EMBARGO
07:00
|
6 March 2024
|
AIB Group plc announces full year 2023
profit after tax of over €2 billion and €1.7 billion proposed
distributions
"AIB
delivered an exceptionally strong financial performance in 2023
with profit after tax of €2 billion, a RoTE significantly ahead of
target and proposed distributions of €1.7 billion.
2023 was a landmark year for AIB as we concluded our
2021-2023 strategic cycle by enhancing the suite of products and
services we provide to our record customer base of 3.3 million as
well as transforming the business throughout a period of
extraordinary change both globally and
domestically.
During 2023,
the Group returned to majority private ownership and we are keen to
return further capital to the State with proposed distributions of
c. €1.3 billion, including a €1 billion directed share buyback for
which discussions are underway.
Supporting
the transition to a lower-carbon economy is a strategic priority
for AIB and in 2023 we provided €3.7 billion of new green lending
which represented 30% of our total new lending of €12.3 billion. We
also tripled our climate-action fund to €30 billion and have
established a dedicated 'Climate Capital' segment, to further our
progress in financing renewable energy and
infrastructure development.
As we embark
on our next three-year strategic cycle, we do so with a
transformed, reshaped, and revitalised Group. Our priorities for
2024 and beyond include an enhanced focus on our customers, further
greening of our loan book and driving greater operational
efficiency. Delivering this strategy will ensure we meet our
customers' needs, play our role in the economy and deliver
sustainable profits and returns for our shareholders. With a new
set of medium-term targets, including an upgraded RoTE target of
15%, we look to the future with
confidence."
-
Colin Hunt, Chief Executive Officer
KEY
HIGHLIGHTS
Financial highlights (all comparisons versus 2022
unless otherwise stated)
· Strong
financial performance ahead of expectations:
o Profit after
tax €2,058m; EPS 75.7c; RoTE
25.7%(1)
· Total
income increased 64% to €4,741m
o 83% increase in
net interest income (NII) to €3,841m
o 13% increase in
other income to €900m
o 2024 income
guidance: NII >€3.65bn and other income >€700m
· Proposed
distributions of €1.7bn or 64.8c per share
o €0.7bn cash
dividend or 26.6c per share
o €1bn regulatory
approved buyback; directed buyback discussions underway
o Payout ratio
82% of profit after tax
o Above-policy
payout commences return of excess capital
· Fully
loaded and post-proposed distributions CET1 of
15.8% (Dec 22: 16.3%)
·
Costs(2) increased 10%
to €1,826m, with a cost income ratio (CIR) of 39% (2022:
57%)
· ECL
charge of €172m (2022: €7m charge) equating to 27bps of gross
loans; 2.3% ECL cover
· Gross
loans increased 9% to €67.0bn (Dec 22: €61.2bn) including €4.7bn of
Ulster Bank loans
o New lending of
€12.3bn including green lending of €3.7bn
o Circa 3% NPE
target achieved at 2.96% of gross loans (Dec 22 at 3.5%); NPEs
€2.0bn
· Strong
funding with 2% increase in customer accounts to
€104.8bn
· Returned
to majority private ownership as the State's shareholding reduced
to c.40%
Strategic highlights
·
Significant progress made over 2021-2023 strategic
cycle demonstrates the transformation of AIB
and positions the Group well for the future
o Enhanced
product suite in fee-based wealth management with AIB life and
Goodbody
o Record customer
base of 3.3m customers (2020: 2.8m
customers)
o Successful
Ulster Bank loan book acquisitions; €6.8bn migrated to date; €1bn
due in 2024
· Leader
in green lending and ESG bond issuances
o €11.6bn
cumulative green lending since
2019
o €5.75bn ESG
bonds issued to date
·
Continuous c. €300m p.a. investment in progressive modern
technology
o 2.19m
digitally-active customers compared to 1.72m in 2020, an increase
of 27%
o Enhanced mobile
banking for our business customers through AIB Business (iBB)
app
· The Group begins its next strategic cycle with refreshed 2026
medium-term targets:
o RoTE(1)
15%
o CET1(3) >14%
with a buffer over MDA of at least
250bps
o Absolute cost(2)
<€2bn with a CIR ratio of <50%
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
The Group delivered an exceptional financial
performance driven by increased income which contributed to
profit after tax of €2,058m and a RoTE of
25.7%.
