Westpac

The Big Four banks and start-ups: How they measure up

4:00AM | Thursday, 11 April 2013 |  While ANZ recently committed to lending $1 billion to new businesses, are its competitors doing or planning anything similar? We spoke to the other big four banks to find out.

Retailers rejoice over extended trading after November sales slide

1:01PM | Thursday, 10 January 2013 |  New retail sales figures show sales slid by 0.1% in November, but the December figures could see a significant turnaround.

Male workers suffering from workplace inflexibility: Report

8:45PM | Tuesday, 28 August 2012 |  A lack of workplace flexibility could prompt more men to start their own business, after a report revealed 18% of men have considered leaving their job because of inflexible arrangements.

Caution urged over unemployment rate dip

8:04PM | Thursday, 9 August 2012 |  Australia’s unemployment rate eased to 5.2% in July, according to new figures, although a Westpac economic note warns it would be “inappropriate” to interpret the fall as the start of a tumble in the jobless level.

Smirnoff controversy prompts Facebook comments warning

8:52PM | Monday, 6 August 2012 |  Start-ups are being urged to monitor comments left on their Facebook pages, after the parent company of Smirnoff failed to monitor distasteful comments made by its Facebook “fans”.

Consumer sentiment up 3.7% as rate cuts make their mark

7:57PM | Wednesday, 11 July 2012 |  The Westpac–Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment increased by 3.7% in July, suggesting the spate of interest rate cuts is finally having an impact on household spending.

Consumer sentiment increases but rate cut still on the cards

6:09PM | Wednesday, 13 June 2012 |  The Westpac Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment increased by 0.3% in June, but Westpac chief economist Bill Evans has dismissed the increase as another “disappointing” result.

Unemployment data throws further rate cuts into doubt

6:15PM | Thursday, 7 June 2012 |  The unemployment rate increased by 0.2% in May, new statistics show, with the data potentially dampening the probability of an interest rate cut in August.

Big four banks “couldn’t give a toss” about small business credit: O’Connor

5:00AM | Wednesday, 16 May 2012 |  The big four banks “couldn’t give a toss” about providing credit to new enterprises, federal Small Business Minister Brendan O’Connor has claimed.