Impairment provision of $0.5 million for regional exposure was taken during the year compared to $8.6 million for the previous year. Net profit for the fourth quarter was $1.4 million compared to $1.6 million in the third quarter.
Shareholders’ equity at 31 December 2011 stood at $227.7 million, compared to $219.8 million at 2010 year-end. The bank’s capital base remains very strong with a capital adequacy ratio of 27.5, predominantly Tier 1, which totalled 26.5%.
ABC Islamic Bank’s total assets declined to $1.035 billion at 31 December 2011 from $1.241 billion at year-end 2010.
“Despite our continued effort to deleverage the balance sheet in order to reduce concentrated exposure and timing adjustments in expense items, the underlying core profitability of the bank has delivered a robust performance in a highly challenging year for the Group,” Naveed Khan, Managing Director of ABC Islamic Bank said.
“This was made possible due to booking new relationships at higher spreads in target markets and also leading syndicated transactions at attractive fee levels. The broad product range of the bank and its high-quality relationship banking allowed the bank not only to book new relationships in traditional target markets, but more importantly penetrate markets like Turkey by way of arranging syndicated transactions for a select group of Islamic Banks with strong linkages to GCC markets,” he added.
“Looking forward to 2012, we are optimistic. ABC Islamic Bank expects to grow its financing activity selectively, as a result of both its recent drive to win new clients, and a gradual recovery in the borrowing appetite of customers. In addition, the bank intends to intensify its cooperation with ABC Group’s expanding Middle East North Africa subsidiaries by rolling out its expertise in Islamic product support for their core customers. ”