macro

Westpac: average monthly mortgage applications fall 15% in fourth quarter 2026

Australian lender Westpac reported that its average monthly mortgage applications dropped 15% in the fourth quarter of 2026 from a year earlier.

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what happened

Australian lender Westpac Banking Corp said its average monthly mortgage applications fell 15% in the fourth quarter of 2026 compared with the same quarter of 2025. The bank put the average for the quarter at 28,000 applications per month.

The information was reported by Reuters. The data covers a single bank, but home loans make up a large share of lending at Australia's major banks.

why it matters

Weaker demand for mortgages could point to slower loan growth across Australia's banking sector and weigh on lenders' earnings. The figures also offer a read on the housing market, which investors watch closely when assessing the Reserve Bank of Australia's rate decisions.

market impact

Australian banks: weaker mortgage demand pressures Westpac's loan growth outlook

  • Westpac shares pressure down — weaker mortgage demand limits growth in the bank's loan book

tags

instruments

WestpacAUD/USD ↗ASX 200

sources

  1. Westpac Says Average Monthly Mortgage Applications Down 15% In 4Q26 Versus 4Q25 — Reuters, 1 November 2026 at 22:27 UTC

prepared by the newsmetry newsroom with ai assistance from the sources listed below. not investment advice.

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