.We remain committed to helping individuals grow, inspiring businesses to thrive -Onyeali-Ikpe
National Coordinator, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Boniface Okezie has commended Fidelity Bank’s 204.4per cent growth in Profit Before Tax (PBT) for the First Half (H1) of 2023, saying it is heartwarming to receive the cheering news.
Okezie, who described the result as a sterling performance, said he is not surprised because he knows it is going to be so.
He however, maintained that 25 kobo interim dividend is very commendable considering that the bank paid 20 kobo last year as interim.
“This year has attracted 5 kobo increase,
kudos to the board and management and the entire work force for a job well done, more grace to their elbow, more of that is expected from the final result. We are very confident of that by the grace of God.
“I use this opportunity to urged shareholders of the bank to embrace their soon coming Right Issues and Initial Public Offer (IPO) to double their holding because better days are here from the Bank. It is going to be upward trajectory in terms of dividends and capital appreciation in growths.
“I am Happy I’m a shareholder of the Bank, I made the right choice investing in it. I know also that genuine shareholders are also happy for the quality leadership performance, so far they should keep it up in midst of dwindling economy and such huge results has been posted, we thank them,” he said.
A review of the results published on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) weekend showed a positive performance across all financial indices, reaffirming the Bank’s position as one of the fastest-growing and well-managed financial institutions in Nigeria.
Gross earnings for the period grew by 59.6per cent to ₦ 247.1 billion from ₦154.8billion reported in June 2022.
Profit After Tax (PAT) stood at ₦61.9billion representing a growth of 166.0per cent over ₦23.3billion recorded in the corresponding period. This translates to an earnings per share of 194 kobo.
The Bank’s Net Loans and advances grew by 25.1 per cent from ₦2.1trillion recorded as of December 2022 to ₦2.6trillion in June 2023 with corresponding growth in Customer Deposits, which increased by 23.2per cent to ₦3.2trillion from ₦2.6trillion in December 2022.
Also, the Bank’s balance sheet remained strong with a 27.4per cent growth in Total Assets from ₦3.9trillion in December 2022 to ₦ 5.1 trillion.
The Bank’s non-performing loans remained low and within the regulatory threshold at 3.24per cent with adequate coverage of 111per cent. Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) closed at 34.9per cent and 2.8per cent respectively.
On the back of the strong H1 2023 performance, the board of the bank approved an interim dividend of 25kobo per share making it the second consecutive year the bank would be paying interim dividends and another demonstration of its capacity to provide shareholders with sustainable value.
Commenting on the Bank’s laudable performance, Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO said, “We are pleased to report on another period of quality growth across all financial and non-financial indices.
“Our performance during the first half of the year reflects the resilience of our bank and the fundamental strength of our business to deliver long-term sustainable value at a time that has been characterized by global economic headwinds. As a bank, we remain committed to our goal of helping individuals to grow, inspiring businesses to thrive and empowering economies to prosper.
“We will continue to monitor and pro-actively manage the evolving risks in the economy while ensuring our commitments to our customers and shareholders are fulfilled. The interim dividend of 25kobo per share, a 150% increase compared to the 10kobo interim dividend in 2022FY, attests to the value we place on the unwavering support from our shareholders”, she said.
The Bank’s impressive H1 2023 results come to join a string of recent achievements by Fidelity Bank. It would be recalled that the Bank’s stock was reclassified from small-price stock to medium-price stock by the NGX in July 2023 on the back of a consistently impressive performance.
Similarly, the bank recently emerged as the company with the highest earnings per share on the NGX based on half-year financial figures for the second year running.
To sustain this sterling performance, the bank’s shareholders, at an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting held on 11 August 2023, unanimously approved a capital raising exercise via a Public Offer and Rights Issue.
culled from champion