Net
interest income of €3,841m (2022: €2,095m
restated(4) from €2,159m) increased by 83% due to the
changed interest rate environment and higher average customer loan
volumes. The Group operated in a negative interest rate environment
in H1 2022 and since July 2022 the ECB has increased euro interest
rates on a graduated basis by 450 basis points, exiting 2023 with
an ECB deposit rate at 4%. Net interest margin (NIM)
for 2023 was 3.11% (2022: 1.69% restated from 1.74%) and the Q4
2023 exit NIM was 3.30%. For 2024 we expect NII of
>€3.65bn based on rate assumptions of an ECB deposit rate of
2.75% and a BOE rate of 4.50% at December 2024.
Other income
increased by 13% to €900m (2022: €800m restated from €736m)
and includes a gain of €223m (2022: €62m) related to a forward
contract for the acquisition of Ulster Bank loans. Net fee and
commission income increased by 8% to €633m (2022: €588m) primarily
reflecting higher card income and transaction volumes which
included the full year impact of customers onboarded from
banks exiting the Irish market. We expect 2024
other income of >€700m.
Operating costs were
€1,826m (2022: €1,659m), an increase of 10% on the prior period.
This increase incorporates the impacts of wage and general
inflation, an allowance for limited variable remuneration payable
in 2024 (following the relaxation of some pay constraints) and
increased cost to service an enlarged Group and customer base. At
December 2023 FTEs were 10% higher than the previous year at 10,551
(Dec 2022: 9,590). We expect costs to increase by 6-7% in
2024.
Overall credit quality
remains robust against the backdrop of inflation and higher
interest rates. There was a net credit impairment charge of 27bps
or €172m in 2023 (2022: €7m charge) driven by a €327m charge
(mainly property-related) partially offset by a €155m writeback in
the corporate & SME portfolio reflecting strong credit
performance and repayments in Covid-impacted sectors. Our approach
remains conservative, comprehensive and forward-looking and is
reflected in an ECL coverage rate of 2.3%. For 2024, we expect CoR
at the lower end of a 20-30bps range.
Bank levies and regulatory
fees of €185m in 2023 increased by €30m
(2022: €155m) primarily due to a higher
Deposit Guarantee Scheme (DGS) fee. The DGS fee for
2023 reflected an industry wide increase in the funding rate to
facilitate the build-up of the DGS Contributory Fund to the target
level. For 2024 we expect bank levies and regulatory
fees to be c. €145m including an increase in the Irish Bank levy to
c. €100m.
Exceptional items in
the year were €150m, mostly recognised in H1 and
primarily relate to costs for Belfry(5) investment
property funds and inorganic transaction costs. Exceptional costs
are expected to be c. €100m in 2024.
CUSTOMER
LOANS
Gross loans of
€67.0bn increased by €5.8bn (Dec 2022: €61.2bn) driven
by the acquisition of loans from Ulster Bank and new lending
exceeding redemptions. The Group completed the migration of a
further € 0.9bn of Ulster Bank corporate and commercial loans in
2023 bringing the total fair value of loans migrated to €3.0bn. The
Group also migrated Ulster Bank tracker (and linked) mortgages with
a fair value of €3.8bn with the remaining c. €1bn loans to migrate
in 2024.
Total new
lending was €12.3bn
(2022: €12.6bn) with a strong
second half in which new lending grew by 22% versus H1
2023.
