NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 09:11 ET — Market closed
- Judo Capital shares closed up 4.35% on Friday after the lender updated its loan book and reaffirmed FY26 targets.
- The bank said gross loans and advances were about A$13.4 billion at Dec. 31; first-half results are due Feb. 17.
- Investors are watching upcoming Australian inflation prints for clues on interest-rate expectations and bank funding costs.
Shares of Judo Capital Holdings (ASX: JDO), the listed owner of Judo Bank, ended Friday up 4.35% at A$1.80, their first close of 2026.
The move put the spotlight on loan growth at a smaller lender focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a part of the economy that can turn quickly when confidence shifts.
It also matters because the new year brings an early test of whether banks can grow balance sheets without giving up too much on pricing, especially as deposit and wholesale funding costs remain a key swing factor.
In an ASX filing, Judo said its unaudited gross loans and advances (GLAs) — essentially the size of its loan book — stood at about A$13.4 billion at Dec. 31 and it reaffirmed FY26 GLA guidance of A$14.2 billion to A$14.7 billion. “We remain on track to achieve our existing guidance for profit before tax of between $180m to $190m,” CEO Chris Bayliss said, adding that compared with A$125.6 million in FY25, while flagging a first-half result on Feb. 17. ASX Announcements
At A$13.4 billion, the bank needs roughly A$0.8 billion to A$1.3 billion of additional lending to land inside its full-year range, a pace investors will compare with the second-half funding mix.
The profit target implies operating leverage — where profits rise faster than costs as a business scales — but the half-year print will show how much of that improvement came from margin, volumes, or lower expenses.
Judo’s update landed as Australia’s major banks traded higher in the ASX’s first session of the year, even as markets stayed selective on stocks exposed to rates and growth.
For bank investors, the next set of questions is familiar: net interest margin (NIM) — the spread between what a bank earns on loans and pays for funding — credit quality, and whether competition forces lenders to price growth more aggressively.
Judo’s February result is likely to be the next clear catalyst, with traders looking for commentary on loan origination momentum, arrears and impairments, and any change to full-year guidance.
Before the next session, attention also turns to Australia’s inflation calendar, with the ABS listing CPI releases on Jan. 7 and Jan. 28, data points that can shift rate expectations and, in turn, bank valuations.
Technically, chart watchers flagged nearby levels around A$1.83 as resistance and A$1.77 as support, based on commonly used pivot calculations.
