IMB arrests the slide but lacks growth options
Building society IMB Group has stopped the decline in earnings it has suffered over the past few years but has not been able to stop the decline in the value of its loan book.Net profit for the year to June was A$29.1 million. This was two per cent up on the previous corresponding period but three per cent below the profit IMB made in 2011/12 and six per cent below the 2010/11 result.Return on equity fell from 10.9 per cent to 10.6 per cent.Net interest income rose 2.7 per cent to $95 million, and the net interest margin rose from 1.97 per cent in 2012/13 to 2.04 per cent in the year to June.Impairment losses rose from $849,000 in 2012/13 to $876,000 in the year to June.Loan approvals for the year were $753 million - an increase of 21 per cent over the prior year ($678 million of this was residential loan approvals). However, total loans and receivables to members fell 0.6 per cent to $3.69 billion.Deposits rose 4.4 per cent to $3.7 billion. Retail deposits were flat, with most of the increase coming from wholesale deposits.The cost-to-income ratio was 62.9 per cent.IMB's capital ratio fell 40 basis points to 16 per cent.IMB chief executive Robert Ryan said in his chief executive's review that the group would look to grow its business banking book. During the year it gave business customers the option of linking their accounts to Xero accounting software.Ryan said IMB was also reviewing opportunities to offer merchant payment facilities.