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Zagreb Bank’s Profit Falls by a Third

Zagreb Bank achieved a net profit of 394 million kuna in the first half of this year, which is 32.3 percent less than in the same period last year, the bank announced via the Zagreb Stock Exchange.

“The achieved result continues to be influenced by reduced demand for loans, lower interest income, still relatively high financing costs, and increased provisioning costs,” stated Zagreb Bank.

According to the report, Zagreb Bank’s operating income in the first half amounted to 1.8 billion kuna, which is a decrease of 10 percent, or 204 million kuna, compared to the same period last year.

This was primarily influenced by a decline in net interest income, which amounted to 1.2 billion kuna, a decrease of 216 million kuna, or 15.2 percent compared to the first half of last year.

Net income from fees and commissions amounts to 403 million kuna, a decrease of 2.2 percent, while a 10.3 percent increase was recorded in net trading income and other revenues, which amounted to 224 million kuna.

Total operating expenses of Zagreb Bank in the first six months amount to 833 million kuna, which is a decrease of 54 million kuna, or 6.1 percent, compared to the same period last year.

Profit from operations before value adjustments and provisions for losses amounts to 997 million kuna, which is 150 million kuna, or 13.1 percent less than in the same period of the previous year.

In the first six months, Zagreb Bank allocated 521 million kuna for value adjustments and provisions for losses, which is an increase of 20.3 percent, or 88 million kuna, year-on-year. The increased costs of value adjustments are a result of the recessionary environment due to high unemployment rates, low levels of investment activity, and a decline in disposable income and profits in the real sector, the report states.

Zagreb Bank’s assets at the end of June amounted to 104.7 billion kuna, an increase of 0.6 percent compared to the end of last year. Net loans to clients amount to 70.36 billion kuna, which is an increase of 1.9 billion kuna, or 2.8 percent compared to the end of 2012. In the segment of business with legal entities, a loan growth of 2.8 billion kuna was achieved, mainly as a result of new placements to the state, while placements to households decreased by 900 million kuna due to citizens’ deleveraging and a reduction in disposable income.

Client deposits amount to 57.85 billion kuna and have decreased by 482 million kuna, or 0.8 percent, compared to the end of 2012, with household deposits increasing by 200 million kuna, while deposits from legal entities and the state decreased by 682 million kuna.

The Zagreb Bank Group achieved a profit after tax of 479 million kuna in the first half, a decrease of 28.9 percent.

In addition to the parent company, Zagreb Bank, the largest contributions to the group’s consolidated results were made by UniCredit Bank Mostar, ZB Invest, and Istraturist Umag.