deeply pessimistic” consumer sentiment despite the RBA’s recent pause is a sign of further hikes ahead.

With inflation, interest rate hikes and other economic stress weighing heavily on Australian households, key recent data show consumer sentiment approaching new lows while overall spending continues to climb.

Economists agree the outlook for house prices in 2023 is largely dependent on upcoming interest rate decisions by the Reserve Bank of Australia, and signs of weakness are already appearing. Complicating matters further, borrowers face an impending fixed-rate cliff.

Market falls, BHP merges with Woodside, CBA’s correction It was another rough day for the ASX200 (ASX: XJO) with the selling pressure continuing to grow as reporting season picks up steam. The financial sector was the biggest contributor to the markets 0.9% fall, dragged down 1.7% by Magellan Financial Group (ASX: MFG) and the Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) which is nearing a technical…

ASX down as Victoria braces, materials weaker, ALS profit jumps The ASX200 (ASX: XJO) finished 0.3% lower on Wednesday, with the materials and e-commerce sectors leading the fall.  BHP Group (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) remain under pressure, falling over 2% each as the hot commodity sector is cooled by increasing supply. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:…

ASX hits 14-month high, ANZ dividend surprise, Nearmap upgrades revenue guidance  The ASX200 (ASX:XJO) reached a 14-month high, adding 0.4% and once again nearing a record. The primary driver was the healthcare sector, up 1.1%, with key constituent CSL (ASX:CSL) up 2.4% offering the majority of the support. Private hospital, imaging, and COVID-19 testing firm Healius (ASX:HLS) finished flat despite reporting…

May is shaping up to be one of the most important months for dividend-focused Australian investors, with bank reporting season beginning on May 3, with Westpac’s interim result. The unexpected strength of the sector was brought to light this week after two of the three main ratings agencies upgraded their views on the sector, on…

ASX hits new high, value rotation continues, car sales spike The ASX200 finished another 0.6% higher on Wednesday, reaching the highest point since February last year but still some way off the all-time high of 7,199 points. Once again it was the energy and materials sectors boosting the market as a flood of more positive economic news…

The chief executive-elect of AMP Limited, once a financial services giant in size and stature – boasting for a time the advertising slogan: ‘We will always be there’ – faces the biggest task of her career. Her track record could not be better. The advertising slogan sounded good, if overly ambitious, for its post-IPO times. The sector’s predilection for…

“Green-washing” and ESG may have been the most popular words in funds management in 2020, as consumers became more interested in where their capital was being invested and what it was being used to support. An extensive list of events ranging from Westpac’s money-laundering scandal, to Rio Tinto’s sacred-sites explosions and staff under-payments, has challenged…