Heartland NZ lifts 1H profit by 9.2 percent on improved retail, business and rural earnings

Monday 25th February 2013

Heartland New Zealand, which gained bank registration in December, posted a 9.2 percent gain in first-half profit on increased earnings from retail, business and rural lending and a reduction in costs.

Profit rose to $10.7 million in the six months ended Dec. 31, from $9.8 million a year earlier, the Christchurch-based company said in a statement. Net operating income rose 15 percent to $51.8 million, while operating expenses fell 10 percent to $31.9 million.

Growth in the net operating income mainly reflected the acquisition of PGG Wrightson Finance in August 2011 and lower cost of funds, the company said.

That more than offset a wider $5.28 million loss from the non-core property businesses acquired from Marac as part of the merger that created the company. The year-earlier loss was $1.2 million. Heartland took a $4 million impairment expense against the property book, up from impairments of $1.6 million a year earlier.

Heartland shares rose 2.7 percent to 75 cents after the results, which beat brokerage First NZ Capital's forecast of $11.1 million profit. It will pay a first-half dividend of 2 cents a share on April 5 to shareholders on the register as at March 20.

Net impaired, restructured and past due loans over 90 days were $80.2 million as at Dec. 31, down from $90.5 million a year earlier and mainly reflecting the non-core property book, which consists of $87.9 million of receivables and $55.3 million of investment properties.

The company has embarked on a review of its plan for a managed exit from non-core property over five years.

The receivables book for retail and consumer, the biggest unit of the company's core business, fell by $9 million to $945.8 million, while net operating income rose 2.3 percent to $24.1 million. Heartland said strong motor vehicle receivables growth was offset by a shrinking residential mortgage book in the face of a competitive market. Profit rose to $17 million from $14.9 million.

Business receivables shrank by 9.7 million to $530.5 million, which it said reflected higher levels of repayments "in a low credit growth market." Business profit rose to $8.9 million from $5.5 million a year earlier.

The rural receivables book grew to $480.6 million from $478.6 million, which it said reflected low seasonal demand in livestock trading and a low credit growth environment. It expects a pickup in the second half. Rural earnings rose to $8.7 million from $5.1 million.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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