The Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) share price closed at $31.87 yesterday, down 2.24%.
As the new year gets underway, many ASX 200 companies are releasing their corporate calendars for 2025.
Let's check out the important dates for Westpac investors.
Important dates for Westpac investors in 2025
The Westpac share price is more likely to move on days when the bank announces major news.
The quarterly reports and dividend announcements are the most important news items for investors.
In 2025, Westpac intends to release its 1Q FY25 quarterly report on 17 February.
The FY25 half-year results and interim dividend announcements will follow on 5 May.
The ex-dividend date for the interim Westpac dividend will be 8 May.
The record date will be 9 May and the dividend will be paid to investors on 27 June.
Westpac will announce its FY25 full-year results and final dividend on 3 November.
The ex-dividend date for the final dividend will be 6 November.
The record date will be 7 November and the bank will pay its shareholders on 19 December.
Westpac will hold its annual general meeting on 11 December.
What happened to the Westpac share price in 2024?
Although the rise of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares dominated the headlines in 2024, Westpac outperformed its larger rival in terms of share price growth by 4%.
The Westpac share price rose by 41% in 2024, while CBA shares rose by 37%.
Are Westpac shares a buy?
Many market experts think it might be time to cash in some profit on ASX 200 bank shares.
The consensus rating on Westpac among analysts on the CommSec trading platform is a moderate sell.
Of the 14 analysts, six rate Westpac shares as a strong sell.
Two say the ASX 200 bank stock is a moderate sell, five say hold, and one says Westpac is a strong buy.
Top broker UBS thinks Westpac shares have more room to run.
The broker has a buy rating on Westpac with a 12-month share price target of $37.
This implies a potential upside of 16% for new Westpac investors.
It's also interesting to note that a Westpac insider invested approximately $215,000 of his own money in the bank stock over the Christmas holidays.
Independent non-executive director Andy Maguire bought 6,615 Westpac shares on-market at an average price of $32.3978 on New Year's Eve.
That was Maguire's first purchase since joining the Westpac board in July 2024.
