SINGAPORE: Singapore’s biggest bank DBS Group yesterday maintained expectation that net profit this year will dip slightly from 2025’s, after posting a 10% drop in fourth-quarter (4Q) earnings that was weighed down by a lower net interest margin.
DBS, which is also South-East Asia’s largest bank by assets, said October-December net profit dropped to S$2.26bil from S$2.52bil a year earlier.
That missed the mean estimate of nearly S$2.55bil from two analysts, according to LSEG data.
Shares of DBS fell 1.5% to S$58.41 shortly after it opened yesterday. The domestic benchmark index rose slightly.
For the period, overall group net interest margin, a key profitability gauge, stood at 1.93% compared to 2.15% the previous year, with net interest income impacted by lower domestic rates.
Return on equity declined to 13.5% from 15.8% a year ago.
The lender’s wealth segment’s assets under management grew 19% in constant-currency terms to a new high of S$488bil in 4Q.
In slides accompanying the results, chief executive officer Tan Su Shan said group net interest income in 2026 is expected to be “slightly below 2025 levels”, assuming a Singapore overnight rate average of around 1.25%, two US Federal Reserve rate cuts and a stronger Singapore dollar.
Net profit for the year is similarly expected to come in lower than in 2025, Tan added.
According to the bank’s financial statement, provisions for bad loans jumped 81% to S$415mil in the 4Q, mainly due to real-estate exposure, while DBS wrote back S$206mil in general allowances, including amounts previously set aside for that exposure.
The bank declared an ordinary dividend of S$0.66 per share and a capital return dividend of S$0.15 per share for the 4Q. — Reuters
