By yantouultra ngui
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – DBS Group, Singapore's largest bank, said it hopes its group net interest income will improve this year, recording a 10% increase in fourth quarter net profit on Monday We have announced our capital dividend plan.
Southeast Asia's largest bank said the largest bank by assets is expected to slightly beat the 2025 group net interest income of S$15.04 billion ($11.1 billion) last year.
“While macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties continue, franchise and digital transformations have been underway over the past decade.
The net interest margin for DBS, the key profitability meter, rose from 2.13% in the previous year's quarter to 2.15% in the quarter.
DBS, the first Singapore lender to report its revenue season, said its net income for October to December rose to SGD2,620 million ($19 billion) from SGD23.9 billion the previous year, and its business record and He said it has reversed growth in both market trading.
According to LSEG data, this coincided with an average estimate of 2.63 billion Singans from five analysts.
DBS announced its final dividend of 60 cents per share, but 54 cents were declared in the quarter a year ago.
It said it planned to introduce a capital revenue dividend of 15 S$ per 15 shares per quarter to be paid over 2025, and similar over the next two years via this plan or other mechanism. It was expected to pay the amount.
DBS made a CEO change in March, with investors focusing on potential changes. Tan Su Shan, who previously led DBS's institutional banking group and now as deputy CEO, will take over Gupta and become the first woman to lead the bank.
Banks in Singapore were expected to record stronger profits in the fourth quarter, but growth will occur this year as US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs and other policies threaten to undermine the global economy. It could be, analysts said. Rival United Overseas Bank will report its financial results on February 19th.
($1 = 1.3563 SGD)
(Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui, Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Stephen Coates)
