Comparing the Returns of Big Four Australian Bank Stocks

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Australian bank stocks have had a great run this year. Among the Big 4, Commonwealth Bank has been the stand out with its stock up by 42% in the domestic market excluding dividends. Since reaching the peak the stock has fallen slightly and closed yesterday with a return of about 40% YTD. It should be noted that if dividends are included returns will be even higher. Though earnings have declined Commonwealth’s PE ratio has soared to 28x leading to the amazing returns.

The following chart shows the YTD return of the Big Four Banks on the US market:

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Source: Google Finance

The chart below shows the 5-year returns:

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Note: The returns shown above DO NOT include dividends.

Source: Google Finance

The current dividend yields of these stocks are listed below with their tickers on the US market:

1.Company: ANZ Group Holdings Limited (ANZGY) 
Current Dividend Yield: 5.99%

2.Company: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CMWAY)
Current Dividend Yield: 3.22%

3.Company: National Australia Bank Limited (NABZY)
Current Dividend Yield: 4.76%

4.Company: Westpac Banking Corp (WEBNF)
Current Dividend Yield: 7.07%

Note: Dividend yields noted above are as of Dec 27, 2024. Data is known to be accurate from sources used.Please use your own due diligence before making any investment decisions.

Disclosure: Long NABZY and WEBNF

Muslim Population in Canada: Infographic

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The current population of Canada is about 40.0 million according according to Worldometer data. This represents 0.49% of the total world population. In terms of land size, Canada is the second largest in the world after Russia and ahead of the US. However much of the land is uninhabited and the majority of the population lives closer to the US border than in the reminder of the country.

Recently the population of Canada has grown more sharply relative to the US population growth rate as shown in the chart below:

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Source: via @@donnelly_brent

The Muslim population in Canada is small but growing according to a recent chart published by Statcan. From 2001 to 2021 the Muslim population in Canada more than doubled as shown in the below infographic:

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Source: Statistics Canada

In terms of absolute number, the Muslim population in Canada stood at about 1.8 million in 2021.

Public Sector Employment as a percentage of Total Employment in OECD Countries: Chart

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Public Sector Employment as a percentage of Total Employment varies widely among OCED countries according to a working paper published by the OECD. The Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark have the highest general government employment at close to 30% based on 2021 data. Japan and South Korea have the lowest government employment at less than 10% of total employment.

Among the OECD countries in the EU, Germany and the Netherlands have the lowest government employment at under 13%. The OECD average was about 18.6% in 2021. The US figure is lower than the OECD average at about 15% but higher than South Korea, Japan, Italy, etc.

The following chart shows Public Sector Employment as a percentage of Total Employment in OECD Countries based on the latest data available:

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Source: Size and composition of public employment: data sources, methods and gaps, Working Paper, OECD

However Federal employees account for about 20% of the total government employees in the US. This shows that most of the government levels are in other levels of government like the state, country, city, etc.

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Source: Size and composition of public employment: data sources, methods and gaps, Working Paper, OECD

It remains to be seen if public sector employment would decline significantly under the plans proposed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy of DOGE in the upcoming Trump administration.