Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The operating profits of Bangladesh’s private commercial banks (PCBs) showed an upward trend in the first-half (H1) of the current calendar year.
Of 40 PCBs, 15 marked an upward trend in operating profits while three witnessed a downturn, according to provisional data for the January-June 2017 period.
The data of the rest were not immediately available.
In the final count, the amount of profits may be a little higher or lower, according to officials of different commercial banks.
The PCBs, which operating profits decreased during the period under review, are National Bank Ltd, Southeast Bank Ltd and South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank Ltd.
The Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd earned BDT 3.60 billion as operating profit during the first six months of this year against BDT 3.50 billion in the same period of last year. It was BDT 3.07 billion in the H1 of 2015.
During the period under review, the Bank Asia Ltd posted an operating profit of BDT 3.06 billion against BDT 2.79 billion in the same period of last year. It was BDT 2.53 billion in the H1of 2015.
The Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd. made operating profit worth BDT 1.73 billion during period under review against BDT 1.59 billion in the same period of last year. It was BDT 1.23 billion in the first six months of 2015.
The Meghna Bank Ltd. earned BDT 670 million as operating profit in the H1 of 2017 against BDT 580 million in the same period of the last year. It was BDT 250 million in the first six months of 2015.
The operating profit of Farmers Bank Ltd. rose to BDT 420 million during the period under review from BDT 300 million in the same period of last year.
The operating profits of South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank Ltd came down to BDT 650 million from BDT 700 million. It was BDT 27.50 million in the H1 of 2015.
The operating profits of Pubali Bank Ltd rose to BDT 4.60 billion during the period under review from BDT 2.97 billion in the same period of 2016 while the Mutual Trust Bank’s operating profit stood at BDT 2.09 billion against around BDT Tk 2.00 billion.
The NCC Bank Ltd made operating profits worth BDT 2.37 billion in the H1 of 2017 against BDT 2.01 billion in the same period of the last year. In was BDT 1.78 billion in the H1 of 2015.
The operating profits of Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd rose to BDT 3.50 billion in the first six months of this year from BDT 3.24 billion in the same of the last year. It was BDT 3.30 billion during the H1 of 2015.
Mercantile Bank Ltd earned BDT 3.25 billion as operating profit against BDT 2.78 billion. It was BDT 1.97 billion in the H1 of 2015.
The operating profits of National Bank Ltd fell to more than BDT 3.0 billion in the H1 of this calendar year from BDT 5.85 billion in the same of the last year. It was BDT 3.95 billion in the H1 of 2015.
Southeast Bank Ltd earned BDT 4.11 billion as operating profits during the period under review against BDT 4.20 billion in the H1 of 2016. It was BDT 4.13 billion in the H1 of 2015.
The operating profits of Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd rose to BDT 3.50 billion in the first six months of this year from BDT 3.24 billion in the same of the last year. It was BDT 3.30 billion in the H1 of 2015.
Premier Bank Ltd made operating profits worth BDT 2.50 billion in the H1 of 2017 against BDT 2.00 billion in the same period of the last year while First Security Islami Bank Ltd earned BDT 2.22 billion against BDT 1.67 billion.
The operating profits of EXIM Bank Ltd rose to BDT 3.20 billion during the period under review from BDT 2.55 billion in the same period of last year. It was BDT 2.50 billion in the H1 of 2015.
NRB Bank Ltd made operating profits worth BDT 370 million in the H1 of 2017 against BDT 369 million in the same period of the last year.
The operational profit of Social Islami Bank Ltd rose to BDT 2.67 billion during the period under review from BDT 2.25 billion in the same period of last year. It was BDT 2.06 billion in the H1 of 2015.
Un-audited operating profits, however, don’t indicate the actual financial position of a bank as the banks have to leave aside funds for provisioning bad debts and taxes payable to the government.
The private banker expects that the operating profits may rise in the second half of this year if the banks are able to reduce the amount of classified loans by gearing up their recovery drive across the country.
BBN/SSR/AD