Westpac Banking Corporation’s return to residential mortgage-backed securities issuance, a A$1.2 billion (US$876 million) funding-only deal, matched the tightest pricing for the asset class in Australia since the financial crisis despite a recent flurry of issuance. The bank says it is returning to a wholesale funding profile similar to its pre-crisis norms, with a consequent expectation of using diverse issuance options.