Chief Executive, Paul Thwaite, commented:
“As the UK’s leading business bank, and one of the largest retail banks, NatWest Group’s strong performance is grounded in the vital role we play in the UK economy and in the lives of our 19 million customers. In the first half of the year, we have delivered an operating profit of £3 billion, a return on tangible equity of 16.4% and a 6 pence interim dividend, up 9% on last year’s dividend. We are also pleased with the continued reduction of the Government’s stake, which has almost halved this year.
We have made good progress against our strategic priorities, taking decisive action to grow and simplify our business and to manage our capital and costs more efficiently. There has been growth across all three of our businesses, we have attracted over 200,000 new customers and our acquisition from Sainsbury’s Bank is expected to add around one million customer accounts on completion. We have also agreed to acquire £2.5 billion of UK prime residential mortgages from Metro Bank plc, adding further scale to our Retail Banking business.
The positive momentum and progress in the first half reflect the ambition across the bank to deliver its full potential. Our customers are beginning to feel more confident, with activity increasing and asset quality remaining strong, and we are well positioned to help unlock growth across the UK through our unrivalled regional network. Fundamentally, if we succeed with our customers, we will succeed for our shareholders and the wider economy.”
Strong H1 2024 and Q2 performance
- H1 2024 attributable profit of £2,099 million and a return on tangible equity (RoTE) of 16.4%.
- Q2 2024 total income excluding notable items(1) of £3,590 million was £176 million, or 5.2%, higher than Q1 2024 primarily reflecting increased deposit income whilst H1 2024 was £379 million lower than H1 2023 due to lower average deposit balances and mix changes and lending margin pressure.
- Net interest margin (NIM) of 2.10% was 5 basis points higher than Q1 2024 primarily due to improved deposit margins.
- Q2 2024 other operating expenses were £100 million lower than Q1 2024, or £21 million lower excluding costs in relation to bank levies of £87 million and the potential retail share offering. H1 2024 other operating expenses were £149 million higher than H1 2023, or £42 million, 1.1%, higher excluding costs in relation to the potential retail share offering of £24 million and additional bank levies of £83 million.
- Net impairment charge of £48 million in H1 2024, or 3 basis points of gross customer loans. Levels of default remain stable and at low levels across the portfolio.
Robust balance sheet with strong capital and liquidity levels
- Net loans to customers excluding central items decreased by £1.7 billion in the quarter and decreased £0.3 billion in the first half as growth in Commercial & Institutional was offset by UK Government scheme repayments and lower mortgage balances as customer redemptions offset new lending.
- Up to 30 June 2024 we have provided £78.3 billion against our target to provide £100 billion climate and sustainable funding and financing between 1 July 2021 and the end of 2025.
- Customer deposits excluding central items were up by £6.1 billion in the first half of the year and increased £5.2 billion in Q2 2024. Term balances remained consistent in the quarter at 17% of our book and up from 16% at the end of 2023.
- The loan:deposit ratio (LDR) (excl. repos and reverse repos) was 83% at Q2 2024, with customer deposits exceeding net loans to customers by around £72 billion.
- The liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) of 151%, representing £54.5 billion headroom above 100% minimum requirement was unchanged compared with Q1 2024.
- TNAV per share increased by 12 pence in H1 2024 to 304 pence primarily reflecting the profit for the period, partially offset by the 2023 final ordinary dividend of 11.5 pence.