Singapore Banking Monthly - Phillip Securities 2020-09-07: Long & Gradual Recovery Ahead

DBS GROUP HOLDINGS LTD (SGX:D05) OVERSEA-CHINESE BANKING CORP (SGX:O39) UNITED OVERSEAS BANK LTD (SGX:U11)

Singapore Banking Monthly - Long & Gradual Recovery Ahead

Current levels of 3M-SIBOR and 3M-SOR at 0.41% and 0.21% remain at stabilised levels throughout 3Q20.
Singapore saw a second consecutive month of negative loans growth (-0.3% y-o-y). Business loans rebound to grow 1.48% but weak consumer loans (-3.13%) continue to weigh on loans outlook.
Credit rating agency Fitch contemplates ‘AA-’ rating of three local banks - DBS, OCBC and UOB on poorer operating environment. However, Fitch’s outlook guidance is in line with outlook provided by the banks in 1Q20.

FTSE Taiwan Index Futures launched in July is the sixth most traded equity index futures contract on SGX in August.
Maintain the Singapore Banking Sector at NEUTRAL. Resumption of business activities will lift non-interest income despite likelihood of prolonged low interest rates putting a drag on interest income.

3M-SIBOR and 3M-SOR has held steady in the third quarter at 0.41% and 0.21% respectively. However, with reported NIMs in 2Q20 at historical lows, we are not likely to see much more downside to NIMs in the subsequent quarters as banks actively monitor their margins through repricing and cycling off excess liquidity from the balance sheet.

Loans growth remained negative for a second consecutive month, shrinking 0.3% y-o-y in July. However, both business loans and consumer loans data improved from June.
Business loans grew 1.48% y-o-y in July, with growth in business services (+21.7%), building & construction (+4.9%), transport, storage & communication (+3.6%) as well as financial institutions (+1.8%) lifting weakness observed in agriculture, mining & quarrying (-23.4%), professionals & individuals (-8.9%), manufacturing (-4.6%), general commerce (-2.0%) and others (4.3%).
Weakness continued to be observed across the board for consumer loans (-3.13% y-o-y). Nevertheless, credit card loans increased 2% m-o-m, growing for a second straight quarter after shrinking for five consecutive months previously. Increased credit card spending will likely see recovery in credit card fees for the banks.

On 31 August, Credit rating agency Fitch issued a report which raised concerns of a potential downgrade of the ‘AA-’ credit rating of the three local banks DBS, OCBC and UOB.
In its report ‘Singapore Banks: Limited Rating Headroom’, Fitch mentioned a poorer operating environment that has put pressure on the profitability of the banks. This will lead to ‘thinner margins, higher credit costs and slower credit growth’, which will likely see a deterioration in capital ratios across the banks.
However, the RNA status has been issued since April, and the poorer economic conditions outlined in the report were in accordance with the guidance provided by the banks previously. As such, without any fundamental change in operating environment, we believe that the financial position of the banks remain healthy.

SGX's preliminary SDAV data indicates a y-o-y increase of 17% from S$1,188mn a year ago to S$1,386mn in August. Securities business continue to see sustained growth in the third quarter. However, derivatives volumes remain volatile.
Volumes for the top five equity index futures which makes up more than 95% of monthly equity index futures contract turnover fell by an average of 12% y-o-y in August after recording a 27% y-o-y increase in July.

The newly launched FTSE Taiwan Index Futures recorded more than 350,000 traded contracts in August. The contract was the sixth most traded equity index futures on SGX, offsetting the lower volumes traded from MSCI Taiwan Index Futures contracts which will stop trading in February 2021.
The popularity of the FTSE Taiwan Index Futures as a substitute product to its MSCI counterparts leads us to believe that expiring MSCI contracts will not dampen outlook for SGX’s equity derivatives business given more FTSE contracts that will be launched as replacements.

Maintain the Singapore Banking Sector at NEUTRAL. While interest rates will continue to weigh on NIMs, resumption of business activities will lift non-interest income.
We remain of the view that the banks have entered a period of gradual recovery from the earnings hit observed in 2Q20.
See

Tay Wee Kuang Phillip Securities Research | https://www.stocksbnb.com/ 2020-09-07

SGX Stock Analyst Report ACCUMULATE MAINTAIN ACCUMULATE 21.000 SAME 21.000

ACCUMULATE MAINTAIN ACCUMULATE 8.920 SAME 8.920

ACCUMULATE MAINTAIN ACCUMULATE 20.400 SAME 20.400