“Got to think about dividends” - CEO Core capital up to a record 11.7% Higher loan sales in Australia, record volumes in New Zealand (Recasts to add detail on capital, dividend, analyst comment)
SYDNEY, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand Banking Group on Thursday reported a higher first-quarter profit and said it was well-positioned to consider returning to investors some of the record levels of cash it holds in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Unlike global counterparts, Australia and New Zealand’s big four banks are emerging from the pandemic in a position to reverse some of the heavy bad debt provisions they set aside in 2020 to cover for potential loan defaults.
UPDATE 2-Australia s ANZ flags record capital levels as profit rises on housing boom reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.