Westpac Banking Corp. has taken a A$1.2 billion ($871 million) charge against second-half earnings to cover a record money-laundering fine and the mounting cost of compensating customers for years of misconduct.
The charge is the latest blow to Australia’s oldest bank, which last month was hit with a A$1.3 billion penalty for the country’s biggest breach of anti-money laundering laws. Earlier this year it deferred paying a dividend as bad-debt charges swelled amid the coronavirus-induced recession.
Among the charges announced Monday were:
Chief Executive Officer Peter King is seeking to restore the bank’s battered reputation after the money-laundering scandal led to the departure of predecessor Brian Hartzer. Westpac shares rose 0.7% in early Sydney trading, paring this year’s decline to 22%.
Westpac releases full-year results Nov. 2.
Related: