Investor lending eases

The rate of growth in the investor segment of the mortgage market eased in July to its lowest monthly increase in almost two years.

According to the latest Reserve Bank lending figures, lenders' housing finance balances grew by 0.6 per cent in July, compared with the previous month. Balances grew by 7.4 per cent over the 12 months to July.

The monthly growth rate has not changed for 12 months. The annual growth rate increased from 7.3 per cent in June.

Owner-occupier loan balances grew by 0.5 per cent in July, compared with the previous month, and balances grew by 5.3 per cent over the 12 months to July.

Investor loan balances grew by 0.6 per cent in July, compared with the previous month. The month-on-month growth rate was down from one per cent in June and 0.9 per cent in May.

The last time the month-on-month increase in investor loan balances was 0.6 per cent was October 2013.

Investor loan balances grew by 10.8 per cent over the 12 months to July. The annual growth rate has come down from 11.1 per cent in June and 11 per cent in May.

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority data, also released yesterday, was hard to interpret because of a reclassification of loans by National Australia Bank, which made the data volatile. ANZ reclassified a book of loans the previous month.

However,the APRA figures show that Westpac grew its investor mortgage book by 4.4 per cent over the three months to July - an annualised growth rate of 17.6 per cent - and Commonwealth Bank grew its investor loan book by 3.3 per cent over the same period - an annualised rate of 13.2 per cent.