Private sector lender DCB Bank today reported a 61 per cent jump in March quarter net at Rs 63 crore, helped by a deferred tax benefit and write-back in provisions for bad assets.
The city-based lender, which started out as a cooperative bank, had posted a post-tax profit of Rs 39 crore in the year-ago period.
DCB Bank's Managing Director and Chief Executive Murali Natrajan said a Rs 10-crore "deferred tax benefit" on earlier outgoes and Rs 7-crore write-back on provisions for bad loans were the primary reasons for the profit uptick in the fourth quarter ended March 31.
The core net interest income moved up to Rs 130 crore from Rs 100 crore a year ago, while non-interest income was at Rs 46 crore for the reporting quarter against Rs 33 crore a year ago.
Overall provisions rose to Rs 14 crore from Rs 11 crore, but Natrajan pointed out to a nearly 30 per cent expansion in the balance-sheet during the year to state that it is in line.
Gross non-performing assets ratio improved to 1.76 per cent from 1.87 per cent last year.
There was a slippage of Rs 65 crore from a ship-building company during the quarter, he said, adding the bank holds quality collaterals against the assets.
During Q4, DCB Bank sold Rs 62 crore of bad assets to an asset reconstruction company (ARC).
On its outlook for FY16, he said: "The environment is tough even though the sentiment is positive. We will continue to remain cautious. The bank will continue to focus on the retail segment, which now constitutes for over half of the loans.
