-
Significant year-on-year improvement in results
-
Positive risk result in core business area
-
Strong demand for Pfandbriefe from investors
Deutsche Hypothekenbank’s result from normal operations in financial year 2016 was € 115.0 million (2015: € 70.3 million). The significant year-on-year increase of 63.6 % is primarily due to a stable earnings base, a positive risk result in the commercial real estate finance business and write-ups on securities in Heta Asset Resolution AG (Heta).
“We are extremely satisfied with the company’s results for 2016. They reflect our strong position in our target markets and our long-term, quality-oriented lending policies,” commented Andreas Pohl, Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of Deutsche Hypo, following the publication of the bank’s annual report. “We were also able to further significantly strengthen our precautionary reserves, and with them the robustness of Deutsche Hypo.”
High level of operating income
In 2016, the bank’s net interest income totaled € 202.1 million (2015: € 224.5 million). The high level in the previous year was due to unusually high income from prepayment penalties. Commission income increased to € 3.7 million (2015: € 0.5 million), primarily as a result of fees received for arranging financing for a number of Portfolios.
The risk result in the core business area, commercial real estate financing, increased to € 2.8 million (2015: € -15.6 million), which allowed Deutsche Hypo to reverse loan loss provisions in financial year 2016. The bank’s overall risk result was € -66.6 million (2015: € -41.3 million), with that development primarily due to increased allocations to precautionary reserves in accordance with Section 340f (1) German Commercial Code (HGB) and the repurchase of its own public Pfandbriefe.
Significant improvement in the result from securities and participatory interest, which amounted to € 55.7 million (2015: € -29.4 million) was due to write-ups resulting from the transformation of Heta securities into a state guaranteed zero-coupon bond of the Kärntner Ausgleichzahlungs-Fonds (KAF). Other operating income amounted to € -3.5 million (2015: € -6.3 million).
Further decrease in administrative expenses
Despite an increase in the bank levy paid, administrative expenses decreased to € 76.4 million in financial year 2016 (2015: € 77.8 million). That development shows that cost management at Deutsche Hypo is effective. The cost-income ratio of 37.8 % (2015: 35.6 %) continues to be below the 40 % threshold.
As in previous years, the funding was successful in 2016. The bank issued securities with a total value of € 3,938 million (2015: € 3,572 million) including mortgage Pfandbriefe with a volume of € 1,800 million (2015: € 1,602 million) and uncovered bonds with a volume of € 2,138 million (2015: € 1,970 million). Notable among those issues are two mortgage Pfandbriefe with a respective volume of more than € 750 million, which enjoyed strong demand from both domestic and foreign investors. Deutsche Hypo’s core business, commercial real estate financing, benefited from the resulting competitive funding Basis.
Tried-and-tested trio of stable earnings, low levels of risk and efficient structures
“Considering that our strategic target markets continue to develop positively and offer stable framework conditions, we expect Deutsche Hypo’s success to continue in financial year 2017,” commented Pohl. “Although we do not anticipate that we will repeat the exceptionally good results achieved in 2016 as a result of the Heta non-recurring effect, our strong position will allow us to continue to perform well in a challenging market environment. We will thereby rely on our tried-and-tested trio of stable earnings, low levels of risk and efficient structures,” he added.