Mortgage market share was
33%(6) reflecting a strong performance in a market
characterised by lower switching levels when compared with the
prior year. New mortgage lending in Ireland was €4bn. Personal
lending was up 23% to €1.2bn reflecting our enlarged customer base,
an increase in consumer credit demand and our market-leading
digital proposition with 89% of personal loan applications
completed online. New lending to SMEs in Ireland increased by 3% to
€1.6bn and early reaction to our new online business loan
application process has been positive.
New lending in Capital Markets
increased by 3% to €4.8bn with strong new lending in corporate,
renewable energy & infrastructure partially offset by lower
property lending reflecting reduced activity in the commercial real
estate sector.
New lending in AIB UK was
£1.2bn compared to £1.3bn in 2022 as
we continue to focus on our chosen market sectors.
We continue to support our customers
as we transition to a lower-carbon economy and new green lending of
€3.7bn accounted for 30% of total new lending whilst our green
mortgage products represented 45%(7) of new mortgage
lending.
Reducing NPEs has
been a longstanding priority for the Group and we have achieved our
target of c. 3% with NPEs of €2.0bn or 2.96% gross loans (Dec 2022:
€2.2bn or 3.5% gross loans). The 9% reduction reflects redemptions
of €0.7bn and NPEs disposals of €0.3bn partially offset by new NPEs
of €0.9bn. Asset quality remains resilient and we continue to
carefully manage the loan book, particularly in those sectors
impacted by inflationary pressures and higher interest
rates.
We expect customer loans to grow by 2% in
2024.
FUNDING & CAPITAL
Strong funding and capital
ensure AIB is well positioned for sustainable growth.
Customer accounts increased by €2.4bn to €104.8bn with 77% in our
Retail Banking segment (Dec 22: 74%). The Group continues to have
strong funding and liquidity ratios with LDR of 63%, LCR of 199%
and NSFR of 159% at December 2023 which compare to 58%, 192% and
164% respectively at December 2022.
The Group completed three MREL issuances in
2023 including a €750m social bond, a US$1bn bond and a €750m green
bond bringing our MREL ratio at Dec 2023 to 34.0% of RWAs, well in
excess of our target of 29.7% for 1 January 2024. Total proceeds
raised from ESG bonds to date stand at €5.75bn. On average we
expect three debt issuances per annum over the next three
years.
Ratings: The Group
is rated at investment grade with Moody's and Standard & Poor's
(S&P). In June 2023 S&P upgraded the AIB Group plc senior
rating to BBB from BBB- following an upgrade of Ireland's sovereign
debt rating. Moody's revised the outlook for AIB Group plc upwards
from Stable to Positive in December due to strong financial
performance and improved asset quality.
Capital remains
robust and ahead of minimum regulatory
requirements. The Pillar 2 requirement decreased
from 2.75% to 2.60% for 2024. The fully-loaded CET1 at
Dec 2023 was 15.8% (Dec 22: 16.3%). The main drivers of the CET1
movement were strong organic capital generation (+370bps) offset by
the completed 2023 share buyback (-40bps), the proposed dividend
(-130bps), proposed share buyback (-180bps), other capital
movements (+50bps) and RWA increases (-120bps) mainly from the full
impact of the Ulster Bank loan acquisitions, increased operational
risk RWAs and IRB model impacts. We are progressing
RWA optimisation measures such as a significant risk transfer (SRT)
transaction.
Shareholder distributions
of €1.7bn are proposed and this above-policy payout marks the
commencement of the return of excess capital. A cash dividend of
26.568c per share, equating to €696m, has been proposed and
regulatory approval received for a share buyback of €1bn.
Discussions with the Department of Finance in relation to a
potential directed buyback of ordinary shares from the Minister for
Finance are currently underway. Given the size of the potential
related party transaction Shareholder approval will be required and
it is our intention to seek approval at our AGM on 2 May
2024.
