Banks

DBS reports 6% rise in core Q1 profit but China-linked trade loans plunge

:The DBS Group Holdings Ltd. logo is displayed atop the company's DBS Asia Hub building in Singapore, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012.
Munshi Ahmed | Bloomberg | Getty Images

DBS Group Holdings, Singapore's biggest lender, beat forecasts with a 6 percent rise in its core quarterly profit, but a slump in mainly China-related trade loans signaled how Chinese risks are spreading across the region.

China's efforts to boost growth have led to easier onshore rates and reduced the incentive for companies to borrow offshore. China's economy is also slowing - its gross domestic product grew 6.7 percent in the first quarter this year from a year earlier, its slowest pace in seven years.

DBS said loans for the quarter declined by 1 percent on constant currency basis, but trade loans, linked largely to China, plunged by 23 percent.

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Net profit came in at S$1.20 billion ($895 million) in the three months ended March, versus a S$1.13 billion core profit a year earlier and compared with an average forecast of S$1.017 billion from five analysts polled by Reuters.

Last year's overall first quarter net profit of S$1.269 billion was boosted by a one-time gain from a property disposal.

Singapore lenders' profits are under pressure due to slowing Asian economies, particularly China, and weak commodity prices that have boosted provisions on loans to energy services firms.

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DBS benefited from a 16 basis point rise in net interest margin in the quarter due to higher Singapore dollar interest rates and higher wealth management income.

DBS said loans from non-trade related corporates and housing grew.

Smaller rival Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp, last week had warned of sluggish loan growth this year and risks from the offshore marine sector due to weak commodity prices, as it posted its smallest profit in more than a year.

DBS said its specific provisions for bad loans increased by 6 percent to S$170 million which included amounts for customer exposures in Hong Kong and rest of Greater China.

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