Bloomberg Westpac Banking Corp. raised its key mortgage rate, the first of the nation’s biggest banks to decide passing on higher funding costs is worth the risk of further reputational damage. Its variable standard home-loan rate for owner occupiers will rise 14 basis points to 5.38 percent, the Sydney-based lender said in a statement. The move reflects “a sustained increase …

Bloomberg China’s biggest banks posted stable earnings growth in the second quarter, boosted by tighter liquidity even as the broader sector struggled with government policies. Profits at four of the five largest lenders rose at least 5 percent in the three months through June, as President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on riskier financiers pushed business to large state-connected banks. The results …

Bloomberg Deutsche Bank AG Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing has a stark message for the thousands of banks spread out across the European Union: bulk up or die. “The pressure to consolidate will rise significantly in Europe,” Sewing said. An increase in regulatory requirements, in addition to an already-pressing need for investment in information technology will “overwhelm” many banks, he …