Standard Chartered Kenya (SCBK.NR) is optimistic about the outlook for 2024 due to signs of improving economic fundamentals at home and abroad, its chief executive said last week, after posting a pretax profit jump for last year.
The bank, which is one of the oldest in the East African country, reported a 15% increase in its profit before tax, helped by higher income from loans to customers.
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The outlook was getting better due to macroeconomic factors, said CEO Kariuki Ngari, citing a stabilising local currency, falling inflation and the reopening of international debt markets for frontier economies like Kenya.
“All these are encouraging signs,” he told an investor briefing, adding that the expected start of monetary easing in economies like the United States is also boosting sentiment.
The Kenyan shilling has strengthened nearly 13% this year so far, after weakening sharply last year, pointing to a potential reduction of the costs of basic commodities and energy.
But the outlook was not all rosy, Ngari said, since attacks on cargo vessels in the Red Sea had started to disrupt international trade, with clients complaining of delays in deliveries of their goods and higher insurance costs.
“Geopolitical risks are heightened,” he said.
StanChart Kenya, controlled by Standard Chartered PLC (STAN.L), increased its net interest income by 32% last year, lifting pretax profit to 19.6 billion shillings ($141 million), said chief financial officer Chemutai Murgor.
The bank has been shifting to wealth management for affluent clients in recent years to cushion its earnings by developing new revenue streams.
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Its assets under management grew by a quarter last year to 185.5 billion shillings, Ngari said.
The bank has also been digitising most of its products, allowing customers to open accounts and even apply for loans without going to a branch.
It plans to launch a microlending product on its mobile phone application in the second quarter, allowing customers to borrow small amounts for short periods, Ngari said.
