Principality Building Society Interim Results 2018 (3275W)

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RNS Number : 3275W

Principality Building Society

01 August 2018

Principality Building Society Interim Results Announcement for the six months to 30 June 2018

Principality invests in the future as its business grows

Principality Building Society has announced good half-year results as the strategy of growing its core mortgage and savings business continues to deliver. Its net residential mortgage lending increased by GBP340.3m in the first six months of this year, bringing total assets to GBP9.6bn.

To support the growth in its lending the Society grew its savings by GBP309.3m. Its savings products have maintained its position as one of the best and most competitive on the High Street.

Underlying pre-tax profit, which reflects the true trading performance of the business, was GBP27.4m (June 2017: GBP29.5m). Statutory pre-tax profit was GBP24.9m (June 2017: GBP31.8m). Almost eight out of 10 (79.2%) of Members would recommend Principality to other people. This promoter score is market leading and double the average in the financial sector.

Steve Hughes, Chief Executive of Principality Building Society, said: "I am proud of the performance of my colleagues in the first six months as our customer service continues to make us stand out from our competitors. Our growth was delivered against a backdrop of a highly competitive mortgage market and uncertainty over base rate increases and Brexit negotiations.

"As a mutual owned by our Members, we will continue to run the business for their long-term benefit. Our strong performance in recent years will allow us to make significant investment in our technology, our branches and our people. We need to do this to meet the demands of our current and future Members. As we have already communicated, this investment will result in profits reducing over the next few years but it is the right long-term decision and our strong capital base affords us that opportunity.

"We remain committed to the High Street in Wales and the borders, while major banks have withdrawn. For us to maintain our presence it is important our Members continue to use their local branches and recommend us to family and friends so we continue to grow our Society. We have actually seen branch transactions increase in the first six months of the year. We know our members value our great personal service and we will continue to provide that, I'd just love more people to experience it."

Principality colleagues have yet again put in considerable effort with their community work, raising more than GBP86,000 for its three chosen charity partners (Llamau, School of Hard Knocks and Cancer Research Wales). The Society has now raised well over GBP300,000 in the past two and half years for its three charities.

Principality also invested GBP44,000 to support more than 50 community groups and school projects across Wales. More than 1,200 schoolchildren were helped through activities, including financial education workshops. The Society sponsored more than 200 students to complete the London Institute of Banking & Finance L2 qualifications, which are the equivalent to a GCSE.

Steve said: "Supporting our local communities and helping them prosper is what we do as a mutual building society. I am very proud of the efforts our colleagues have made to improve the lives of others. Our people are our most important asset and make us stand out in the finance sector. We encourage them to bring themselves, their personalities to work. It is that which makes Principality such a fantastic place to work. I am proud that our efforts to create a diverse and inclusive workplace saw us named as one of the best employers to work for in the UK this year."

Looking to the second half of the year Steve said: "We will continue to grow in a safe and sustainable way. It is clear our profits will be lower as we reshape and invest in our business for the long-term. Our balance sheet is strong, with a robust capital base and we have the resilience to withstand any economic headwinds. Our focus is clear - we will seek to improve our core mortgage and savings capability to meet the future needs of our Members and customers. We will drive efficiency in the way we do things to ensure we provide value to our Members and protect their interests for the long-term."

Notes to Editors

Please click the following link for the full Interim report www.principality.co.uk/InterimResults2018

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

   --      Total assets GBP9.6bn (31 December 2017: GBP9.3bn) 
   --      Savings balances have increased by GBP309.3m (30 June 2017: GBP366.9m) 
   --      Net residential mortgage balances of GBP7,115.8m (31 December 2017: GBP6,775.5m) 

-- Gross residential mortgage lending for the first six months of the year of GBP912.9m (30 June 2017: GBP814.8m)

   --      Underlying pre-tax profits of GBP27.4m (30 June 2017: GBP29.5m) 
   --      Statutory pre-tax profits of GBP24.9m (30 June 2017: GBP31.8m) 
   --      84.1% of mortgages funded by savers (31 December 2017: 83.5%) 
   --      Strong capital with a Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 25.2%(1) (30 June 2017: 23.4%) 

-- Arrears levels remain consistently low, with the percentage of first charge cases greater than three months in arrears currently standing at 0.52% (31 December 2017: 0.53%)

-- Customer Service Net Promoter Score performed strongly at 79.2%(2) (31 December 2017: 74.8%)

   --      Net interest margin 1.29% (30 June 2017: 1.45%) 

1. Excluding unaudited interim profits. The equivalent ratio including interim profits to 30 June 2018 would be 26.2%.

2. Source: Based on internal survey data for 6 months ended 30 June 2018

About Principality Building Society

   --      Formed in 1860, Principality is Wales's largest building society. 

-- The Society is committed to supporting the communities of Wales, with 53 branches and 18 agencies in Wales and the borders.

   --      Principality is the 6th largest building society in the UK. 
   --      The Society has assets of GBP9 billion. 
   --      Principality is committed to remaining a mutual organisation. 
   --      www.principality.co.uk 

For more information, please contact:

 
 Jamie Pike 
 Corporate Affairs Manager 
 [e-mail] 
 029 2077 3812 
 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact [e-mail] or visit www.rns.com.

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August 01, 2018 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)