Westpac reports 66% profit decline


Westpac has reported a 66% decline in statutory net profit to $2.2 billion on the back of a 62% decline in cash earnings.
In a result which Westpac chief executive, Peter King, described as “disappointing” he said it had been a particularly challenging year for the big group.
The bank board declared a final fully franked dividend of 31 cents per share, and the company said that neither the chief executive or group executives would receive short-term incentives this year.
“Despite the challenging period, our balance sheet remains strong,” King said. “We have improved our capital position with our common equity tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio rising 46 basis points to 11.13% and our funding and liquidity ratios are comfortably above regulatory requirements”.
Discussing the outlook, King said that COVID-19 had been a once in a 100 year health and economic crisis and the near-term economic outlook would remain uncertain.
Recommended for you
There is a gap in the market for Australian advisers to help individuals with succession planning as the country has been noted by Capital Group for being overly “hands off” around inheritances.
ASIC has cancelled the AFSL of an advice firm associated with Shield and First Guardian collapses, and permanently banned its responsible manager.
Private market secondaries manager Coller Capital has unveiled a new education platform to improve advisers’ and investors’ understanding of secondaries.
In the run-up to heavy losses expected at the end of the financial year, June has already reported consecutive weeks of adviser losses.