SUSTAINABILITY
Progressing our Sustainability agenda is a
strategic priority for AIB. We continue to play our part to ensure
a greener tomorrow by backing those building it today. The summary
below shows some of the highlights of 2023 across each of the ESG
categories/criteria:
Environmental
• The
Group exceeded the 2023 €10bn Climate Action Fund, with
€11.6bn(7) cumulative green lending since 2019. The
Group has tripled its Climate Action Fund to €30bn by 2030 to help
build the green infrastructure of the future
• AIB has
aligned its activities into a new segment called Climate Capital to
expand our capability and capacity as a leader in financing energy
transition and infrastructure focusing on established renewables
technology in Europe, UK and North America
• Our
virtual Corporate Power Purchase Agreement will provide up to 80%
of AIB's estimated electricity needs certified to a fully traceable
renewable solar energy source
Social
• The
Group has issued €5.75bn in ESG bonds for large-scale projects with
environmental, social and climate action benefits in communities
across Ireland in the areas of healthcare, education and social and
affordable energy efficient housing
• AIB
Community €1m Fund provided direct support to 80 charities
primarily around Ireland but also in the United Kingdom. Recipients
of the AIB Community €1m Fund are those charity organisations
nominated by our customers, employees and the general public, and
in 2023, such nominations nearly trebled
• Our
annual Sustainability conference attended by 600 people in person
and more than 8,600 online offered real meaning and direction from
thought leaders in sustainability, helping everyone understand how
they can take practical action in their sustainability
journey
• We
are supporting customers' financial wellbeing and
bringing enhanced ESG advisory capabilities to our customers
through Goodbody
Governance
• The
Group returned to majority private ownership in June
2023 with the State's shareholding down from c. 57% at Dec 2022 via
a number of mechanisms including accelerated book-builds, trading
plan and a directed buyback to its current level of c.
40%
• Our
remuneration policy was updated to reflect our intention to provide
healthcare benefits from 2024 and variable remuneration based on
financial and non-financial performance in 2023, payable in
2024
For more information please see the Detailed
Sustainability Report on our website (aib.ie/sustainability).
NEW STRATEGIC TARGETS, OUTLOOK &
GUIDANCE
Against an evolving Irish banking
landscape, AIB Group is transformed, reshaped and revitalised. We
delivered an enhanced product suite, embedded inorganic
initiatives, transformed our operating model with increased
digitalisation, welcomed new customers and led the ESG agenda.
We closed Strategy 2023 as a leading financial services group
well-positioned for the future. 2024 marks the beginning of a
new three-year strategic cycle for the Group. Our purpose is
empowering people to build a sustainable future, and over the next
three years, we will develop deeper more enduring
relationships with our customers, by better serving their
financial needs. To do this, aligned to our existing strategic
pillars, we have clearly set out three strategic areas of
focus; Customer First, Greening the Loan Book and Operational
Efficiency.
With this in mind, we have taken the
opportunity to review the Group structure with greater emphasis on
our customers and green finance with the creation of both a new
Chief Customer Officer ExCo position and a dedicated Climate
Capital segment to build on our track record in financing renewable
energy projects both nationally and internationally.
As Ireland's largest financial
services provider, AIB continues to be a driving force in the Irish
economy. Our reshaped Group is generating sustainable profits and
is well-positioned to support our 3.3 million customers, our
shareholders and the wider economy now and into the
future.
Notwithstanding the challenges of
global uncertainty and an evolving operating environment, our
strategy has positioned us well for the future. 2023 was an
exceptional year for the Group and we are entering the next
strategic cycle in a position of strength. The 2026 financial
targets reflect our priorities and consideration of our
stakeholders and are as follows:
· Sustainable returns: RoTE of
15%
· Prudent capital management: CET1 >14% with a buffer over MDA of at least 250bps
· Focus on efficiency: Absolute
cost <€2 billion with a CIR of <50%.
With 2023 proposed distributions of
€1.7bn and an above-policy payout we have now commenced the process
of returning excess capital as we move towards our medium-term CET1
target.
The Group has had a good start to 2024 with
both income and asset quality demonstrating resilience. We are
optimistic about our business and look forward to AIB delivering
sustainable returns for our shareholders over the years
ahead.
