Bank AustriaWith a 104.1% increase in net profits last year, Bank Austria emerges as the clear award winner for 2008. The bank managed to turn in impressive results on all fronts, with a 13.8% boost in Tier 1 capital, assets up 35.6%, a return-on-equity of 17% (compared with the previous year’s 15.8%), the cost-to-income ratio down 5.7 percentage points to 52.2% and a decline in the non-performing-loan ratio to 2.3%.
ASB BankASB remained New Zealand’s fastest growing major bank in 2007, maintaining or growing market share across all market sectors. In 2007, pre-tax profits rose 19.7% to $584m while Tier 1 capital went up 8.1% to $2.16bn and total assets rose 18.7% to $40.7bn, which provided a strong 21.3% return on equity.
Standard Bank NamibiaNamibia’s oldest commercial bank delivered a sound set of results in 2007, after a weaker 2006. Net profits increased 94% during the course of the year, which compares to a drop in profit growth of 26% in 2006. Standard Bank Namibia returned 28.6% on equity, up from 18.5% last year, and grew its assets by 6%.