Investor Relations

SpareBank 1 SR-Bank achieved a pre-tax profit of NOK 1,160 million for the first half of 2017, compared with NOK 973 million for the same period last year. The results were affected by greater activity throughout the group, which is reflected by both higher income and a moderate rise in operating costs. The return on equity after tax was 9.9% compared with 9.3% for the same period in 2016.

The pre-tax profit for the quarter seen in isolation was NOK 648 million, compared with NOK 486 million last year, which is equivalent to a return on equity after tax of 11%, compared with 9.4% for the second quarter of 2016.

"I am very satisfied with the results for the quarter seen in isolation and with the overall results for the first half of the year. Impairment losses on loans were lower than in the preceding quarters, which is first and foremost due to several of the offshore-related companies that set the tone having carried out successful restructuring processes. We have also noted that activity levels in the rest of the business sector have increased. At the same time, most of the business areas in the group are seeing higher earnings," says Arne Austreid, the chief executive of SpareBank 1 SR-Bank.

The group recognised NOK 299 million in net impairment losses on loans in the first half of 2017, compared with NOK 455 million for the same period last year. The impairment losses on loans in the first half of 2017 were generally linked to individual commitments within oil-related activities.

The full half-yearly report is available for download from www.sr-bank.no and you can see the quarterly presentation here.