Net Profit of NIS 382 Million for the Second Quarter of 2009

The Bank Reinforced Its Capital Adequacy Ratio to 12.83%, Exceeding Its Year-End Objective (12%)


TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 27, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank Hapoalim (TASE:POLI) (LSE:BKHD), today announced their earnings for the second quarter of 2009.

Highlights of the financial statements:


 * Net Profit for the second quarter of 2009 totaled NIS 382 million
   compared with a profit of NIS 42 million in the previous quarter
   and NIS 594 million in the same quarter last year.
 
 * Return on equity for the second quarter of 2009 was 8.3%, on an
   annualized basis compared with 0.9% in the previous quarter and
   13.8% in the same quarter last year.
 
 * The Bank's capital adequacy rose to 12.83% at the end of the
   second quarter of 2009 compared with 10.92% at the end of 2008.
   This rate exceeds the Board of Director's year-end 2009 objective
   of 12%.
 
 * Tier 1 Capital rose to 7.84% at the end of the second quarter of
   2009 compared with 7.44% at the end of 2008.
 
 * During the second quarter the Bank raised NIS 3.4 billion in
   subordinated capital notes in order to improve its capital
   adequacy ratio.

Main developments in the financial statements for the second quarter of 2009:

Net operating profit for the second quarter of 2009 totaled NIS 380 million compared with a profit of NIS 21 million in the previous quarter and NIS 545 million in the same quarter last year. In the first half of the year, net operating profit totaled NIS 401 million.

Net return of operating profit on equity for the second quarter of 2009 was 8.2%, on an annualized basis, compared with 0.4% in the previous quarter and 12.6% in the same quarter last year. In the first half of the year, net return of operating profit on equity totaled 4.3%.

Profit from financing activity before provisions for doubtful debts, totaled NIS 1,955 million in the second quarter of 2009, compared with a profit of NIS 972 million in the previous quarter and NIS 1,943 million in the same quarter last year. The increase in profit, in comparison to the previous quarter was mainly due to an exceptional accounting loss recorded in the previous quarter, related to the measurement of derivative instruments on a fair-value basis and from an increase in profits in respect of the credit-derivative portfolio during the reporting period.

In the first half of 2009 financing profit totaled NIS 2,927 million compared with a loss of NIS 69 million in the same period last year.

The provision for doubtful debts was made on a conservative basis, with due regard for assessments of the risks in the credit portfolio. In the second quarter of 2009 the Bank recorded provisions totaling NIS 538 million, compared with NIS 314 million in the previous quarter and NIS 252 million in the same quarter last year. In the first half of 2009 the Bank provided NIS 852 million compared with NIS 284 million in the same period last year. The rate of the specific provision to total credit to the public, before the reduction in provisions and the collection of debts written off in the past, reached 0.80%, in the second quarter of 2009, compared with 0.49% in the previous quarter and 0.44% in the same quarter last year.

Operating and other income -- totaled NIS 1,231 million in the second quarter of 2009 compared with NIS 1,162 million in the previous quarter and NIS 1,205 million in the same quarter last year, an increase of 5.9% and 2.2%, respectively. The increase was mainly due to an increase in income from capital market activity, dividends and credit cards fees.

In the first half of 2009 operating profit totaled NIS 2,393 million compared with NIS 2,489 million in the same period last year.

Operating and other expenses totaled NIS 1,890 million in the second quarter of 2009 compared with NIS 1,940 million in the previous quarter and NIS 1,911 million in the same quarter last year, a decrease of 2.6% and 1.1%, respectively. The decrease was mainly due to the decrease in salary expenses which were previously affected by a grant payment under the employees' wage agreement, during the first quarter as well as the cessation of consolidation of Bank Massad and Bank Yahav and voluntary retirement expenses in the same quarter last year.

In the first half of 2009 operating expenses totaled NIS 3,830 million compared with NIS 4,179 million in the same period last year.

Developments in Balance-Sheet Items

The consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2009 totaled NIS 302.8 billion, compared with NIS 306.8 billion at the end of 2008.

Credit to the public totaled NIS 216.0 billion, a decrease of 2.8% compared to the end of 2008. The decrease was influenced by the negative growth activity in the Israeli economy during the first half of the year and, as a result, a decrease in levels of credit activity, especially in the corporate sector.

Deposits from the public totaled NIS 228.1 billion compared with NIS 227.0 billion at the end of 2008, an increase of 0.5%. The increase is mainly a result of an increase in deposits in overseas offices.

