FCMB reports 63% pre-tax profit growth for third quarter
FCMB Group Plc has announced a pre-tax profit of N27.6 billion for the third quarter of 2024, up from N16.9 billion in the same period last year.
This marks a year-on-year increase of 63.35 percent, bringing the total pre-tax profit for the nine months ending September 30, 2024, to N91.8 billion.
In Q3 2024, the company saw a 77.06 percent increase in earnings from fees and commissions, reaching N16.3 billion.
Additionally, net trading income saw a substantial rise, from N1.1 billion in Q3 2023 to N18.4 billion, mainly due to gains from trading FGN bonds.
A closer examination of FCMB’s results highlights a strong performance despite a significant increase in interest expenses during the quarter.
Gross earnings for Q3 2024 climbed by 88.18 percent year-on-year to reach N213.3 billion, contributing to a nine-month total of N587.7 billion.
However, this positive momentum was partly offset by a 160.36 percent increase in interest expenses, which reached N109 billion for the quarter. Much of this rise was due to higher costs from deposits and borrowings, which contributed to the increased financing expenses.
On the other hand, FCMB’s net fee and commission income grew by 77.06 percent, reaching N16.3 billion for the third quarter.
This growth added to the company’s overall performance, with service fees and commissions making up more than half of its total commission income for the nine months, which totalled N29.1 billion.
Similarly, net trading income saw a sharp increase of 1555.04 percent year-on-year, rising to N18.4 billion, primarily driven by foreign exchange gains and strong performance in FGN bond trading.
These gains contributed to the overall increase in trading income for the nine-month period, which reached N27.3 billion, with foreign exchange trading accounting for N17.9 billion of the total.
The company also saw ‘other income’ grow by 104.38 percent year-on-year, reaching N21 billion for the third quarter. Much of this was fueled by foreign exchange gains, which bolstered FCMB’s overall revenue.
Despite the rise in interest expenses, FCMB’s profit margins remained robust. Pre-tax profit for Q3 2024 grew by 63.35 percent to N27.6 billion, while post-tax profit surged by 66.55%, reaching N22.9 billion.
This strong performance was reflected in a marked increase in earnings per share, which rose to N4.63 from N2.78 in the previous year, a 66.55 percent jump in Q3.
FCMB’s total assets grew by 54.21 percent year-on-year to N6.8 trillion as of September 30, 2024.
Key components of this growth include investments in securities, which totaled N1.2 trillion, loans and advances to customers, which rose to N2.5 trillion, and restricted reserve deposits, which amounted to N1.1 trillion.
