Daily Dispatches: Big Four maintain grip on mortgage market

The Big Four banks continue to have a vice-like grip on the home loan market, although there are signs that the recent jumps in their combined market share have since tailed off. The latest monthly banking figures from the industry's regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, indicate that the majors took an 87 per cent share of the loans made to owner-occupiers and housing investors in February. (The Age)

QBE Insurance Group says it is on track to meet its full-year insurance margin guidance after the first three months of the year. (The Australian)

The total number of job vacancies in Australia in February 2010 was 169,300, in seasonally adjusted terms, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said on Thursday. This was an increase of 18,800 or 12.5 per cent from the previous quarterly survey, conducted in November 2009. The number of job vacancies in the private sector was 152,200 in February, an increase of 18,300 or 13.7 per cent from November 2009. (Sydney Morning Herald)