Bancolombia 2Q 2019 Net Income Rises 58% Year-on-Year

Medellin-based multinational banking giant Bancolombia announced August 5 that its second quarter (2Q) 2019 net income rose 58% year-on-year, to COP$936 billion (US$273 million).

Net interest income totaled COP$2.9 trillion (US$845 million) in 2Q 2019, up 13.5% from 2Q 2018, due to “higher volume in the loan portfolio, as well as a slight increase in the loan´s interest margin,” according to Bancolombia.

Also during 2Q 2019, its investments, interest rate derivatives and its repos portfolio generated COP$182 billion (US$53 million), up by 35.4% from first quarter (1Q) 2019, according to the company.

“The investment portfolio had a good performance due to a reduction in the Colombian government securities rates, therefore the investment margin presented an expansion during the quarter,” according to the company.

Gross loans grew 9% year-on-year, indicating a “moderate trend in the credit demand in Colombia,” while Colombian peso-denominated loans grew 8.5% year-on-year, according to the company.

Loan provision charges for the quarter were COP$816 billion (US$238 million), down 15.8% year-on-year, and the loan coverage ratio for 90-day past due loans was 165.9%, according to Bancolombia.

Net fees rose 10.6% year-on-year, to COP$755 billion (US$220 million). “The annual growth was mainly driven by an increase in fees related to credit and debit cards, banking services, trust services and bancassurance,” according to the company.

As of June 30, 2019, Bancolombia’s assets totaled COP$230.9 trillion (US$67 billion), up 12.9% year-on-year, while liabilities totaled COP$203.7 trillion (US$59 billion), up 12.8% compared to 2Q 2018.

Gross loans increased by 1.9% in 2Q 2019 versus 1Q 2019. Bancolombia’s subsidiary operations — Banco Agricola in El Salvador, Banistmo in Panama and BAM in Guatemala — represented 26% of total gross loans, according to the company.

Deposits by customers totaled COP$145.6 trillion (US$42 billion), or 71.5% of liabilities, up 11.7% over the last 12 months. The net loans-to-deposits ratio was 115.3% at the end of 2Q 2019, versus 114.1% at the end of 1Q 2019.

Bancolombia’s capital adequacy ratio was 12.94% in 2Q 2019, 394 basis points above the minimum 9% required by the Colombian regulator, while the basic capital ratio (Tier 1) to risk-weighted assets was 9.90%, 540 basis points above the regulatory minimum of 4.5%, according to the company.