Matthew Wilson's questions to WESTPAC BANKING (WEBNF) leadership • Q1 2021
Question
Matthew Wilson of Evans & Partners questioned apparent contradictions in the Pillar 3 data, highlighting that compared to peers, Westpac has higher impaired loans and lower provision coverage, yet a lower RWA density.
Answer
CEO Peter Francis King attributed the lower RWA density to improved credit quality and reduced volumes in certain portfolios like credit cards. Regarding provision coverage, he noted that models differ across banks and that the volatility is expected under the new accounting standards. He reiterated confidence in the bank's provisioning levels.