Sydney, February 24, 2026, 16:57 AEDT — The market has closed for the day.
- National Australia Bank finished the session 1.0% higher, settling at A$48.37.
- NAB signaled it’s gearing up for an executive shuffle, as the search for a new CFO begins and a replacement for its chief risk officer is also on the radar.
- Wednesday brings Australia’s January inflation numbers into focus, as traders also weigh tariff worries rattling risk appetite.
National Australia Bank Limited finished up 1.0% at A$48.37 on Tuesday, following the bank’s announcement of executive reshuffles that included naming a new CFO and delaying the transition for its chief risk officer. Shares moved between A$47.58 and A$48.49 throughout the session, with trading volume hitting roughly 4.75 million.
For bank investors, timing is in the spotlight right after a robust February reporting season. Now, it’s valuation that’s under the microscope. Macquarie and Morgan Stanley analysts point out the recent rally has squeezed much of the upside; big banks are sitting on price-to-earnings ratios close to the highest levels in years, according to Market Index.
Macro jitters are adding to the mix. Investors contend with fresh questions over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff moves, and now focus is shifting locally to Australia’s January inflation figures out Wednesday—numbers with the potential to jolt rate bets fast.
National Australia Bank’s Shaun Dooley, a veteran of the executive team, will step down by the end of 2026. Inder Singh is set to take over as chief financial officer on March 2, after which Dooley will move back into his previous role as group chief risk officer. “Shaun has been an outstanding contributor,” CEO Andrew Irvine said in a statement. NAB News
Dooley, who’s spent 33 years at the bank, has served as chief risk officer since 2018 and stepped in as acting group CFO in March 2025, the bank said. NAB plans to kick off a search for a new chief risk officer.
The stock’s been hovering close to its peak after the bank posted a 16% jump in first-quarter cash earnings earlier this month—a boost attributed to gains in both business and home lending, Reuters said at the time.
NAB’s latest update arrives as investors size up how it stacks against the other “Big Four” banks — Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, and ANZ — all of which have posted their results in recent weeks.
The downside risk remains. Leadership changes sometimes trip up execution, and fresh attention has landed on the bank after new scam concerns surfaced. On Monday, NAB put out a statement about a specific customer case—after meeting with the customer, the bank pledged tighter protections for both uBank and NAB. “Scams can happen to anyone,” NAB executive Craig Swinburne said in the release. NAB News
Traders head into the next session watching Wednesday’s inflation data, alert for shifts in rate expectations that could hit bank margins and funding costs.
