Business lending hits $925 billion across Australia's top 10 ADIs in July, Japanese banks SMBC and MUFG lead expansion

Australia’s top 10 business lending authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) reached a combined $925 billion loan book in July 2025. Japanese banking giants Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) emerged as the standout growth drivers in the latest Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) reporting period, June 2025. Agile Market Intelligence has plotted the publicly available APRA data to visualise movements in the leading market. 

Key stats you need to know

• Business lending volumes across the top 10 ADIs reached $925 billion in July 2025, of which Australia’s major banks have a combined loan book share of 87%.
  
  
• Japanese banks SMBC and MUFG delivered the strongest percentage growth rates, outpacing traditional Australian lenders.
  
  
• 7 out of 10 business lenders saw positive growth for the month.

Japanese banks drive unexpected growth surge

• SMBC recorded the strongest percentage growth in their business loan book for July at 4.66%, adding $1.19 billion.
  
  
• MUFG Bank delivered 3.63% expansion ($0.62 billion), marking its second strongest monthly performance in 2025, following their 9.23% growth in March.

The exceptional performance of Japanese banking subsidiaries represents the most striking development in July’s figure. It demonstrates the increasing appetite from international institutions for Australian lending opportunities. Both SMBC and MUFG have been steadily building their presence in the Australian market, leveraging their parent companies’ strong capital positions and expertise in corporate lending.

“The growth rates of Japanese banks are reshaping the competitive dynamics in the business lending space in Australia, leveraging deep capital backing and institutional expertise,” said Michael Johnson, Director at Agile Market Intelligence.

Major banks maintain steady expansion

• Westpac had the highest growth among the majors last month at 1.20%, expanding its loan books by $2.21 billion.
  
  
• Commonwealth Bank (CBA) added $1.59B, reaching $217.5 billion in total business lending, following Westpac in loan book size.
  
  
• National Australia Bank (NAB) was the top business lender last month with a loan book of $249 billion, despite moderate growth of 0.62%.

Despite facing increased competition from international players, the majors demonstrated resilience through their established corporate relationships and comprehensive service offerings. The combined loan books of four major banks still accounted for the overwhelming majority of business loans.

"The majors are proving their staying power in business lending. While international competitors bring fresh capital and competitive pricing, the Big Four's deep relationships and full-service capabilities continue to resonate with Australian corporates," said Michael Johnson.

Mid-tier and international players show mixed results

• Macquarie Bank posted modest growth of 0.9%, adding $0.18 billion to its business loan book.
  
  
• Rabobank, Bank of China and Bendigo Bank were the only banks in the top 10 that saw contraction in their loan books in July 2025.

Among non-major ADIs in the top 10, performance varied significantly reflecting different strategic approaches and market positioning. The historical growth also reveals how lenders are still finding their footing in the lending space. But the overall positive growth across most institutions suggests continued confidence in Australia’s business sector. 

“The non-major space appears rough as we see fluctuations in each player’s growth history. In order to thrive, lenders must proceed with a clear strategic focus and strong execution,” said Michael Johnson.

About the data

Figures in this article were drawn by Agile Market Intelligence from APRA’s monthly ADI statistics to July 2025. The dataset covers total loans to non-financial businesses across authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADI). For this analysis, Agile plotted publicly available data to show movements in loan books and market share to identify the top 10 business lenders.

Agile also conducts Broker Pulse: Commercial Lending, a community-driven benchmarking initiative capturing the experiences of commercial and asset finance brokers across Australia. The latest edition captures experiences for applications submitted throughout July 2025, with the survey conducted between 1st to 23rd August 2025. The report includes data across asset finance, business loans, and commercial mortgages, and is conducted by Agile Market Intelligence in partnership with the Commercial & Asset Finance Brokers Association (CAFBA).