Earnings held back at Heritage

Rising funding costs are retarding the earnings of Heirtage Building Society, the country's largest mutual bank said yesterday.

Heritage advised through the ASX that its net profit for the half year to December 2010 was likely to be between $13.2 million and $13.9 million. Heritage has capital notes listed on the securities exchange.

Net profit for the full year to June 2010 was $29.9 million and Heritage said that at this stage it expects the 2011 profit to be "not materially different".