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Tuesday, March 17, 2020 09:00AM / Zenith Bank
Plc / Header Image Credit: Zenith Bank Plc
Shareholders of Zenith Bank Plc, on Monday, at the 29th
Annual General Meeting of the Bank held at the Shehu Musa Yaradua Centre, Abuja
unanimously approved the proposed final dividend of N2.50 per share, bringing
the total dividend payment for the 2019 financial year to N2.80 per share with
a total value of N87.9 billion. This followed the recent release of the Bank's
audited financial results for the 2019 financial year.
According to the audited financial
results for the 2019 financial year, Zenith Bank recorded a profit after tax
(PAT) of N208.8 billion, an increase of 8% from the N193 billion recorded in
the previous year, thus achieving the feat as the first Nigerian Bank to cross
the N200 billion mark.
The Group also recorded a growth
in gross earnings of 5% rising to N662.3 billion from N630.3 billion reported
in the previous year. The gross earnings growth was driven by a 29% rise
in non-interest income from N179.9 billion in 2018 to N231.1 billion in 2019
(an indication of a leap in foreign exchange income). Fees on electronic
products continue to grow significantly with a 108% Year on Year (Y-o-Y) growth
from N20.4 billion in 2018 to N42.5 billion in the current year (suggesting
higher incomes pulled in from its payment platforms and automated teller
machines). The rise reflects growth in digital retail activities.
Profit before tax increased by
5% growing from N232 billion to N243 billion in the current year, arising from
topline growth and continued focus on cost optimization strategies.
Cost-to-income ratio moderated from 49.3% to 48.8% (see
table 1 below).
Table 1 Snapshot of Zenith Banks
Performance 2017-2019
ZENITH BANK PLC |
|||
|
FY 2019 |
FY 2018 |
FY 2017 |
Gross Earnings |
662,251 |
630,344 |
745,189 |
Profit/Loss Before Tax |
243,294 |
231,685 |
199,319 |
Taxation |
(34,451) |
(38,261) |
(25,528) |
Profit/Loss After Tax |
208,843 |
193,424 |
173,791 |
Dividends (N) |
2.50 |
2.50 |
2.45 |
Cost to Income Ratio (%) |
48.8 |
49.3 |
52.8 |
Net Assets |
941,886 |
815,751 |
812,116 |
Source: Zenith Bank Financials, Proshare Research
The drive for cheaper retail
deposits coupled with the low-interest yield environment helped reduce the cost
of funding from 3.1% to 3.0%. However, this also affected net interest
margin, which reduced from 8.9% to 8.2% in the current year due to re-pricing
of interest-bearing assets. Although returns on equity and assets held steady year-on-year
(Y-o-Y) at 23.8% and 3.4% respectively, the Group still delivered an improved
Earnings per Share (EPS) which grew 8% from N6.15 to N6.65 in the current
year. The payouts over the last three years has remained flat at roughly
N2.50, but on a recent decline in the bank's share price dividend yield was
recently 20.8% or 8.6% higher than the national inflation rate of 12.20% (see the bank's dividend history below).
Zenith Bank Dividend History on
Proshare MARKETS
The Group increased its share of
the market as it secured increased customer deposits across the corporate and
retail markets as deposits grew by 15% to close at N4.26 trillion. Total assets
also increased by 7% from N5.96 trillion to N6.35 trillion. The Group created
new viable risk assets as gross loans grew by 22% from N2.016 trillion to
N2.462 trillion. This was executed prudently at a low cost of risk of 1.1% and
a significant reduction in the non-performing loan ratio from 4.98% to 4.30%.
Prudential ratios such as liquidity and capital adequacy ratios also remained
above regulatory thresholds at 57.3% and 22.0% respectively.
One Year Share Price Movement
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