OCBC and UOB, Singapore’s second and third largest banks, project stronger loan growth in 2025 after exceeding third-quarter profit expectations. This outlook follows recent U.S. rate cuts, though geopolitical uncertainties could still impact markets, said OCBC’s CEO Helen Wong.
Singapore's second and third largest banks, among Southeast Asia's biggest by assets, forecast an improving loan growth environment in 2025, after posting strong sets of third-quarter net profits that beat market expectations.
The forecasts followed the U.S. central bank's interest rate cut by a quarter percentage point on Thursday, the second straight reduction after a bigger half point cut in September.
"I do see that next year loan growth has a bigger potential compared to this year," said Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC.SI), or OCBC, Group CEO Helen Wong at an earnings briefing.
Smaller peer United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI), or UOB, projected high single-digit loan growth for 2025, versus low single-digit it is seeing for 2024, as it reported a faster-than-expected rise in third-quarter net profit.
Nevertheless, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's proposed policies that include more import tariffs and stricter immigration restrictions could spur inflation and translate into fewer interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
OCBC's Wong said uncertain geopolitical conditions could potentially create market volatilities.
OCBC, Singapore's second-biggest bank after DBS Group (DBSM.SI), said July-September net profit increased 9% to S$1.97 billion ($1.49 billion) from S$1.81 billion a year earlier. That beat the mean estimate of nearly S$1.91 billion from analysts surveyed by LSEG.
OCBC's improved performance was also driven by increased wealth management activity that lifted fee and trading income, in addition to higher insurance income and lower allowances.
Net interest margin was, however, lower at 2.18% during the quarter from 2.27% a year earlier, a trend similar with DBS and UOB too.
OCBC's return on equity rose slightly to 14.1% in the third quarter from 14.0% in the same period of 2023.
($1 = 1.3201 Singapore dollars)
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