Research Note
Indian banks' profitability nears a decadal high in FY2024 as large lenders' RoE outpaces the 13.8% system average
Indian banks' return on equity reached 13.8% in March 2024, close to decadal highs, while bad loans fell to a 12-year low. Large lenders did better still, though one-off gains, provisions and base effects distort fourth-quarter comparisons.
Ten Saudi banks' assets reached about $1.02 trillion in Q1 2024 as Vision 2030-linked lending led growth
Ten Saudi banks reported combined assets of about SAR 3.84 trillion at end-March 2024, roughly $1.02 trillion at the riyal's official rate, with corporate, SME and mortgage lending in the lead while funding costs squeezed margins.
China's bank NPL ratio declined to 1.59% in Q4 2023, masking elevated property stress and rising NPLs in public-utility lending
Chinese commercial banks reported an NPL ratio of 1.59% at end-2023, yet real estate NPL ratios at ICBC, CCB, Bank of China and ABC ran from 5.37% to 5.64%, and developers received more than RMB1 trillion of M&A loans and extensions of existing loans in 2023.
Real-time payments grew strongly across Southeast Asia between 2021 and 2023, reshaping bank fee income models
Malaysia's DuitNow Transfer volumes rose 32% in 2023 and BI-FAST took 58.3% of Indonesian payment-infrastructure value by late 2023, but these rails run at capped or waived prices and Thai banks' non-interest income fell 10.1%.
Six of seven large Gulf lenders lifted profits in 2023, and Emirates NBD's return on tangible equity rose to 24.3% from 17.1%
Emirates NBD's return on tangible equity rose to 24.3% in 2023 from 17.1%, Dubai Islamic Bank's to 20% and First Abu Dhabi Bank's to 17.6%, while Al Rajhi Bank reported a 19.35% return on equity on a slightly lower profit.