Would I be mad to buy more CBA shares near $160?

What a year Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) shares (and shareholders) have had. 2025 was really a tale of two halves when it came to this ASX 200 bank stock.

The first half of the year was dominated by CBA’s relentless push higher. The bank climbed over $160 a share for the first time ever early in the year. After a March slump that extended into April, CBA broke through the $170 mark in May, then hit $180 by June. Late June saw the bank reach its now reigning all-time high of $192 a share.

But ever since the middle of 2025, CBA has been drifting away from that high. By August, Commonwealth Bank was back under $170 a share, and fell under $160 just last month.

The bank has hovered around the $160 mark ever since, and looks likely to end the year at that level.

So although the current share price is almost 16% down from that June record high, it is still 4.9% above where CBA shares started 2025. This will have many investors wondering, ‘Would I be mad to buy more CBA shares at $160?’

Let’s talk about that proposition today.

Is it mad to buy CBA shares at $160 each?

Well, let’s look at the facts. Yesterday, CBA shares closed at $161.73 each. At this pricing, the bank was at a market capitalisation of $270.65 billion. Its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was 26.73, and its dividend yield was sitting at a flat 3%.

Already, we can say that a 26.73 earnings multiple is very pricey for a bank. The next-most expensive big four ASX bank is currently Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC), on an earnings multiple of 19.7.

For further comparison, the largest bank in the United States, JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM), is currently on a P/E ratio of 16. JPMorgan is often regarded as the best-run bank in the world.

The United Kingdom’s largest bank, HSBC Holdings plc (LON: HSBA), is on 16.59, while Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (TYO: 8306) is on 15.27.

So already, CBA is still looking expensive. But we could justify a 26.7 earnings multiple if the bank has a steep growth runway in front of it.

Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to make that case. At close to $300 billion, CBA is already the largest stock on the ASX by quite a wide margin.

Yet this company is not growing fast at all. In August, the bank reported a 4% lift in cash net profits after tax to $10.25 billion for its 2025 financial year. Earlier this month, analysts at UBS pencilled in a net profit of $10.76 billion for FY2025. If that turns out to be accurate, it would represent a 4.98% rise over FY2025. Better than nothing, to be sure. But enough to justify that 26.7 earnings multiple? I would argue not.

As such, I don’t think buying CBA shares at anywhere close to $160 is an idea that will result in significant wealth creation for investors in the foreseeable future. I wouldn’t use the word ‘mad’ for politeness’s sake. But then again, it’s certainly not a sane price in my view.

The post Would I be mad to buy more CBA shares near $160? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• Why these ASX ETFs could be better than buying CBA shares
• 5 ASX shares I’m avoiding this week
• How many CBA shares do I need to buy for $1,000 of annual passive income?
• The Commonwealth Bank has called it! Interest rates to rise in the new year, but how soon?

HSBC Holdings is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended HSBC Holdings. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.