2356 GMT - A period of sustained share buybacks by Australia's major banks looks to be ending, according to Morgan Stanley analysts. They tell clients in a note that they no longer forecast any new buybacks once large lenders complete the A$2.6 billion of previously announced buybacks that are still outstanding. Supporting this view, they say that the recently announced tier-one capital ratios fell short of their forecasts by an average 25 basis points. They also expect the country's prudential regulator to raise tier-one capital requirements, which would likely lead to ANZ, Commonwealth, NAB and Westpac adopting new, higher target ranges. (stuart.condie@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 25, 2025 19:56 ET (23:56 GMT)
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