Silk Bank (formerly Saudi Pak Commercial Bank) came into existence when a consortium of investors, comprising Bank Muscat SAOG, Nomura European Investments Limited and International Finance Corporation signed a share purchase agreement with the Saudi Pak investment group.
On March 31, 2008 the consortium acquired 86.55% of the bank for around USD 260 million or $0.47 per share (Rs 29.3 equivalent per share). Under the new leadership, the bank will continue to focus on SME and consumer financing resulting in efforts of increased profitability. In December 2009, after completing all regulatory requirements, the bank announced a Rights Issue of 311% at a discount of Rs 7.5 per share to generate additional capital of Rs 7.00 billion to meet the MCR of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The issue has been supported by all members of the consortium of investors, except Bank Muscat because of regulatory constraints by the Central Bank of Oman. However, their share will be subscribed by new investors and the process is expected to successfully complete by end June 2010. Its shares are quoted on all the stock exchanges of Pakistan.
RECENT PERFORMANCE FY07-09
Silk Bank's loss before tax increased by 50% to Rs 4.25 billion in FY09 as compared to Rs 2.83 billion in FY08. The net interest income registered a decline of 84% as it reduced to Rs 57 million from Rs 369 million in FY08. The reason behind this decline was the increase in interest expense resulting from high costs of deposits and increased borrowing from financial institutions. The non-mark-up income registered a sizable growth of 72% in FY09 (to Rs 662.187 million) with almost half of this income coming from fee, commission and brokerage income.
The rise can also be attributed to the gains made on dealing in foreign currencies in the wake of unstable rupee and from gains on sales of securities. Non-interest expenses increased by 36.8% to Rs 2.66 billion with administrative expenses increasing by 41.9% to Rs 2.74 billion. This rise was due to the bank's focus on increasing its branch network and the cost associated with re-branding, new recruitments and setting up of and refurbishment of existing branches.
In FY08, Silk Bank declared a loss of Rs 2014 million with earnings per share of Rs 2.83, considerably lower (33.76%) than previous year's loss of Rs 3041 million and loss per share of Rs 6.25. Due to losses, the bank did not pay any dividend. The net interest income after provisions improved by 54.10%; from negative Rs 2.773 billion to negative Rs 1.273 billion. This was mainly because during FY08, the bank's provisioning against the NPLs and advances declined significantly (47%) to Rs 1.663 billion. The non-mark-up income witnessed a decline of 50.50% to Rs 384.5 million mainly on the back of declining fee commission and brokerage income, which went down 49% to Rs 188.6 million.
In FY09, net interest income after provisions declined by 76.9%, which can be attributed to a sharp surge in the interest expenses to Rs 5.855 billion (an increase of 38.7%). Impairment expenses for available for sale securities (Rs 138.276 million) drive up provisioning expense. Due to global economic conditions and slow down, stock markets in Pakistan have witnessed a significant decline in value of equity instruments traded. During the period, the bank faced a sizeable impairment charges on available for sale securities (Rs 138.276 million).
In FY09, investments grew by 67% from the previous year to stand at Rs 20.179 billion. Government securities ie Market Treasury Bills and PIBs comprise 88% of the investments (Rs 17.788 billion). Advances show a modest gain of 3.2% from FY08 to stand at Rs 32.097 billion but still represent the major chunk of earning assets at 60% of the earning asset during FY09. Lending to financial institutions declined by 22% to Rs 1.067 billion mainly due to a decline in call money lending. However the ADR has fallen to 64.7% in 2009 as compared to 75.72% in 2008, because the advances rose by 3.2% (to Rs 32.097 billion) and deposits grew by 20% (to Rs 49.610 billion) in 2009.
COMPOSITION OF EARNING ASSETS
The year FY09 witnessed a 20% increase in earning assets of the bank and they stood at Rs 53.34 billion. The most sizable contribution in this regard was made by investments as they rose by 67%. The bank was able to buy risk-free government treasury bills at coupon rates ranging from 11.5% to 13.24%. TFCs were also bought but mostly of unlisted companies which could prove to be a risky investment considering the financial instability in the country. In FY08 there was not any sizable change in the earning assets while in FY07 they declined by 10%.
The losses for these 2 years can partially be explained by the dwindling size of the Earning assets, which declined in both these years. During FY07, the bank's overall earning asset base declined by 10.13% to stand at Rs 44.57 billion, which further slipped modestly by 0.22% to stand at Rs 44.476 billion in FY08. During the same period, lending to financial institutions increased by 63.90% (FY08 Rs 1.376 billion), investments registered a decline of 32% to stand at Rs 12.012 billion and advances grew by 20.14% to Rs 31.09 billion.
In FY09 the bank was able to match the increase in advances with a larger increase in deposits to improve its liquidity position. Advances grew by 3.02% to Rs 32 billion while deposits registered an increase of 20% and stood at Rs 49 billion for FY09. In 2008, the bank had deposits of Rs 41.056 billion; 3.22% lower than those of previous year. The remunerative, interest expense bearing deposits of 2008 were Rs 34.419 billion, representing almost 84% of the total deposit base. This is mainly due to the fact that Pakistani banks are attracting more fixed and term deposits due to banks eagerness for raising longer-term deposits to match their assets maturity profiles whereas due to decline in consumer financing, the demand for consumer short to medium-term financing has been wary.
