Shareholders applaud Sterling Bank’s improved performance

Shareholders of Sterling Bank Plc have applauded the bank’s performance in the financial year ended December 2018, at the lender’s 57th yearly general meeting in Lagos.
 
The President of the Nigerian Shareholders’ Solidarity Association, Chief Timothy Adesiyan, said the performance of the bank is commendable in view of the massive improvement in most of the indices, especially in gross earnings, net interest income, liquidity ratio and profit after tax.
 
He noted that even though the bank is not paying any dividend to shareholders for the year, “we are happy with the capital appreciation of the share price and the future bountiful dividends that await us.”

According to him, the bank sustained earnings growth momentum in 2018 as gross earnings grew by 14 percent to N152.2 billion from N133.5 billion recorded in 2017.
 
He added that although operating expenses increased by 26.4 to N66.9 billion due to investment in human capital and technology, the bank grew profit before tax by 17.1 percent to N9.5 billion and profit after tax by 14.9 percent to N9.2 billion.
 
The chairman said the bank closed the year under review with an improved balance sheet position as total assets grew steadily by about 2.9 percent to N1.1 trillion, thereby maintaining the over one trillion Naira mark achieved in the previous year.
 
“We continued to sustain operational efficiencies and our focus in growing the bank’s retail franchise. This resulted in an improved deposit base and moderate growth in our loan book, specifically riding on the 108.3 percent growth in retail and consumer loans delivered mainly by SPECTA – Nigeria’s fastest digital lending platform,” Ighodalo said.
 
He added that the bank was able to maintain the cost of funds at 7.4 percent despite high-interest environment which persisted for a significant part of the year.
 
On the future prospect of the bank, Ighodalo remarked that the Nigerian business environment for 2019 would remain a story of two halves.
 
He noted that the bank expects the first half of the year to be dominated largely by election activities at the expense of economic growth, heightened by subdued foreign capital inflows, increased pressure on the Naira and accelerated foreign exchange intervention programme while the second half would witness the likelihood of stronger consumer confidence.