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Investing.com -- OSB Group (LON:OSBO) posted lower first-half profit as net interest income came under pressure, though lending growth and resilient credit quality helped support returns.
Profit before tax declined to £192.3 million from £241.3 million, weighed by lower net interest income and fair value losses versus prior gains. However, the figure was 3% ahead of consensus estimates, according to RBC Capital Markets.
Net interest income (NII) fell to £337 million from £353.5 million a year earlier, with net interest margin (NIM) narrowing to 230 basis points from 237 bps, reflecting higher funding costs.
Administrative expenses edged higher to £131.4 million, lifting the cost-to-income ratio to 40.3% from 34.8%.
The return on tangible equity (RoTE) eased to 13.7% from 17.4%, in line with the company’s guidance.
Basic earnings per share fell to 37.3 pence from 44.4 pence.
The loan book rose 1.2% in the six months to June 30 to £25.4 billion, driven by a 10% increase in new lending to £2.1 billion. Retail deposits grew 3% to £24.6 billion, offsetting £730 million in TFSME repayments.
OSB’s guidance for 2025 remains unchanged. The company continues to expect low single-digit growth in the net loan book, a net interest margin of around 2.25%, and approximately £270 million of administrative expenses. It also anticipates a RotE in the low teens.
RBC Capital Markets reiterated its Outperform rating and lifted the target price to 625p from 600 following the results.
"At this stage in the new strategic plan, no news is good news, and boring is better, in our view. The most important aspect of today’s results is that management reiterated all of their guidance, including NIM," analyst Benjamin Toms said.
OSB’s credit performance remained stable in the first half, with a loan loss ratio of 2 bps compared with a net release a year earlier, while arrears of more than three months ticked up slightly to 1.8%.
The company reported a CET1 ratio of 15.7% after factoring in the ongoing £100 million share buyback programme.
The interim dividend was lifted 5% to 11.2 pence per share, in line with policy.