What's moving the CBA (ASX:CBA) share price this week

The big banks are entering the buy now, pay later (BNPL) space.

| More on:
CBA share price represented by branch welcome sign

Image Source: Commonwealth Bank

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

It's been just over a week now since Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) released its results for the full 2021 financial year. Results that included a whopping $6 billion share buyback.

While the CBA share price gained 1.5% on that day, Wednesday 11 August, it slipped lower for the rest of the week.

CBA's share price continued to struggle this week. It closed 1.4% lower on Monday and dropped a sizeable 3.5% on Tuesday. That saw CommBank fall back to $99 per share, the first time since July that it's traded below the psychological $100 mark.

While a 3.5% fall is dramatic, it's worth noting that was also the ex-dividend day for the banks $2 per share final FY21 dividend payout. When stocks trade ex-dividend, it's common for the share price to fall by a similar amount to the payout.

Wednesday's 0.8% lift was a welcome break from the retracing trend. Though it failed to bring the CBA share price back into 3-figure range, with shares closing at $99.77, and then edging lower to close at $99.22 on Thursday.

At time of writing, CommBank is trading for $99.78 per share, up 0.5% in late afternoon trading.

Legal headaches and BNPL expansion

On Monday, The Motely Fool reported that the Federal Court had ordered CommBank to "publish notices on its own website and newsroom that it had misled customers".

Under investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the court found that CBA had illegally overcharged interest for business overdraft clients 12,119 times. Customers were charged 34% annual interest rates rather than the 16% stipulated in documents.

CBA's share price looks to have gotten a lift on Wednesday after it announced the launch of its highly anticipated StepPay.

The buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform can be accessed by some 4 million CommBank customers, allowing them to pay for purchases in 4 instalments at any merchants that accept MasterCard.

Unlike most current BNPL offerings, CommBank will not charge merchants any extra BNPL fees beyond its standard card service fees.

CBA share price snapshot

Over the past 12 months the CBA share price is up $42. Over that same time the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) is up 22%.

Year-to-date, CBA's share price has continued to outperform, up 19% in 2021.

The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

More on Bank Shares

A man holds his head in his hands, despairing at the bad result he's reading on his computer.
Bank Shares

Sell Bank of Queensland shares before they crash

Now is not the time to buy this bank's shares according to a leading broker.

Read more »

A man holds his hand under his chin as he concentrates on his laptop screen and reads about the ANZ share price
Bank Shares

Westpac stock: Should you buy the 5.5% yield?

Is Westpac an easy buy today for that 5.5% yield?

Read more »

Delighted adult man, working on a company slogan, on his laptop.
Earnings Results

Bank of Queensland share price leaps 6% on improving outlook

ASX 200 investors are bidding up the Bank of Queensland share price on Wednesday.

Read more »

A man in his 30s with a clipped beard sits at his laptop on a desk with one finger to the side of his face and his chin resting on his thumb as he looks concerned while staring at his computer screen.
Bank Shares

ASX expert: Time to sell NAB shares

The calls that NAB shares are overvalued are growing louder...

Read more »

A man in a suit smiles at the yellow piggy bank he holds in his hand.
Bank Shares

UBS reveals which ASX 200 bank shares are the most attractive before their results

Are any of the banks buys heading into their reporting season?

Read more »

A woman sits at a computer with a quizzical look on her face with eyerows raised while looking into a computer, as though she is resigned to some not pleasing news.
Bank Shares

Is the CBA share price still at a 'stretched valuation'?

Are there more gains to come for this ASX banking giant?

Read more »

A woman in hammock with headphones on enjoying life which symbolises passive income.
Dividend Investing

Invest $20,000 in ANZ shares and get $1,200 in passive income

Can investors rely on ANZ for a 6% yield in their cash?

Read more »

Bank building with the word bank in gold.
Bank Shares

What happened with the big 4 ASX 200 bank shares this week?

Here’s why the ASX 200 bank shares caught my attention this week.

Read more »