I read with interest your “Banks are a buy!” article. While you do allude to the possibility that NAB’s dividends are possibly not secure and may fall, it appears that others in the online analyst community are much stronger in their warnings about this (Morgan Stanley, Motley Fool). Unfortunately, I only saw these other stronger warnings after having committed money to NAB and WBC. NAB and WBC appeared to be the two best value banks on a PE and dividend yield basis. But I am now concerned I am just a mug punter who has fallen into a value trap, at least in the case of NAB, and that its CEO has decided to put mortgage holders ahead of shareholders.

My average purchase price on both stocks is around $27.60. But these warnings about NAB’s dividends potentially falling (and their decision to hold rates where they are, out of sync with the other banks which I think has come after your article) have me worried about where the share price may go in the near future, irrespective of other events.

I look at these bank investments as medium to long term (at least 5 to 10 years or longer). And I’d be happy to drip more money in at lower prices. But seeing the dividends and share price fall doesn’t lead to good feelings about one’s choice of investment.

Do you see NAB as a good investment at these levels, or are you only keen on WBC? Is NAB just another value trap for someone like myself who doesn’t have access to every expert’s view or every piece of information behind share price gyrations, especially just at that point when you click the “buy” button.

It does amaze me how different analysts’ opinions are about various stocks. My only concern is that the one analyst who is strongly negative on a stock is the one who is ultimately proven to be right.