AU Small Finance Bank Q2 profit jumps 53% to Rs 858 crore

Kolkata: AU Small Finance Bank reported a 53% surge in second-quarter net profit to Rs 858 crore from Rs 561 crore in the year-ago period, helped by business expansion and an improvement in ***et quality.

The bank’s net interest margin—a key profit metric—rose to 5.8% for the quarter from 5.5% in the year-ago period.

AU’s gross non-performing ***ets ratio fell 42 basis points (bps) to 1.99% at the end of September. Provisions fell 25% to Rs 359 crore from Rs 481 crore. The net NPA ratio improved by 7 bps to 0.81%. Annualised credit cost fell by 45 bps to 0.8% from 1.2% a year earlier.

One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point.

The bank, which is in the process of transforming itself into a universal lender, saw its pre-provision operating profit grow 28% year-on-year to Rs 1,514 crore in the second quarter from Rs 1,210 crore a year ago. Net interest income rose 32% to Rs 2,820 crore from Rs 2,144 crore a year earlier.

Its gross loan portfolio grew 25% year-on-year to Rs 1.54 lakh crore while total deposits expanded 29% to Rs 1.70 lakh crore. Founded in 1996 as a vehicle financier, AU is now India’s largest small finance bank.