Singapore banks have been on a roll.
2022 saw the trio report record-breaking earnings on the back of surging interest rates that pushed up their net interest income.
DBS Group (SGX: D05), Singapore’s largest lender, saw its net profit jump 20% year on year to touch S$8.2 billion.
OCBC Ltd (SGX: O39) reported a net profit of S$5.7 billion and hiked its final dividend by 43% year on year to S$0.40.
Not to be outdone, United Overseas Bank Ltd (SGX: U11), or UOB, announced a 12% year on year rise in net profit to a record high of S$4.6 billion.
As of this writing, the US Federal Reserve appears to lean towards further interest rate hikes to keep inflation on a sustained downward trajectory.
The three banks are poised to report their first quarter (1Q 2023) results early next month.
Here are three aspects that investors need to keep a close watch on for each bank.
Net interest margin (NIM)...