big-four

The country's so-called "big-four" lenders—Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. and National Australia Bank Ltd.—recently began increasing their interest rates outside moves by the central bank in an attempt to offset higher funding costs and improve profit margins.

Westpac Profit Falls Rebecca Thurlow 2012

This pilot season, with heightened pressure on networks to make sure new shows break through the clutter and compete with hundreds of cable channels, Netflix and the DVR, the big-four networks have increasingly turned to feature-film directors.

Quiet on the Small Set Amy Chozick 2011

On average, the big-four Chinese banks are down 29% this year in Hong Kong trading, yet analysts have remained steadfastly bullish.

Seldom Heard on China: 'Sell' Kate O'Keeffe 2011

With marketers poised to spend more money on TV commercials for the coming season than last year, expect to see the big-four broadcast networks push schedules packed with ambitious new shows.

It's a Show-Eat-Show World Amy Chozick 2011

The second-largest Australian bank surprised currency markets on Friday by becoming the first of the country's big-four lenders to forecast that the Reserve Bank of Australia will begin cutting rates by year's end to ease pressure on the economy from falling consumer confidence and doubt over the global outlook.

Signs of Wilt in Australia's Economy? Andrew Critchlow 2011

The rejection does, though, reinforce the idea that BofA is now the definite laggard among the big-four banks.

Fed Piles the Stress on BofA David Reilly 2011

The last of China's big-four state banks to list shares was expected to set the price for its Hong Kong-traded shares late Tuesday somewhere between HK$2. 88 and HK$3. 48 (37 U.S. cents and 45 U.S. cents) a share.

Wishful Thinking on AgBank's IPO 2010

The listing by AgBank, the financially weakest among China's big-four banks, wraps up Beijing's decade-long effort to restructure the country's debt-ridden state-run banks into some of the most highly capitalized public firms in the world.

AgBank Finally Takes IPO Crown 2010

(The Nats were 94th, the Redskins were 105th, and the Wizards were an astounding 120th out of 122 big-four teams.)

Grunfeld speaks with the fans 2010

(RMNB) * And Forbes ranked the 16 best pro sports fanbases in the big-four leagues.

Campbell: "It was like having your manhood questioned" 2010