First City Monument Bank Group (FCMB Group Plc), has announced a 67 percent growth in Profit Before Tax (PBT) to ₦91.8 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, reflecting robust financial and operational performance across its business divisions.

The Group recorded a 67.2 percent increase in gross revenue to ₦587.8 billion, compared to ₦351.5 billion in the same period in 2023. This was driven by an 86.5 percent growth in interest income and a 26.2 percent increase in non-interest income. Net interest income rose by 44.3per cent year-on-year, from ₦120.5 billion to ₦173.8 billion, bolstered by an improvement in the yield on earning assets from 14.9% to 17.4 percent

Commenting on the results, Group Chief Executive, FCMB Group, Ladi Balogun, said: “The Group has maintained its double-digit growth trajectory across all four business divisions and expects to sustain this momentum for the rest of the year. As we continue our transformative capital raising program, we expect the performance to be bolstered through improved interest margins, material balance sheet growth, and consequently improved efficiency ratios. We will also see liquidity and capital adequacy rising sharply. Most importantly, we look forward to accelerating our support for the Nigerian and broader African economies with our purpose-led strategy.”

Operating expenses increased by 51.7 percent year-on-year to ₦169.1 billion, impacted by rising personnel, regulatory costs, and inflationary pressures. Despite this, the cost-to-income ratio remained efficient at 55.4 percent. Additionally, net impairment losses on financial assets declined by 22 percent to ₦44.4 billion, resulting in a lower cost of risk of 2.7 percent compared to 3.9per percent in the prior year.

PBT growth was well-distributed across the Group’s operating divisions. The Nigerian Banking operations accounted for 68per cent of the total PBT, while 32 percent came from other operating companies. Each of the Group’s divisions posted impressive year-on-year earnings growth: Consumer Finance (108.5 percent), Investment Banking (63.3 percent), Banking Group (49.8 percent), and Investment Management (31.4 percent).

The Group’s financial position also strengthened significantly. Total assets grew by 75.9 percent to ₦6.82 trillion, up from ₦3.88 trillion, while loans and advances increased by 58.9 percent to ₦2.53 trillion. Customer deposits rose by 71.1 percent to ₦4.33 trillion, and assets under management grew by 36 percent to ₦1.30 trillion.

FCMB Group also reported a 15.2 percent increase in its customer base to 13.9 million, gaining over 1.3 million new customers. The Group’s agency banking network expanded to over 362,000 agents, adding more than 700,000 customers.

Despite the significant slowdown in debt capital markets due to the high interest rate environment, the Investment Banking Division mobilized ₦876 billion in capital for clients, compared to ₦691 billion in the prior year. The Group also successfully launched and closed the first phase of its capital-raising programme. The next phase of the Group’s capital raising programme, for which an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) has been convened, will be integral to its aspiration to retain its international banking license in compliance with the CBN’s recapitalization directive.