OCBC has declared a dividend of 42 cents per share, up from 40c a year ago.
This represents a 5% increase which makes me happy.
Full year dividend per share is, therefore, 84c.
This is an increase of some 21% from a year ago.
Payout ratio is about 53% of net profit.
The stellar results of 2023 was driven mainly by higher net interest margins across all its markets.
Net profit was in excess of $7 billion, up 27% from a year ago.
I like that OCBC has continued to drive costs lower with a lower cost to income ratio of 38.7%.
For people who are worried about OCBC's exposure to China, I have said before that they anticipated the problems early on like DBS and limited their exposure to the troubled property sector.
Their NPL ratio is at a very manageable 1.0%.
OCBC, like DBS and UOB, is well capitalized and well managed.
Even as net interest margins come under pressure, OCBC is expected to perform...