Indian Overseas Bank net profit up 154% to Rs 376 crore in Q2

Total income down marginally by 1% to Rs 5,376 crore; asset quality shows signs of improvement

State-run Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has posted a 154 per cent increase in net profit during the second quarter of the current financial year ended on September 30 to Rs 376 crore, as compared to Rs 148 crore during the same quarter in 2020-21.

The lender's total income for the reporting quarter was down marginally by about 1 per cent to Rs 5,376 crore, from Rs 5,430 during the July to September quarter of 2020-21. The bank’s managing director and chief executive officer P P Sengupta said the reasons for the better financial numbers is owing to a better outlook in the economy due to higher rates of vaccination and better performance in retail, agriculture, MSME (RAM) and corporates.

The bank’s asset quality showed signs of improvement with its gross non-performing assets falling by 11.29 per cent from Rs 17,660 crore during the second quarter in 2020-21 to Rs 15,666 during the same quarter this fiscal. During the quarter GNPA reduced by Rs 286 crore. GNPA ratios improved to 10.66 per cent from 13.64 per cent on a quarter on quarter basis. The bank came out of RBI's Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) on September 29, 2021.

Reduction in NPA for the quarter ended September 2021 stood at Rs. 1798 crore as against Rs.1,616 crore achieved for quarter ended June 2021. Net NPA during the quarter was seen at Rs 3,741 crore with a ratio of 2.77 per cent as against Rs 3,998 crore with a ratio of 3.15 per cent during the previous quarter.

The bank's net interest margin was 2.43 per cent in Q2 FY22, as against 2.57 per cent a year ago. During the quarter under review, IOB’s operating profit zoomed by 5.42 per cent to Rs 1,419 crore, as compared to Rs 1,346 crore seen during the September quarter last fiscal. Total deposits were seen up by 9 per cent to Rs.2,50,890 crore as on September end as compared to Rs 2,42,941 crore as on the quarter ended in June 2021.

Gross advances stood at Rs 1,46,940 crore during the quarter compared to Rs 1,38,944 crore during the end of Q1. The bank said that it has grown its retail and agri segments and rebalanced the advance balance by consciously reducing the stressed sector in the corporate segment.

CASA of the bank improved to 42.57 per cent during the period under review compared to 40.26 per cent during the same time last financial year. Total CASA also increased to Rs 106,806 crore as against Rs 92,436 crore during the second quarter of 2020-21. Provision Coverage Ratio improved to 92 per cent as against 89.36 per cent in Q2FY21.