Grupo Aval profits fall 73% in first quarter on macroeconomic woes
Adds details on hit to loan portfolio in paragraphs 5-6, background on Colombia's economy
May 14 (Reuters) -Colombian financial conglomerate Grupo Aval GAA.CN posted on Tuesday a 73.2% slide in its first quarter net profit to reach 113.7 billion pesos ($29.6 million), as high interest rates and a weak economy hit the quality of its loan portfolio.
In a bright spot,the company's interest income in the first three months of this year edged up 3.3% to total 7.2 trillion pesos, according to its quarterly report.
Grupo Aval's holdings include Colombian banks Banco de Bogota BBO.CN, Banco Popular BPO.CN, Banco AV Villas VLL.CN, Banco de Occidente BOC.CN, Corporacion Financiera Colombiana and pension fund Porvenir.
Net interest income, the difference between what banks earn on loans and dole out in deposits, decreased 49 basis points to settle at 3.4% due to a lower returns on investments.
In its earnings report, the conglomerate specified that its cost of risk in the January-to-March period stood at 2.9%, up from 1.7% in the same quarter last year.
Grupo Aval further explained that the quality of its loan portfolio on a +90 payday loans basis deteriorated 17 basis points.
Return on average equity (ROAE) for the quarter, meanwhile, dropped to 2.7% from 10.4% year-on-year.
Colombia's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate late last month to 11.75%, its fourth cut since December aimed at boosting the economy.
Earlier this month, the central bank slightly raised its inflation forecast for this year to 5.5% from 5.4%, while also raising its 2024 economic growth forecast to 1.4% from an earlier estimate of a 1.1% expansion.
($1 = 3,845.5000 Colombian pesos)
Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Marion Giraldo; Editing by David Alire Garcia
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
