LONDON - NatWest (LON:NWG) Group declared a significant rise in third-quarter profits, with an attributable profit of £1,172 million, marking an increase in its return on tangible equity (RoTE) to 18.3%. The British banking giant noted that this performance was driven by robust lending activity and margin expansion, as well as efficient capital management.
The news sent the stock 3.5% higher at 12:13 PM London time.
In the third quarter, the group's net loans to customers, excluding central items, rose by £8.4 billion, partly due to the acquisition of the Metro Bank mortgage portfolio, which contributed £2.3 billion. The increase in mortgage balances alone accounted for £1.4 billion. Concurrently, customer deposits saw an increase of £2.2 billion across its businesses, buoyed by savings growth.
The bank's net interest margin (NIM) improved to 2.18%, an 8 basis point increase from the second quarter. Total income, excluding notable items, reached £3,772 million, which was £182 million higher than the previous quarter. The bank also reported a decrease in other operating expenses by £144 million compared to the second quarter of 2024.
Impairment charges for the quarter were reported at £245 million, equating to 25 basis points of gross customer loans, with the bank highlighting that default levels remained low across the portfolio.
NatWest's liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) stood at 148%, with a £52.7 billion headroom above the 100% minimum requirement, although this was a slight decrease from the previous quarter.
The bank's tangible net asset value (TNAV) per share increased to 316 pence, and the Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio improved to 13.9%, up by 30 basis points from the second quarter.
Looking at the year-to-date performance, NatWest's attributable profit was £3,271 million with a RoTE of 17.0%. Total income for the year, excluding notable items, was slightly lower than the previous year by £121 million, with a year-to-date NIM of 2.11%.
For the future outlook, NatWest anticipates a return on tangible equity above 15% for 2024, with income excluding notable items expected to be around £14.4 billion. The bank aims to keep operating costs stable compared to 2023, accounting for an increase in bank levies and costs related to a now-defunct retail share offering. The loan impairment rate for 2024 is projected to be below 15 basis points.
By 2026, the bank continues to target a return on tangible equity of over 13%. It is also preparing for the impact of Basel 3.1 regulations, expecting risk-weighted assets (RWAs) to be around £200 billion at the end of 2025.
The information in this article is based on a press release statement by NatWest Group.
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