Banks Triple Bottom and Bounce soon., page-146

WBC results are steady = good

"It's fairly obvious that we are through the best part of the impairment cycle," Hartzer said on a post-earnings call. "Having said that ... stressed levels are fairly stable and we don't see a broad-based deterioration in asset quality."

The nation's oldest bank declared an interim dividend of 94 cents a share, unchanged from the final dividend of 2015. Westpac has grown dividends consistently since September 2009.

"This is prudent = Good management of Capital.

Cash earnings for the six months ended March 31 rose to a record A$3.9 billion ($2.96 billion) compared with A$3.78 billion a year ago .. led by growth in mortgages and corporate loans.

Net interest income, the difference of interest earned and paid out, rose 10 percent with net interest margins, a key gauge of profitability, increased to 2.14 percent. ($1 = 1.3161 Australian dollars)