• This should reflect in lower banking NIMs while strong CAR supports balance sheet growth, on our numbers
  • We raise our 12M TP c8% for CIB to EGP87.8/share and maintain OW, leave CAE largely unchanged at EGP51.9/share but downgrade to N, and maintain ADIB at EGP18.3/share and OW; ADIB is our top pick as the bank’s turnaround story is not fully priced-in 

Egypt’s economic environment conducive for an accelerated easing cycle, in our view, which should trigger loan growth but reflect in lower NIMs: Following the EGP floatation in November 2016, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) hiked policy rates a total 700 bps, resulting in a slowdown in private lending. With economic improvements, the MPC cut rates consecutively in February and March 2018 a total 200 bps before cutting another 100 bps last February. According to surveys conducted by banks, private businesses are looking for a further 300–400 bps cut before resuming CAPEX borrowing. We also anticipate that inflationary pressures will subside following the full removal of gasoline subsidies. We now expect the CBE to accelerate its planned rate cuts, with a possible 100–200 bps cut in 2H19e before another 200–300 cut bps in 2020e, fully reversing the initial 700 bps hike. On our numbers, this should take average NIMs for banks under coverage to 4.5%–5.0% by 2024e from 5.5%–6.9% over 2017–18.

Strong asset quality and capital base for banks under coverage accommodate for a stricter regulatory environment: Egyptian banks started reporting their financial statements according to IFRS 9 accounting standards in 1Q19, with banks now having to take provisions for expected future credit losses rather than based on historical performance of the credit facilities. Banks under our coverage display strong asset quality, with NPLs ranging 2.5%–5.0% and coverage ratios ranging 141%–200%.

Effect of final amendments to income tax law on treasuries largely mitigated (compared to initial draft), in our view: The final version of the tax law amendments entails separating the tax accounting of a bank’s income from treasuries from all other income. The cost of treasuries will now be calculated by multiplying the bank’s cost to income ratio (excluding provisions and depreciation charges) by 80% of treasury income, with a maximum of 70% of treasury revenue for 2019, 85% for 2020, and 100% of for the following years. The amendments became effective 17 May 2019 and will be applied on treasuries issued since 21 February 2019 as well as treasury re-openings since that date.On our numbers, the amendments should raise the effective tax rate for banks under coverage to range 26%–31% over our forecast period from 21%–28% in 1Q19, prior to the application of the law.

CAE and ADIB NIMs should outperform CIB over 2019–24e due to higher proportion of local currency loans, in our view: As mentioned earlier, the resumption of monetary easing should reflect in NIMS cooling off across banks under coverage, with CIB averaging 4.9% over 2020–24e. We expect CAE and ADIB, however, to outperform, with average NIMs of 5.4% and 5.2%, respectively, over our forecast period, driven by higher interest-earning, local currency loans as a percentage of total loans. We also expect banks to lengthen their deposit duration to be able to finance CAPEX lending without breaching the maximum interest rate risk imposed by the CBE (15% of Tier-1 capital). This should reflect in tightened interest rate spreads to average 4.6% in 2024e from 6.3% in 2019e.

We expect a loan CAGR of c22% for CIB and c18% for both CAE and ADIB over 2019–24e, with the banks allocating less to government treasuries: We expect the pickup in private lending following the resumption of the easing cycle to be the main balance sheet growth driver for CIB and CAE given their strong capital adequacy ratios (CAR). On our numbers, we expect CIB’s CAR to decline to 18.4% in 2024e from 22.6% in 2019e, CAE’s CAR to decline to 14.3% in 2024e from 18.5% in 2019e, well above the CBE minimum requirement of 14.5% and 12.5% for both banks, respectively. For ADIB, we see the capital increase expected by management to take place in 2020 and the reversal of its net retained loss position to support the bank’s CAR, which we expect to reach 15.9% in 2024e. On our numbers, CIB, CAE, and ADIB should show average 2019–24e effective tax rates of 29%, c26%, and 31%, respectively.

Banks under our coverage display strong asset quality, but we maintain conservative provisioning for all 3 banks reflecting a stricter regulatory environment: We expect NPLs to decline to 4.0% in 2021e for CIB and to be maintained at 3.0% for CAE, with average 2019–24e coverage ratios of c178% and c154%, respectively. On our numbers, this should translate to average 2019–24e provision charges of 8.9% of operating profit for CIB and 8.3% for CAE. As discussed in our 20 June ADIB update, we expect the bank’s NPLs to increase to 4.0% in 2022 from 2.5% in 1Q19, converging to the banking sector average. ADIB’s coverage ratio stood at c141% as of 1Q19 and we expect it to reach c150% in 2024e, translating to an average 2019–24e provisioning charge of c24% of net operating profit.

Downgrade to Neutral for CAE, maintain Overweight for CIB and ADIB: We value the banks using an excess-return-based model and adopt a moving cost of equity. Accordingly, we raise our 12-month target price c8% for CIB to EGP87.8/share, which puts the bank at a 2019e P/B multiple of 2.67x . We therefore maintain our Overweight rating, with the stock trading a 2019e P/B multiple of 2.16x. As for CAE, our 12-month target price of EGP51.9/share puts the bank at a 2019e P/B multiple of 2.3x and . We downgrade our rating to Neutral, with the stock trading at a 2019e P/B multiple of 1.95x. We estimate the terminal value of CAE using its 10-year average trading P/B multiple of 2.2x. Finally, for ADIB, we maintain our 12-month target price at EGP18.3/share, which puts it at a post rights issue 2019e P/B multiple of 1.75x, . We therefore reiterate our Overweight rating. ADIB is our top pick, trading at a post rights issue 2019e P/B multiple of 1.1x. In our view, ADIB offers the highest potential return as its turnaround story is not fully priced in.

Monette Doss, Banking analyst at HC Research Department

About HC Brokerage

  • HC Brokerage has rapidly developed into one of the top brokerage firms in Egypt. HC Brokerage provides its services to a wide client base of corporate institutions and High Net-Worth Individuals. Since 1999 HC Brokerage has developed a growing client base that has benefited from a multitude of services and a trusted team that aims for the utmost benefit and client satisfaction. 
  • HC Brokerage is a subsidiary of HC Securities & Investment, one of the most distinguished investment banks in Egypt and the Middle East which was established in 1996 and has fully operational offices in Egypt and the middle east. 
  • HC Brokerage provides its clients with a wide- array of services, including: Brokerage for securities listed on the Egyptian Exchange and Brokerage for Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) issued by Egyptian companies and listed on the London Stock Exchange. In addition, Brokerage for Sovereign and Corporate bonds, Intermediation for transactions involving unlisted securities in the Egyptian over-the-counter (OTC) market and listing of companies on the Egyptian Exchange. HC Brokerage also provides Online Trading service.
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