Westpac Banking Corp 6-K, filed Mar 14, 2025
Westpac Banking Corp (WEBNF)
About this 6-K
Westpac Banking Corp filed this 6-K on March 14, 2025.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN
PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
March 14, 2025
Commission File Number 1-10167
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
275 KENT STREET, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES 2000, AUSTRALIA
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F x Form 40-F ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ¨
Incorporation by Reference
The information contained in this Report on Form 6-K, excluding the information set forth in Exhibit 1, shall be incorporated by reference in the prospectuses relating to the Registrant’s securities contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statements on Form F-3 (File Nos. 333-283007 and 333-283008), as such prospectuses may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
Westpac Settles Auto Finance Class Action
The Westpac Group has agreed to settle the class action relating to flex commissions paid to auto dealers from March 1, 2013 to October 31, 2018, without any admission of liability.
The settlement is for $130m which was largely provided for as at December 31, 2024 and included in Westpac’s 1Q25 Update. The settlement remains subject to Court approval.
Index to Exhibits
| Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| 1 | Westpac Settles Auto Finance Class Action |
Disclosure regarding forward-looking statements
The information contained in this Report on Form 6-K contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this Report and include statements regarding our current intent, belief or expectations with respect to our business and operations, macro and micro economic and market conditions, results of operations and financial condition and performance, capital adequacy and liquidity and risk management, including, without limitation, future loan loss provisions and financial support to certain borrowers, forecasted economic indicators and performance metric outcomes, indicative drivers, climate- and other sustainability- related statements, commitments, targets, projections and metrics, and other estimated and proxy data.
Words such as ‘will’, ‘may’, ‘expect’, ‘intend’, ‘seek’, ‘would’, ‘should’, ‘could’, ‘continue’, ‘plan’, ‘estimate’, ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘probability’, ‘indicative’, ‘risk’, ‘aim’, ‘outlook’, ‘forecast’, ‘assumption’, ‘projection’, ‘target’, ‘goal’, ‘guidance’, ‘objective’, ‘ambition’ or other similar words, are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current views on future events and are subject to change, certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions and other factors which are, in many instances, beyond our control (and the control of our officers, employees, agents and advisors), and have been made based on management’s current expectations or beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect upon Westpac.
Forward-looking statements may also be made, verbally or in writing, by members of Westpac’s management or Board in connection with this Report. Such statements are subject to the same limitations, uncertainties, assumptions and disclaimers set out in this Report.
There can be no assurance that future developments or performance will align with our expectations or that the effect of future developments on us will be those anticipated. Actual results could differ materially from those we expect or which are expressed or implied in forward-looking statements, depending on various factors including, but not limited to, those described in the section titled ‘Risk factors’ under the section ‘Performance Review’ in Westpac’s 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to us, investors and others relying on information in this Report should carefully consider such factors and other uncertainties and events.
Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in this Report, whether from new information, future events, conditions or otherwise, after the date of this Report.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION | ||
| (Registrant) | ||
| Date: March 14, 2025 | By: | /s/ Esther Choi |
| Esther Choi | ||
| Tier One Attorney | ||
Exhibit 1
ASX
Release |
Level 18, 275 Kent Street Sydney, NSW, 2000 |
14 March 2025
WESTPAC SETTLES AUTO FINANCE CLASS ACTION
The Westpac Group has agreed to settle the class action relating to flex commissions paid to auto dealers from 1 March 2013 to 31 October 2018, without any admission of liability.
The settlement is for $130m which was largely provided for as at 31 December 2024 and included in Westpac’s 1Q25 Update. The settlement remains subject to Court approval.
The proceedings were filed in July 2020 against Westpac Banking Corporation and St.George Finance Limited with similar class actions brought against other auto finance lenders.
Westpac has not paid such flex commissions since 2018. In 2022, Westpac also ceased providing new lending through its dealer introduced auto finance business following a divestment.
This settlement concludes the last Royal Commission related litigation for the Westpac Group.
For further information:
| Hayden Cooper | Justin McCarthy |
| Group Head Media Relations | General Manager Investor Relations |
| M. 0402 393 619 | M. 0422 800 321 |
This document has been authorised for release by Tim Hartin, Company Secretary.
