I think the media have a huge part to play in spooking...

I think the media have a huge part to play in spooking investors. Articles like following don't help:

https://www.********.au/2019/04/07/are-nab-shares-a-dividend-trap/ this was released just yesterday.

Not sure if they are just talking it down so they can pick up some themselves. Seems that the old can they maintain a high dividend yield is being brought back up again. I stated back at ~$22 that they couldn't, based on ex-nab employees who worked for NAB for 20years saying they couldn't. Others, however, were posting that NAB had a huge capital asset sell off and that it can easily be maintained. But you need to consider, with such a sell off, it will reduce your revenue and growth going forward. IMO it is questionable whether they can maintain it, but the validity of the article siting a housing slump as the reason is highly questionable given NABs main area of expertise is business loans.