It was another bumper week for the ASX 200 this week headlined by more big four bank earnings.
Here's a closer look at what was driving the S&P/ASX 200 Index (INDEXASX: XJO) higher throughout the week.
1. Is the 'big four' golden era coming to an end?
The days of double digit billion-dollar profits could be coming to an end for the big four banks.
Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) and National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) were the latest to report their full-year results.
Both banks saw net profit and underlying cash profit slide lower as customer remediation and regulatory capital requirements restricted earnings.
The NAB share price climbed higher on Thursday despite slashing its final dividend by 16% to 83 cents per share.
NAB's cash earnings slumped 10.6% to $5.1 billion compared to FY18 numbers, while Westpac recorded a 22% drop to $3.3 billion.
This follows similar trends from both Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd (ASX: CBA) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ASX: ANZ).
2. Zip leads ASX 200 this week with Amazon deal
The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) share price rocketed higher early on the ASX 200 this week after signing a new agreement with Amazon's Australian arm.
Zip shares opened 17.68% higher at $4.06 per share on Thursday after announcing the deal to be integrated with amazon.com.au.
It's a big deal for Zip as it continues to gain on Afterpay Touch Group Ltd (ASX: APT) as the leading buy now, pay later platform.
3. Xero still has growth left in the tank
Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO) bucked the declining WAAAX share price trend with a solid earnings result on Thursday.
While fellow WAAAX stocks such as Afterpay have been under pressure in recent months, the Xero share price has been quietly climbing higher.
Xero was a top performer on the ASX 200 this week after posting a NZ$1.3 million net profit on Thursday.
Xero shares rocketed to a record high of $75.57 per share on the latest news, which indicates further growth could be in store.
