Sydney, Feb 7, 2026, 16:48 AEDT — The market has wrapped up for the day.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia slipped 0.23% to finish at A$158.91 on Friday. The S&P/ASX 200 plunged 2.03% during a broad sell-off. 1
Half-year results are out from the bank on Feb. 11, alongside an interim dividend announcement. Shares are set to trade ex-dividend on Feb. 18. 2
Tech, crypto, and commodities all took a hit Friday, as the “sell everything” sentiment swept over global markets. 3
Shares in Australia lost close to A$70 billion, according to ABC, as markets fell hard in tandem. “Panic is spreading,” said MooMoo Australia analyst Michael McCarthy, who described the across-the-board drop as “unnerving.” 4
CBA has already warned investors about several one-offs and reporting quirks set to influence its half-year results. The bank noted a A$68 million pre-tax provision stemming from ASIC’s Better Banking review. It also pointed to A$53 million in non-recurring income, which includes a milestone payout from the Commonwealth Insurance Limited sale plus a fair value lift on its Gemini stake following the IPO. 5
On Feb. 3, the Reserve Bank of Australia raised the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85%, marking its first move higher in two years. That’s a quarter-point bump. 6
Commonwealth Bank plans to lift its variable home loan rates, effective Feb. 13. “We know that interest rate changes can create additional pressure,” said retail banking executive Angus Sullivan. 7
Economists at the bank aren’t done discussing further tightening. Commonwealth Bank’s Belinda Allen, who heads Australian economics, put it plainly: “inflation is simply too high.” The CBA team projects another rate hike in May, which would lift the cash rate to 4.10%. 8
Friday didn’t spare the rest of the sector. ANZ dropped 1.52%, National Australia Bank edged down 1.57%, and Westpac ended up at A$39.43, a dip from its previous close, market data showed. 9
The tricky part’s in the weeds: net interest margin—the spread between what banks make from loans versus what they pay out on deposits—shrinks fast when mortgage and deposit battles heat up all at once. There’s another headache, too. If higher rates start to squeeze households, expect arrears and bad-debt charges to climb as well.
Eyes turn to Feb. 11: that’s when Commonwealth Bank drops its half-year numbers along with fresh details on its interim dividend. 10
