National Bank declares marginal growth in profit with over 20 percent high earnings in nine months

National Bank declares marginal growth in profit with over 20 percent high earnings in nine months

KARACHI: National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has declared marginal growth in after tax profit of one percent for nine months period ended September 30, 2019. However, income of the bank posted over 20 percent increase for the period.

According to a statement issued by the bank, after-tax profit for the nine-months period amounted to Rs 16.3 billion being marginally 1.0 percent higher than Rs 16.2 billion earned during the corresponding period of 2018.

Meeting of the Board of Directors (BoD) of the bank held on October 29, 2019 (Tuesday) at the bank’s Head Office in Karachi in which the BoD approved financial statements of the bank for the nine-months period ended June 30, 2019.

For the nine-month period, total income of the bank amounted to Rs 79.4 billion which is 20.3 percent higher than Rs 66.0 billion YoY. While net interest income closed at Rs 53.9 billion, non-mark-up / interest income closed at Rs 25.6 billion, up by 23.7 percent and 13.7 percent respectively.

With an increase of 26.2 percent YoY, the bank’s profit before taxation amounted to Rs 29.2 billion as against Rs 23.1 billion for September 2018.

The drop in after-tax profit is mainly attributed to higher taxation charge of 44.0 percent as compared to 30.0 percent for the corresponding period last year. Net profit translates into earnings per share of Rs 7.68 as against Rs 7.60 for the corresponding nine-months period of prior year.

Total assets of the bank amounted to Rs 3,025.4 billion which is 8.1 percent higher than Rs 2,798.6 billion as at December 31, 2018.

These represent 13.8 percent of the banking industry total assets. The bank’s market share in deposits, advances and investment is around 14 percent, 12 percent, and 15 percent respectively.

Representing 12.0 percent of the total industry loans, gross advances of the bank amounted to Rs 1,093.4 billion, marginally higher than Rs 1,059.5 billion as at December 31, 2018.

However, compared to Rs 953.3 billion of September 2018, gross advances stand increased by Rs 140.1 billion or 14.7 percent. As of September 30, 2019 deposits of the bank amounted to Rs 1,938.0 billion, depicting a drop of Rs 73.3 billion or 3.6 percent as against Rs 2,011.4 billion as of December 31, 2018.

Deposits constitute translate into ~13.5 percent share in total banking industry deposits. Customer deposits that form 87.5 percent of the bank’s total funding pool remained stable during the period and amounted to Rs 1,695.0 billion (2018: Rs 1,674.12 billion).

Year 2019 is NBP’s 70th year of service to the Nation, and it continues to deliver strong results. Its business strategy is evolving to ensure a focus on inclusive development through reaching and supporting underserved sectors including SME, Microfinance, Agriculture Finance, and finance for Micro-Housing on a priority basis.

This is in addition to the bank’s dominant role in dealing with public sector enterprises and its employees. Building a digital banking capability and a technology platform will be a central part of this strategy as will the inculcation of a performance driven culture within the institution.

For achieving the strategic goals of the bank, certain functions at the Head Office level have been re-organized to create synergies and enhance risk controls.