FMBcapital reports solid performance
BUSINESS REPORTER
FMBcapital Holdings Plc (FMBCH), the holding company of First Capital Bank Zimbabwe, reported a strong performance in the six months to June 30, 2022.
Profit for FMBcapital, which has banking operations in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique, grew 93% in the reviewed period to US$25.2m from US$13.09m reported in the prior comparative period.
Jaco Viljoen, the FMBCH group managing director said: “Our group has generated growth driven by our country operations’ strong performance, all of which recorded increased profits over the six month period, despite the macro-economic challenges caused by global events.
Our financial position is certainly much stronger, and we achieved this by building on the strength of our strategic positioning across the SADC region, where the economic activity has increased post the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The improvement in profitability, Viljoen said was a continuation of the strong momentum from the second half of 2021 and was driven by a combination of expanding corporate banking deal pipelines, as well as improved cost efficiency and scale growth across all five country banking operations, while maintaining credit risk management discipline.
FMBCH recorded growth in its net interest income which was up US$52.1m compared to US$44.2m in the previous period.
Non-funded income rose to US$43.7m from US$32.5m in 2021.
Total income grew to US$95.7 m from US$76.7m in June 2021 whilst operating expenses increased marginally to US$48.5m from US$46.3m.
Total assets increased from US$1.22bn to US$1.29bn, of which total income earning assets remained steady at 67% of total assets.
Average gross yields improved from 16.3% in June 2021 to 17.3% in the reviewed period.
The group has made progress with its retail solutions offerings.
Further, deposit liabilities across the group’s five banking operation countries grew by an aggregate 36% to US$ 897m compared to US$ 658m in June last year.
As a result, the group closed the interim period with a loan to deposit ratio of 70% compared to 78% in June 2021, signifying productive deposit utilisation.
The group’s cost to income ratio has improved to 51% from 60% against the same period last year and 58% for the 2021 full year.
Business level cost management, as well as the benefits of the Mauritius based banking Information Technology and Operations Shared Service Centre (SSC), have assisted in maintaining flat operating costs period on period while total operating income grew by 25%.
“The interim performance is reflective of our new mission – Growth is Our Business – in which we continue to put our customers’ needs at the heart of our business. Our personalised services and products have enabled us to solve for our customers, driving our operating performance growth. In the second half of the year, we will continue working on further enhancements in our digital offerings to cater to our customers’ evolving banking needs,” Viljoen said.
The Board of directors has resolved to pay an interim dividend of US$3,687,375 representing 0.15 US cents per share.
This is an increase from June 2021, when an interim dividend of USD$1,966,600 representing 0.08 US cents per share was paid to shareholders.
