The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price rise of 30% in 2021 is better than any of the big four banks.
In fact, the next best big bank, Australia and New Zealand Banking GrpLtd (ASX: ANZ), has a rise that is a full third lower than Westpac's. As an example, if you had invested $10,000 in ANZ on the first trading day of this year, you would have an extra $2,000 to your name. If you had invested that money in Westpac on the other hand, you'd have an extra $3,000.
If you had invested that money in an exchange traded fund (ETF) that tracked the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO), that $10,000 would be about $11,000 now.
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Westpac stays winning
While Westpac's rise this year has been impressive, it should be noted the company was coming off a low base in 2020. Last year, shares in the bank fell by 20% – largely attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares, on the other hand, ended 2020 about 2.8% higher.
Analysts though are quite bullish on the Westpac share price. As Motley Fool Australia reported, analyst Morgan Stanley believes shares in the company could reach a level as high as $29.20 – nearly 15% above their current price. The analyst also believes the company could pay a dividend with a yield as high as almost 5%.
The bank has also been in the news recently over allegations of fraud within the business.
