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DBS Group (OTC: DBSDY), Singapore’s largest bank, reported a 10% rise in fourth-quarter net profit, reaching S$2.62 billion ($1.9 billion), aligning with analyst expectations. The bank also upgraded its 2025 net interest income (NII) outlook, expecting a slight increase over 2024 levels. Previously, it had projected NII to remain stable.
CEO Piyush Gupta highlighted that despite macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties, DBS’s decade-long digital transformation positions it for sustained strong returns. The bank’s net interest margin, a key profitability metric, improved to 2.15% from 2.13% a year earlier.
DBS announced a final dividend of 60 Singapore cents per share, up from 54 cents last year. Additionally, it introduced a capital return dividend of 15 Singapore cents per share per quarter for 2025, with similar payouts expected in the following two years.
As the first Singaporean lender to report earnings, DBS’s results underscore solid commercial and trading performance. However, analysts caution that Singapore banks may face challenges due to global economic uncertainty, including potential disruptions from U.S. trade policies. Rival United Overseas Bank (OTC: UOVEY) is set to release its earnings on Feb. 19.
