Site menu

Search by ticker code:
Generic filters

Menu

Search by ticker code:
Generic filters

Search by ticker code:
Generic filters

WBC share price: some easy ways to study it

The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price has increased 40% since the start of the year. Is the WBC share price priced to perfection?
A target valuation of the Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price can be equal parts art and science. That said, the research and valuation process is arguably the most vital part of successful investing and should not be neglected.

Let’s take a look at how we could value WBC shares.

Westpac is the second-largest Big Four Australian bank. Headquartered in Sydney, Westpac’s primary role in the Aussie financial system is financing homeowners, investors and individuals (via credit cards and personal loans). It also has operations servicing business customers.

WBC share price

#1. Culture

https://youtu.be/czglgnyr4Wk?si=YDgTQMEPWlRtuiFa

For long-term investors looking to invest in great companies and hold them for 5, 10 or 20 years, at Rask we think it’s fair to say that a good workplace and staff culture can lead to improved retention of high-quality personnel and, in turn, long-term financial success of a company.

One way Aussie investors can get under the hood of a company like Westpac Banking Corp or Bank of Queensland Limited is to use a HR/jobs websites such as Seek. Seek’s website includes data on the culture of companies, including things like employee reviews. According to the most recent data we pulled on WBC, for example, the company’s overall workplace culture rating of 3.4/5 was better than the ASX banking sector average rating of 3.13.

#2. Loans

ASX bank shares such as WBC need deposits and good profit margins to make their business profitable. Meaning, a bank gets money from term deposit holders and wholesale debt investors and lends that money to homeowners, businesses and investors. The difference between what a bank pays to savers and what it makes from mortgage holders (for example) is the net interest margin or NIM. Remember: when it comes to NIMs, the wider the margin the better.

If you are planning to forecast the profits of a bank like WBC or National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB), knowing how much money the bank lends and what it makes per dollar lent to borrowers is vital. That’s why the NIM is arguably the most vital measure of WBC’s profitability. Across the ASX’s major bank shares, we calculated the average NIM to be 1.92% whereas Westpac Banking Corp’s lending margin was 1.9%, highlighting it delivered a lower-than-average return from lending compared to its peer group. This may happen for many reasons, which are worth investigating.

The reason analysts study the NIM so closely is because Westpac Banking Corp earned 83% of its total income (akin to revenue) just from lending last year.

#3. Why WBC’s ROE is key

Return on shareholder equity, also known as ‘ROE’, helps you compare the profit of a bank against its total shareholder equity, as shown on its balance sheet. The higher the ROE the better. Westpac Banking Corp’s ROE in the latest full year stood at 10.1%, meaning for every $100 of shareholder equity in the bank it produced $10.10 in yearly profit. This was less than the sector average of 10.43%.

#4. Understanding the Westpac Banking Corp CET1 ratio

For Australia’s banks the CET1 ratio (aka ‘common equity tier one’) is paramount. CET1 represents the bank’s capital buffer which can go towards protecting it against financial collapse – basically, it’s the proportion of total assets that are ‘liquid’ or readily available. According to our numbers, Westpac Banking Corp had a CET1 ratio of 12.4%. This was better than the sector average.

#5. Share price valuation using dividends

A dividend discount model or DDM is one of the most efficient ways to create a projection of ASX bank shares. To do a DDM we have to arrive at a projection of the bank’s dividends going forward (i.e. the next full-year dividend) and then apply a risk rating. Let’s assume the WBC dividend payment goes up at a consistent rate each year into the future, somewhere between 2% and 4%. We will use multiple risk rates (between 6% and 11%) and then average the valuations.The calculation we use is Share price = full-year dividend / (risk rate – dividend growth rate).

Growth rate
2.00% 3.00% 4.00%
Risk rate
6.00% 114.5 152.67 229
7.00% 91.6 114.5 152.67
8.00% 76.33 91.6 114.5
9.00% 65.43 76.33 91.6
10.00% 57.25 65.43 76.33
11.00% 50.89 57.25 65.43

According to this quick and simple DDM model, an estimated valuation of WBC shares is $24.13. However, using an ‘adjusted’ or expected dividend payment of $1.68 per share, which is the preferred measure because it uses forecast dividends, the valuation goes to $28.55. The valuation compares to WBC’s current share price of $32.30. Since the company’s dividends are fully franked, we can make a further adjustment and do a valuation based on a ‘gross’ dividend payment. Using gross dividend payments, which take into account franking credits, the valuation projection becomes $40.79.

What this means is that the WBC share price might seem expensive using our simple DDM model, but this is just one of many steps you should take before making an investment decision. It’s important to consider all of the risks and ideas we presented here, including the benefit of rallying dividends and the positive impact of franking credits. To learn more about analysis and valuation, consider getting our free investment report emailed to you (keep reading).

$50,000 per year in passive income from shares? Yes, please!

With interest rates UP, now could be one of the best times to start earning passive income from a portfolio. Imagine earning 4%, 5% — or more — in dividend passive income from the best shares, LICs, or ETFs… it’s like magic.

So how do the best investors do it?

Chief Investment Officer Owen Rask has just released his brand new passive income report. Owen has outlined 10 of his favourite ETFs and shares to watch, his rules for passive income investing, why he would buy ETFs before LICs and more.

You can INSTANTLY access Owen’s report for FREE by CLICKING HERE NOW and creating a 100% FREE Rask Account.

(Psst. By creating a free Rask account, you’ll also get access to 15+ online courses, 1,000+ podcasts, invites to events, a weekly value investing newsletter and more!)

Unsubscribe anytime. Read our TermsFinancial Services GuidePrivacy Policy. We’ll never sell your email address. Our company is Australian owned.

Information warning: The information on this website is published by The Rask Group Pty Ltd (ABN: 36 622 810 995) is limited to factual information or (at most) general financial advice only. That means, the information and advice does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not specific to you, your needs, goals or objectives. Because of that, you should consider if the advice is appropriate to you and your needs, before acting on the information. If you don’t know what your needs are, you should consult a trusted and licensed financial adviser who can provide you with personal financial product advice. In addition, you should obtain and read the product disclosure statement (PDS) before making a decision to acquire a financial product. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Financial Services Guide before using this website. The Rask Group Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative (#1280930) of AFSL #383169.

5%+ in passive income

Owen Rask’s investing report available

With bond ETFs like ASX:IAF and the S&P 500 riding high, now could be one of the best times to start earning passive income from a portfolio of shares and ETFs.

In this free analyst report, our Chief Investment Officer, Owen Rask, names 10 ASX stocks and ETFs to watch.

Unsubscribe anytime. Read our TermsFinancial Services GuidePrivacy Policy. We’ll never sell your email address. Our company is Australian owned.

Skip to content