China’s Big Five banks boost profits, but margins shrink

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, April 29 (Reuters) – Five of China’s premier state-owned financial institutions have noted better 1st-quarter web gains, assisted by a rebound in the country’s financial state from the coronavirus pandemic.

But margins – a vital indicator of profitability for banking institutions – shrank almost across the board as these remain less than stress from small desire costs.

The banking companies have benefited as economic activity recovers in China, with the country’s GDP up 18.3% in the to start with quarter versus the very same quarter past calendar year. browse additional

Lending even now tends to make up the bulk of the 5 banks’ earnings, in contrast to their rivals in the West, lots of of which have significant investment banking and securities investing companies that assisted to drive huge gains in their very first-quarter earnings. study much more

Industrial and Business Financial institution of China Ltd (ICBC) (601398.SS), , the world’s most significant financial institution by assets, claimed a net earnings increase of 1.5% in the quarter year-on-yr.

The Bank of Communications Co Ltd (BoCom) (601328.SS), , Agricultural Bank of China Ltd (AgBank) (601288.SS), and Bank of China Ltd (BoC) (601988.SS), followed suit, all logging very first quarter net financial gain rises of extra than 2%. read far more [

China Construction Bank Ltd (CCB) (601939.SS), , on Wednesday, also produced higher earnings for the quarter.

However, net interest margins shrank at four of the five banks partly resulting from reforms by the central bank to lower the benchmark loan interest rate.

AgBank did not disclose its first quarter net interest margin, the difference between what banks pay on deposits and earn on loans.

Chinese banks have begun to pull back on lending, amid Beijing’s worries about exuberance in some sectors such as property. read more

The banking regulator has fined lenders for instances where borrowers have funnelled loans meant for other purposes into property. read more

Industry regulator CBIRC said earlier this month that China’s banking industry recorded a 1.5% year-on-year profit growth in the first quarter, while the bad loan ratio dropped to 1.89% in Q1 from 1.92% at the end of 2020.

CCB and ICBC posted flat non-performing loan ratios from the end of the prior quarter, while the other three logged slight falls.

Analysts, however, said that China’s banks face a spike in NPLs once a government-mandated grace period for calling in soured debt expires at the end of this year.

“We would expect a significant increase in the NPL [ratio] when this plan arrives owing,” reported Qi Wen, Beijing-based mostly analyst with the economics and system device of Asian Progress Lender.

This is very complicated for many banking institutions, especially the rural commercial financial institutions, added Qi.

($1 = 6.4674 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Reporting by Cheng Leng, Zhang Yan and Engen Tham Modifying by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Edmund Blair

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