0403 GMT - There are early signs that mortgage and household deposit growth among major Australian banks is moderating from the strong levels of 2025, Morgan Stanley says in a note. "We believe RBA rate hikes and higher fuel prices increase the probability that a slowdown takes hold in coming months," the U.S. bank says. Annualized mortgage growth of the major banks averaged roughly 3.7% in February and is now tracking below Morgan Stanley's forecasts, the bank says. It adds that household deposit growth at the country's top banks averaged roughly 3.3% in February, well below growth rates of more than 8% in 2024 and 2025. (rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com; @RhiannonHoyle)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 07, 2026 00:03 ET (04:03 GMT)

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