Profit surge: BOP rewards shareholders | The Express Tribune

LAHORE:

The most telling signals in banking are often the quietest and in the case of The Bank of Punjab (BOP), that signal is not a headline-grabbing acquisition nor a record-breaking profit figure, but a simple, disciplined decision, ie, to pay its first-ever interim cash dividend. This 10%, or Rs1 per share, cash dividend breaks a decades-long tradition of year-end-only payouts since its 1991 listing, sending a clear message to the market. The years of meticulous work to build a sturdier financial institution are over, and an era of sharing the rewards with shareholders has begun.

The management presented this step not as an isolated incident but as the logical outcome of a strengthened financial position. The clear ambition to potentially extend this practice to quarterly distributions marks a notable evolution in philosophy for a financial institution with significant state ownership.

It reflects a growing assurance about the reliability of its earnings pipeline and a commitment to a more dynamic relationship with the market.

The figures for the first half of the current calendar year 2025 provide substantial evidence of this newfound confidence. The institution posted a powerful 38% surge in its bottom line, reaching Rs6.5 billion. The three-month period ending June was especially robust, with earnings per share expanding by an impressive 55% compared to the corresponding period of last year.

However, the true strength of this performance lies beneath the surface – in the enhanced quality of its funding. The bank’s deposit base has swelled beyond Rs1.9 trillion, but the critical development is the improved composition, as low-cost current accounts now constitute 24% of the total.

This shift to cheaper sources of money directly boosts net interest margins and creates a more durable base for sustaining regular payouts to shareholders.

Industry observers attribute this positive momentum to a blend of regulatory tailwinds and internal strategic execution. A central bank directive effective from the start of 2025, which eliminated a minimum rate floor on deposits from corporate entities, offered an external boost. This policy adjustment is estimated to have contributed to roughly a quarter of the expansion in core banking income.

Nevertheless, the bulk of the improvement, approximately three-quarters, is credited to the bank’s own initiatives. A concerted drive to attract transactional accounts, the strategic repricing of time deposits as they matured, and enhanced returns on its advancing portfolio have collectively sharpened the performance of its primary revenue generator. With the vast majority of its term deposits already repriced to reflect current market conditions, executives anticipate additional, albeit modest, gains in profitability margins.

This financial resilience enables the bank to maintain its distinctive dual character, ie, operating as a commercially minded listed entity while actively fulfilling a broader socioeconomic role. A substantial part of its credit portfolio, accounting for about a third of the total, is directed towards small and medium-sized enterprises and the agricultural sector. These are areas often approached with caution by private lenders due to perceived risks. The bank’s strategy to mitigate these risks hinges on credit enhancement mechanisms, primarily first-loss guarantees offered under various federal and provincial schemes.

Officials close to the matter indicate that over three-quarters of the exposure in these segments is protected, significantly reducing the bank’s net risk and shielding it from sector-specific challenges, including climate-related adversities. This framework allows the institution to pursue its developmental objectives without incurring unacceptable levels of risk, a balance crucial for maintaining investor confidence.

The approach to managing the investment portfolio further underscores a philosophy of cautious optimism. The holdings are predominantly in shorter-term, variable-rate government securities, a conservative stance that provides a buffer against the volatility of a declining interest rate cycle. This prudent management of the treasury wing ensures it complements the earnings from core lending and deposit activities, rather than introducing instability.

Crucially, the institution is taking measured steps to formalise this new chapter of capital distribution. It has instituted a clear policy regarding shareholder returns, framing more frequent payments as a goal rather than a guaranteed promise, contingent upon continued profitability and necessary approvals.

This careful communication highlights that the bank is not departing from its disciplined roots but is instead channeling its hard-won operational stability into a transparent and predictable model for returning value to its owners.

The market’s response has been perceptible. After historically trading at a valuation discount compared to its industry peers, the bank’s share price appreciated by 294% over the past year, taking its market capitalisation to a record Rs63 billion. This suggests that investors are starting to reappraise the institution, factoring in the potential for a steadier stream of income from their investment.

The bank’s forward-looking targets, which include ambitiously growing its deposit base to Rs2.6 trillion within three years, indicate that the management sees substantial room for continued expansion.

The story of The Bank of Punjab is no longer just about stability; it is about a deliberate, well-executed pivot where developmental focus and commercial discipline are no longer seen as conflicting goals, but as reinforcing ones. The interim dividend is not merely a payment; it is a symbol that the years of quiet work, branch by branch, deposit by deposit, have culminated in a bank, confident enough to share its success with investors, not just annually, but potentially throughout the year.

The writer is a staff correspondent