An Examination Into The Battle Of The Big Four

Looking at a longer term time horizon, there is no question as to which bank takes the mantle of best performer:

 

10 Year Performance

Since March 2009 (GFC Lows On XJO)

Australia's largest bank by capitalisation is way ahead, with #2 WBC lagging considerably since the GFC lows in March 2009, and #3 ANZ punching above its weight by outperforming WBC. Whilst CBA may have blitzed the competition over this timeframe, a closer look at recent performance shows an interesting picture:

2 Year Performance

1 Year Performance

Over the 1-year & 2-year horizons, WBC is neck and neck with CBA over 2 years and actually leads the pack over the past year. ANZ & NAB have fairly similar performance over both timeframes.

6 Month Performance

1 Month (YTD) Performance

Over the past 6 months, WBC has significantly outperformed its peers. What is interesting to note - NAB has climbed off the canvas in to start 2013, and is currently in pole position in terms of performance. Investors will be hoping that this is a sign of things to come, with NAB consistently lagging the rest of the competition over all other timeframes. Additionally, despite CBA making new all-time highs, it sits in last place to start the new year.