Shareholder's equity totaled NIS 19,733 million as of June 30, 2009, compared with NIS 18,795 million at the end of 2008, an increase of 5.0%.

Capital adequacy ratio rose to 12.83% at the end of the second quarter of 2009 compared with 10.92% at the end of 2008. Tier 1 Capital rose to 7.84% at the end of the second quarter of 2009 compared with 7.44% at the end of 2008.

The improvement in the capital ratio was achieved mainly by an increase in capital from NIS 30.6 billion at the end of 2008 to NIS 34.9 billion at the end of June 2009. During the first six months of 2009, the Bank raised subordinated notes which serve as Tier 2 capital totaling NIS 2,530 million, of which NIS 1,700 million was raised during the second quarter. In the second quarter of 2009, the Bank also raised a series of capital notes totaling NIS 1,698 million, which were recognized by the Supervisor of Banks as "Upper Tier 2 capital".

About Bank Hapoalim

Bank Hapoalim is Israel's leading financial group. In Israel, the Bank Hapoalim Group includes financial companies involved in investment banking, credit cards, trust services and portfolio management. The Group also has holdings in non-banking sectors.

Internationally, Bank Hapoalim operates through 40 branches, subsidiaries and representative offices, in North and Latin America, Europe, the Far East, Turkey and Australia. In these markets, the Bank is engaged in trade, corporate finance, private banking and retail banking.

Bank Hapoalim is the only Israeli Bank listed on both the Tel Aviv and London Stock Exchange. In addition, a Level-1 ADR is traded "over-the -counter" in New York, under ticker BKHYY.


               Principal Data of the Bank Hapoalim Group
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------


 Profit and
  profitability              For the three months ended on
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                    6/30/2009 3/31/2009 12/31/2008 9/30/2008 6/30/2008
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Profit (loss)
  from financing
  activities
  before provision
  for doubtful
  debts                 1,955       972     1,242      2,083     1,943
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Operating and
  other income          1,231     1,162     1,013      1,153     1,205
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Total income           3,186     2,134     2,255      3,236     3,148
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Provision for
  doubtful debts          538       314       765        471       252
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Operating and
  other expenses        1,890     1,940     2,008      1,960     1,911
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Operating profit
  (loss)                  380        21      (393)       384       545
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Net profit from
  extraordinary
  transactions,
  after taxes               2        21        30         57        49
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Net profit (loss)        382        42      (363)       441       594
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 Balance Sheet -
  Principal Items
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                    6/30/2009 3/31/2009 12/31/2008 9/30/2008 6/30/2008
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Total balance
  sheet               302,844   305,156    306,847   297,854   300,909
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Credit to the
  public              215,973   220,859    222,100   214,296   211,193
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Deposits from
  the public          228,136   232,442    226,953   214,802   226,955
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Debentures and
  subordinated
  notes                22,162    18,967     20,818    20,676    19,111
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Shareholders'
  equity               19,733    18,986     18,795    19,030    18,758
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 Overall Credit
  risk
  -Problematic
  Debts                17,693    17,558     16,142    15,208    12,416
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Of which:
  Non-income
  bearing debt          4,274     4,145      4,140     3,870     3,366
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Principal
  financial ratios
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

                    6/30/2009 3/31/2009 12/31/2008 9/30/2008 6/30/2008
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Loan to Deposit
  Ratio                 94.7%     95.0%      97.9%     99.8%     93.1%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Shareholders'
  equity to total
  assets                 6.5%      6.2%       6.1%      6.4%      6.2%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Tier I capital to
  risk assets           7.84%     7.55%      7.44%     7.74%     7.49%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Total capital to
  risk assets          12.83%    11.27%     10.92%    11.29%    10.77%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Cost-Income Ratio      59.3%     90.9%      89.0%     60.6%     61.0%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Financing
  income to
  income-yielding
  assets                2.72%     1.35%      1.75%     2.94%     2.76%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Ratio of specific
  provision to
  total credit to
  the public
  attributed to
  the statement
  of profit and
  loss(*)               0.80%     0.49%      1.49%     0.76%     0.44%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Return of
  operating profit
  (loss) on
  equity, net(*)         8.2%      0.4%     (7.9%)      8.3%     12.6%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Return of net
  profit (loss)
  on equity(*)           8.3%      0.9%     (7.3%)      9.6%     13.8%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 Net earnings
  (loss) per share      0.29      0.03      (0.29)     0.33      0.46
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 (*) Quarterly figures on an annualized basis


            

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