Guidance full
year 2024:
· NII is expected to be >€3.65bn
· Other income is expected to be >€700m
· Costs are expected to increase by 6-7%
· We expect a CoR at the lower end of a
20-30bps range
· Bank levies and regulatory fees are expected to be
c.€145m
· Exceptional costs are expected to be c. €100m
· Customer loans are expected to grow by 2%
Further detail is provided in the 2023 annual
financial report which can be found on aib.ie/investorrelations or
click here to view: http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/7274F_1-2024-3-6.pdf
Notes:
1)
2023 RoTE = (PAT - AT1) / (CET1 @ 13.5%
of RWAs); medium-term target RoTE= (PAT - AT1) / ( CET1 @ 14% of
RWAs)
2)
Costs before bank levies and
regulatory fees and exceptional items
3)
CET1 fully loaded
4)
Net interest income includes a voluntary
change in accounting policy whereby the interest income and expense
on certain derivatives held with hedging intent, but for which
hedge accounting is not applied (economic hedges) is now included
within the applicable components of net interest income with all
other fair value movements recognised in net trading income.
Figures for the prior year have been restated on a comparative
basis resulting in an increase in other income in 2022 by €64m and
a corresponding decrease in net interest income of
€64m
5)
Belfry relates to a series of investment
property funds which were sold to individual investors during the
period 2002 to 2006. Further information is available on pages 278
to 279 of the 2023 Annual Financial Report
6)
Source: Mortgage drawdowns
BPFI for FY 2023
7)
In H2 2023, our new green
lending definition was expanded to include new mortgage lending to
energy efficient homes (BER A1-B2/ EPC A-B), aligned to our
Sustainable Lending Framework (SLF). Our green mortgage products
may include lending to homes with a B3 BER rating
Figures presented above may
be subject to rounding and thereby may differ to the 2023 Annual
Financial Report
- ENDS -
For
further information, please contact:
Donal Galvin
|
Niamh Hore
|
Paddy McDonnell
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
Head of Investor Relations
|
Head of Media Relations
|
Tel: +353-1-6418300
|
Tel: +353-86-3135647
|
Tel: +353-87-7390743
|
email: donal.j.galvin@aib.ie
|
email: niamh.a.hore@aib.ie
|
email:
paddy.x.mcdonnell@aib.ie
|
Forward Looking Statements
This document contains certain forward looking statements with
respect to the financial condition, results of operations and
business of AIB Group and certain of the plans and objectives of
the Group. These forward looking statements can be identified by
the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current
facts. Forward looking statements sometimes use words such as
'aim', 'anticipate', 'target', 'expect', 'estimate', 'intend',
'plan', 'goal', 'believe', 'may', 'could', 'will', 'seek',
'continue', 'should', 'assume', or other words of similar meaning.
Examples of forward looking statements include, among others,
statements regarding the Group's future financial position, capital
structure, Government shareholding in the Group, income
growth, loan losses, business strategy, projected costs, capital
ratios, estimates of capital expenditures, and plans and objectives
for future operations. Because such statements are inherently
subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking
information. By their nature, forward looking statements involve
risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend
on circumstances that will occur in the future. There are a
number of factors that could cause actual results and developments
to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these
forward looking statements. These are set out in the Principal
risks on pages 27 to 30 in the 2023 Annual Financial Report. In
addition to matters relating to the Group's business, future
performance will be impacted by the Group's ability along with
governments and other stakeholders to measure, manage and mitigate
the impacts of climate change effectively, the impact of
higher inflation on customer sentiment and by Irish, UK and
wider European and global economic and financial market
considerations. Future performance will further be impacted
by the direct and indirect consequences of the Russia-Ukraine
War on European and global macroeconomic conditions. Any forward
looking statements made by or on behalf of the Group speak
only as of the date they are made. The Group cautions that the list
of important factors on pages 27 to 30 of the 2023 Annual
Financial Report is not exhaustive. Investors and others should
carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties
and events when making an investment decision based on any forward
looking statement.