Last close As at 05/08/2026
GBP1.78
▲ 6.60 (3.86%)
Market capitalisation
GBP1,198m
Research: Financials
Metro Bank (Metro) reported a loss before tax of £26.8m in H124 mainly due to a weaker net interest margin (NIM), partly offset by lower impairments. The significant repositioning of the business model towards higher-return commercial and specialist mortgage lending is well under way, however. The £80m cost reduction plan is on track and the recently announced sale of £2.5bn of mortgages to NatWest Group accelerates the lending mix shift. Management expects profitability during Q424 and has upgraded its guidance for FY25 to a ‘mid-to-upper single digit’ return on tangible equity (RoTE) from a ‘low- to mid-single digit’ RoTE. Double-digit returns are projected in FY26 and mid-to-upper teens thereafter. The shares trade at 0.38x tangible book value per share (TBVPS) of 137p at the end of June 2024.
Metro Bank |
Upgrading guidance for FY25 and FY26 |
H124 results |
Financials |
1 August 2024 |
Share price performance
Business description
Analysts
Metro Bank is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited |
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Metro Bank (Metro) reported a loss before tax of £26.8m in H124 mainly due to a weaker net interest margin (NIM), partly offset by lower impairments. The significant repositioning of the business model towards higher-return commercial and specialist mortgage lending is well under way, however. The £80m cost reduction plan is on track and the recently announced sale of £2.5bn of mortgages to NatWest Group accelerates the lending mix shift. Management expects profitability during Q424 and has upgraded its guidance for FY25 to a ‘mid-to-upper single digit’ return on tangible equity (RoTE) from a ‘low- to mid-single digit’ RoTE. Double-digit returns are projected in FY26 and mid-to-upper teens thereafter. The shares trade at 0.38x tangible book value per share (TBVPS) of 137p at the end of June 2024.
Year end |
Revenue (£m) |
PBT |
EPS |
DPS |
P/E |
Yield |
12/22 |
524 |
(70.7) |
(42.2) |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/23 |
649 |
30.5 |
13.4 |
0.0 |
3.9 |
N/A |
12/24e |
536 |
(14.6) |
(7.9) |
0.0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/25e |
625 |
67.6 |
6.0 |
0.0 |
8.7 |
N/A |
Source: LSEG Data and Analytics. Note: FY24e and FY25e are consensus estimates as of 31 July 2024.
H124 revenues of £234m were below consensus of £258m as the NIM compressed to 1.64% from 1.85% in H223. The biggest impact came from a rise in funding costs due to deposit rate pressure.
The cost reduction plan is on target to deliver £80m run rate savings by end FY24 and a run rate of £50m has already been achieved as over 22% of full-time equivalents have left the bank.
Management expects the NIM to expand very substantially over time, reaching around 2.5% towards the end of FY24, 3.25% by end-FY25 and 4% in FY26. The NIM expansion is driven by three factors: the maturity of the low yielding securities portfolio, a repricing of the deposit book and a shift in lending mix towards higher-return commercial and specialist mortgage loans. Metro management disclosed that in Q224 the NIM had expanded to 1.74% from 1.54% in Q1.
Commercial lending offers spreads currently around 350bp over base rate and specialist mortgages around 200bp above relevant swap rates. By 2029 it is envisaged that commercial lending will represent around 70% of total loans, and specialist mortgages the remaining 30%.
The combination of the rising NIM and cost management is to drive earnings higher without dramatically growing the asset base, thus boosting returns on regulatory capital.
The shares have moved up sharply on the announcement but still trade at only 0.38x TBVPS of 137p at end June 2024.
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Research: TMT
Freelancer reported a mixed performance in H124, with Escrow.com volumes down significantly after a very strong Q123, while the Freelancer platform benefited from growth in the Loadshift business. There are several promising opportunities in the enterprise business, including providing AI model training services and integration into new verticals within Escrow.com, that could reinvigorate growth from H224. Management is focused on making incremental improvements to the core marketplace platform with the aim of encouraging clients to become regular users of the platform and expanding the size of projects.