Profit for the April quarter rose a decent 22 percent to $2.73 billion from $2.23 billion for the same period last year for Scotia Group, helped by lower staff cost and steeply reduced credit loss provision, with net interest income sagging sharply.
Scotia Group Kingston Branch
Net profit of $4.5 billion for the six months to April 2021 is up by $463 million or 11.5 percent compared to the corresponding period last year.
Net interest income dropped 13 percent from $6.3 billion to $5.5 billion in the quarter and for the half year, it slipped 9.5 percent to $11 billion from $12.48 billion. After providing expected credit losses, net interest income for the six-month period was slightly up to $9.9 billion from $9.8 billion in 2020, as expected credit losses were cut by $1.3 billion from $2.67 billion down to $1.4 billion. Other income increased $1 billion or 11 percent for the half year to $10.2 billion from $9.2 billion and increased by 11 percent from $4.29 billion for the April quarter to $4.78 billion. Foreign exchange gains contributed most to the rise in other income, with the April quarter enjoying a 39 percent bounce to $2.56 billion from $1.84 billion and for the half year an increase of 28 percent from $3.55 billion to $4.55 billion.
Segment results show a mixed picture for the half year, with Banking Treasury showing less income of $1.98 billion compared to $2.22 billion in 2020, with segment results of $833 million versus $1.08 billion. Retail banking saw a major about turn with a profit of $537 million from revenues of $9.5 billion against a loss of $139 million from revenues of $9.7 billion in 2020. Corporate and Commercial banking kicked in with revenues of $5.7 billion and profit of $2.18 billion from $5.45 billion and profit of $2.2 billion in 2020. Investment Management Services saw income and profit rising appreciably after generating $1.73 billion and contributed a profit of $1.3 billion to April this year versus $1.23 billion in revenues and profit of $627 million last year. Insurance revenues decreased by $700 million or 30.3 percent to $2.05 billion from $2.75 billion in 2020, while profit fell from $2 billion to $1.35 billion. The directors state that the fall is “due to the reduction in premium income stemming from the pandemic as well as lower actuarial reserve releases.”
Salaries and staff costs fell from $2.7 billion in the 2020 quarter to $2.49 billion and six months from $5.45 billion to $5.05 billion. Total operating expenses ended down at $5.59 billion from $5.88 billion and for the half year, cost rose from $13 billion to $13.36 billion.
The improved results are of import and the higher increase in the April quarter, encouraging. Still, the fall in net interest income suggests that major recovery in the Group’s core business may be some distance off, especially with contraction in the loan portfolio from $221 million at the end of October to $217 in January. Now $215 billion in April, the trend, however, suggests a slowing in the rate of decline. With, strong recovery in the tourism sector, the last major leg of the economy to recover, the bank may find new opportunities for increased lending and possible recovery of loan losses.
Before the impact of Covid-19 on the group’s operations, loans net of provision for credit losses was growing at a decent clip with an increase of 7 percent in 2020 to $216 billion, for 2019 loans grew 13 percent to $202 billion, in 2018 growth was 10 percent to $179 billion there was no growth in 2017 with $162 billion after an increase of 8 percent in 2016 and 7 percent in 2015.
Stockholders’ Equity rose to $118.4 billion from $112.4 billion at the end of April 2020. Deposits by the public grew to $361 billion from $334 billion at the close of April 2020 and Investment Securities remained at $145 billion as of April, similar to the same time last year, while cash resources jumped from $92 billion at the end of April 2020 to $136 billion at the end of the latest quarter, but down from $141 billion at the end of October last year.
What seems clear is that customers are using the Branches less to transact business and this is set to lead to reductions in costs in the future and help improve profitability and the bank’s image.
The group approved an interim dividend of 35 cents per share, payable on July 21, to stockholders on record on June 29. The stock traded at $41 on Monday at PE between 10 and 12 times 2021 estimated earnings.
