Australian lender Westpac sees solid credit demand in 2025, posts 3% annual profit fall

(Reuters) -Australia's Westpac Banking Corp (WEBNF) on Monday reported a fall in annual profit, and said it expects solid demand for housing and business credit in 2025 as the country's central bank looks to shift to an easing stance.

"Some central banks have shifted to an easing cycle and the RBA is likely to follow in 2025. This will be good news for many households and businesses," the bank said in a statement.

It also increased its buyback program by A$1 billion.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept interest rates steady for almost a year after raising the cash rate by 425 basis points to 4.35% since May 2022.

Westpac, Australia's third largest lender by market value, reported a 3% decline in profit for the year ended Sept. 30, to A$6.99 billion ($4.62 billion), due to rising costs and intense competition in the mortgage market. It did however beat an LSEG estimate of A$6.50 billion.

The bank's net interest margin, a key measure of profitability, narrowed to 1.93% from 1.95% the previous year, reflecting competition in mortgage pricing.

Rising interest rates, which increase mortgage repayment costs for borrowers and intensify competition, are pushing Australian retail banks to diversify their revenue streams beyond their traditional focus on home loans.

Westpac declared a higher final dividend of 76 Australian cents per share, compared to 72 Australian cents a year earlier.

($1 = 1.5147 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Archishma Iyer and John Biju in BengaluruEditing by Chris Reese)