AU Small Finance Bank on Wednesday reported a 12.7 per cent fall in profit at Rs 371 crore in March quarter due to increased provisions and a one-time expense for acquisition of Fincare. The bank's net profit was Rs 425 crore in the year-ago quarter.Net profit, excluding exceptional items, stood at Rs 428 crore in the fourth quarter of FY24, up 1 per cent compared to Rs 425 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.
The net profit of the bank in the full financial year 2023-24 rose by 7.4 per cent to Rs 1,535 crore as against Rs 1,428 crore in the previous fiscal.During the latest fourth quarter, the bank's total income increased to Rs 3,385 crore as compared to Rs 2,608 crore in Q4 of FY23, AU Small Finance Bank said in a regulatory filing.Net Interest Income (NII) grew 10 per cent to Rs 1,337 crore compared to Rs 1,213 crore in Q4 FY23, it said.
The bank declared a dividend of Rs 1 per share for FY24 subject to shareholders' approval.
Bank's asset quality witnessed a marginal deterioration with gross NPA (non-performing asset) at 1.67 per cent in March 2024 as against 1.66 per cent in March 2023.
Net NPA stood at 0.55 per cent of net advances in March 2024 as against 0.42 per cent in the year-ago period.As a result, provisions and contingency increased to Rs 132 crore from Rs 40 crore in the fourth quarter of preceding fiscal.
Besides, there was a one-time exceptional expenditure during the quarter. The expense amounting to Rs 76.80 crore, including stamp duty, has been incurred in relation to the acquisition and merger of Fincare Small Finance Bank, it said.
Considering the size, nature or incidence of these expenses, the same has been disclosed as exceptional item in the balance sheet, it added.During the reporting quarter, former RBI Deputy Governor H R Khan was appointed as chairman of the AU Small Finance Bank.The bank, during the quarter, started offering products and services to customers under the Authorized Dealer Category I (AD Cat-I) licence.
Sanjay Agarwal, founder, MD & CEO, of AU Small Finance Bank, said, "Our performance in the current quarter has remained absolutely on track with deposit growth outpacing advances growth, margins broadly remaining within our guided range and asset quality continuing to be robust."
The merger with Fincare has received all regulatory approvals in record time, and from April 1, the merged entity has been operational as per the RBI's direction, he said.
The focus now shifts to ensuring a smooth and seamless integration within the next 9-12 months and delivering exceptional banking services and value to the customers, he said.
To ensure seamless transition and minimal customer disruption due to the merger, both the tech-led banks with their strong customer orientation have established a dedicated task force and equipped their call centres to answer all customer queries, he added.
AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) last month amalgamated Fincare Small Finance Bank (Fincare SFB), marking the first such consolidation in the sector.In an all-stock merger deal first announced on October 29, 2023, where the shareholders of Fincare SFB received 579 equity shares in AU SFB for every 2,000 equity shares held in Fincare SFB, the merger received final approval from RBI on March 4, 2024, with the effective date of April 1, 2024.With the merger, the bank now has 2,383 physical touchpoints across India.
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