KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian banks are anticipated to face some tightening in funding situations in 2022, mentioned Financial institution Negara Malaysia (BNM).
In its Monetary Stability Evaluate (FSR) for Second Half 2021 report launched in the present day, BNM mentioned financial coverage normalization in superior economies might result in outflows from rising market economies, together with Malaysia, and lift funding prices.
The central financial institution mentioned domestically, a choice for higher-yielding mounted deposits amongst depositors as uncertainty subsides, and banks’ renewed competitors for deposits to help mortgage progress because the economic system recovers, might additionally put upward stress on funding prices.
The influence of those developments on banks is, nonetheless, anticipated to stay manageable owing to their robust liquidity and funding positions, the report mentioned.
It added that banks have remained vigilant in managing credit score dangers regardless of the rebound in financial actions in direction of the top of 2021, reflecting continued uncertainty round COVID-19 developments.
“The excessive take-up of compensation help measures underneath the PEMULIH bundle, notably amongst family and small and medium enterprises (SME) debtors, additionally delayed the flexibility of banks to watch compensation habits which might have in any other case offered a clearer image of borrower stress, ” it famous.
The report famous that the banking system profitability was sustained within the second half of 2021 (2H 2021), supported by the pick-up in lending actions and low funding prices, which helped protect web curiosity margins (December 2021: 2.11 per cent; December 2020: 1.94 per cent).
The return on belongings and fairness of the banking system stood at 1.1 per cent and 9.7 per cent in 1H 2021 versus one per cent and eight.4 per cent, respectively, in 1H 2020, the report mentioned.
It additionally shared that banks additionally benefitted from low funding prices all year long as the expansion of cheaper present account financial savings accounts (CASA deposits) rose by 12.1 per cent, outpacing that of higher-yielding time period deposits (+2.2 per cent).
The BNM report additionally highlighted that the flexibleness offered for banks to make use of holdings of Malaysian Authorities Securities (MGS) to fulfill the Statutory Reserve Requirement additionally contributed to increased curiosity revenue as banks allotted extra liquidity into home authorities bonds.
“This helped to cushion the influence of elevated credit score prices, modification losses from ongoing compensation help and lower-income from buying and selling and funding actions amid rising bond yields,” it mentioned.
The market valuations of publicly listed banks had improved consistent with the constructive outlook for banks’ earnings in 2022, the report mentioned, including that this can be supported by sustained progress in lending actions and gradual enhancements within the monetary situation of debtors because the economic system recovers.
On one other notice, it mentioned credit score prices are anticipated to stay elevated as reduction measures are step by step unwound, nonetheless, additional additions to provisions are prone to be modest given buffers already constructed up and continued help for extra weak debtors.
“Newest stress exams affirmed the banking system’s capability to soak up increased credit score losses underneath extreme macroeconomic situations. Banks will not be anticipated to prematurely launch provisions, notably for his or her family and SME portfolios, till larger visibility on borrower compensation habits is step by step restored.
“Further modification losses from additional compensation help for distressed debtors are additionally anticipated to reasonable as financial situations enhance,” the report mentioned.
It mentioned Malaysian banks’ had additionally maintained robust capitalization ranges, with extra capital buffers above the minimal regulatory capital necessities of RM135.4 billion and this robust capital place preserved their means to help financial restoration.
“These buffers present banks with an necessary safeguard in opposition to any potential sudden losses that will materialise amid a nonetheless difficult working atmosphere.
“This in flip, preserves banks’ capability to help households and companies’ financing wants by way of the cycle,” it added. – Bernama