EARNING RATIO
Silk Bank's return on assets has declined to negative 4.2% in FY09 as compared to negative 3.6% in FY08. The bank has been unable to make profit after tax since 2006. In FY08 the bank had been able to reduce its loss before tax to Rs 2.83 billion. However it was unable to sustain this performance as loss before tax increased by 50% to Rs 4.25 billion. Most of this loss can be attributed to a decline of 84% in net interest income while the operating charges increased by 42%. Provisions against loans and advances also increased by 30% to Rs 2.17 billion as the bank suffered from high NPLs and economic downturn.
The return on equity declined to negative 164% in FY09 from negative 45% in FY08. This has been mainly due to a decline of 60% in the bank's equity. Although the bank was able to increase its assets by 23%; large increase in deposits and borrowings from financial institutions raised the bank's liabilities to Rs 66 billion (an increase of more than 30%).
ASSET QUALITY
The bank faced non-performing loans of Rs 11.891 billion during FY09, which shows a decline of 7% as compared to FY08. The NPLs to advances ratio declined to 37% in FY09 against 41% in FY08. Although there had been an increase in advances but the bank was able to controls its NPLs even in a slow growing economy and a weak manufacturing sector. Provisions to NPLs increased to 18.2% in FY09 as compared to 12.9% in FY08.
Although the bank was able to contain its NPLs in FY09, high provisions for NPLs had to be made this year in account of large increase in NPLs in 2008. The issue of rising NPLs in 2008 could be attributed to the economic downturn, the power crisis and the subsequent industrial crisis, which has rendered many borrowers incapable to meet their financial obligations.
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NON PERFORMING LOANS (in PKR 000's)
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2007 2008 2009
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6,136,018 12,845,225 11,891,428
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The revised regulations of SBP that were effective from September 30, 2009 has increased the percentage of benefit of Forced Sale Value (FSV) from 30% to 40% for mortgaged residential and commercial properties held as collateral against advances by bank and aforesaid regulation also allowed the benefit of FSV in respect of mortgaged industrial properties (land and building only). The above regulations made changes in the computation of provisioning and have resulted in reduction of provision against non-performing advances by Rs 323.053 million and a consequent decrease in loss after tax by Rs 209.98 million.
During the year, total FSV benefit availed by the Bank resulted in decrease in after tax loss of Rs 360.117 million (2008: Nil). Accordingly, as of December 31, 2009, the accumulated decrease in loss after tax of Rs 234.076 million (2008: Nil) shall not available for payment of cash or stock dividend.
LIQUIDITY
The ratio of earning assets to total assets shows a slight decline in FY09 ie 77.69% as compared to 79.93% in FY08. Although earning assets have been increasing but in less proportion to total assets. The advance to deposit ratio has declined from 75% in FY08 to 69% in FY09. The bank has been able to improve on its liquidity in compliance with SBP's notifications. With deposits mainly consisting of term deposits the bank has been able to better match its advance with deposits. The advance to deposits ratio increased in FY08 to 75.72% from 61.60% in FY07.
This was mainly due to the rise in advances of 20.14% whereas the deposits fell by 3.11% because the bank had large amounts of fixed deposits, which enabled them to extend advances, particularly in the long term advances, which stood at Rs 17.923 billion, 31.20% higher than previous year's Rs 13.661 billion. Whereas short-term deposits for FY08 stood at Rs 20.26 billion, which grew at a comparatively slower rate of 14.13%. Overall, the figures indicated that the bank was striving to maintain a good ADR by making more and more advances, but the issue of default and non-performance loans remained a challenge.
There has been a slight increase in yield on earning assets ie from 10.54% in FY08 to 10.74% in FY09 but the cost of funding these earning assets has increased with a larger amount. In FY09 the cost of funding these earning assets was 11.97% as compared to 9.48% in the previous year. This was due to an increase of 38% in the interest expensed which rose to Rs 5.8 billion as the bank increased its financing by increasing its deposits and borrowings from financial institutions.
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Assets (000's PKR) 2006 2007 2008 2009
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Cash and balances with treasury banks 3,994,136 3,223,780 3,070,067 3,120,880
Balances with other banks 613,678 128,991 190,197 151,068
Lending to financial institutions 4,747,567 839,959 1,376,651 1,067,708
Investments 15,828,682 17,859,169 12,012,233 20,179,329
Advances 29,021,974 25,874,972 31,087,373 32,097,490
Operating fixed assets 2,322,371 2,367,883 3,002,450 3,720,695
Deferred taxes net 1,015,123 1,767,715 2,613,939 3,976,149
Other assets 1,657,318 1,598,131 2,292,358 4,351,022
Total Assets 59,200,849 53,660,600 55,645,268 66,664,341
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Liabilities
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Bills payable 408,342 570,756 431,537 637,602
Borrowings 4,236,775 6,880,449 8,738,616 15,088,332
Deposits and other accounts 49,015,090 42,373,710 41,056,630 49,610,034
Sub-ordinated loans 650,000 650,000 - -
Liabilities against assets
subject to finance lease 63,030 80,155 39,731 10,476
Deferred tax liabilities - - - -
Other liabilities 829,573 925,091 987,394 1,554,808
Total Liabilities 55,202,810 51,480,161 51,253,908 66,901,252
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