Editing Economy of Australia (section)

====Finance====
Australia's "[[Big Four (banking)#Australia/New Zealand|big four banks]]" ([[National Australia Bank]], [[Commonwealth Bank]], [[Australia and New Zealand Banking Group]] and [[Westpac]]) are among the 'World's 50 Safest Banks' as of April 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gfmag.com/tools/best-banks/11661-worlds-50-safest-banks-april-2012.html|title=WORLD'S 50 SAFEST BANKS 2012 &#124; Global Finance|publisher=Gfmag.com|access-date=24 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729074232/http://www.gfmag.com/tools/best-banks/11661-worlds-50-safest-banks-april-2012.html|archive-date=29 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Between 1991 and 2013, 36,720 [[mergers and acquisitions]] with a total known value of US$2,040&nbsp;billion with the involvement of Australian firms have been announced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imaa-institute.org/statistics-mergers-acquisitions.html#MergersAcquisitions_Australia|title=Statistics on Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) – M&A Courses &#124; Mergers & Acquisitions Courses|publisher=Imaa-institute.org|access-date=2 January 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106045040/http://www.imaa-institute.org/statistics-mergers-acquisitions.html#MergersAcquisitions_Australia|archive-date=6 January 2012}}</ref> In the year 2013, 1,515 transactions valued at US$78&nbsp;billion had been announced which was a decrease in terms of numbers (−18%) and value (−11%) compared to 2012. The largest takeover or merger transaction involving Australian companies was the 2007 takeover of the [[Coles Group]] by [[Wesfarmers]], totalling A$22&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite news|last=Carson|first=Vanda|title=Wesfarmers buys Coles|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/wesfarmers-buys-coles/2007/07/01/1183229003109.html|work=The Age|access-date=12 June 2011|location=Melbourne, Australia|date=2 July 2007}}</ref>