BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) reported a 3.1 percent improvement in attributable net income to P12.3 billion in the third quarter of 2020 from P11.96 billion in the same period last year despite the continuing impact of the pandemic.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the bank said this brings earnings for the first nine months of the year to P16.62 billion, a decline of 48 percent from the same period last year.
The decline is due to the upfront provisions booked in the second quarter of 2020 in anticipation of potential delinquencies due to the pandemic.
Despite BDO’s promising results, the Bank recognizes that the pandemic difficulties still lie ahead.
“The delinquency problem on loans have not yet peaked, interest rate caps on credit cards will be instituted soon and there are added costs in doing business as a result of necessary precautions inherent in the Bank’s operations. All of these and more are seen to put pressure on the Bank’s earnings,” BDO cautioned.
Loans rose at a more tempered 6 per cent to P2.2 trillion, driven by corporate and consumer accounts.
The Bank remained supportive of its borrowing clients, ensuring continued access to their credit facilities to help them manage their funding requirements during these challenging times, notwithstanding loan payment deferments under Bayanihan Iand II.
Asset quality remained stable, with gross non-performing loans (NPL) ratio at 1.97 per cent. Meanwhile, the NPL cover settled at 138 per cent.
Total provisions for the first nine months of 2020 amounted to P23.8 billion, inclusive of the pre-emptive provisions in the second quarter of 2020.
Total deposits grew to P2.6 trillion, driven by the faster growth in Current Account/Savings Account (CASA) deposits, with almost all of the Bank’s branches operational since the second quarter of 2020.
The Bank’s CASA ratio climbed to a new high of 79 per cent.
Net interest income (NII) went up by 13 per cent year-on-year to P99.8 billion.
Non-interest income settled at P36.8 billion, led by fee-based income and insurance premiums with P20.2 billion and P10.9 billion, respectively.
Wealth management remained resilient with trust volume and fees sustaining steady growth despite soft market conditions.
However, some of the Bank’s businesses, specifically those that rely on face-to-face interaction, are still gradually rebuilding their volumes. “BDO believes that its strong business franchise and robust balance sheet place the Bank in a good position to leverage on a post-pandemic economic recovery,” the bank said