Report
EUR 9.36 For Business Accounts Only

Margin compression persists


  • Earnings beat our expectations on lower than expected credit costs, albeit has increased sequentially
  • Loan growth recovered significantly during the quarter with UNB increasing exposure to sectors that it had avoided during H1 such as energy 
  • However, margins continue to decline (47bps y/y to 2.64% during 9M) due to higher deposit costs and elevated delinquencies in its SME portfolio, leading to decline in operating earnings y/y
  • In our analysis, we have calculated too high loan margins for UNB at the expense of market share over the last few years as it prices off the relatively high cost of funding ─ reflecting generally a poor funding base

Underlying
Union National Bank/Abu Dhabi

Provider
Arqaam Capital
Arqaam Capital

Established in 2007, Arqaam Capital is a specialist emerging markets investment bank, bringing regional and international product offerings to the emerging markets. Arqaam Capital combines international best practice with expertise in the markets in which we operate. Our primary role is to provide financial intermediation and create investment opportunities for frontier and emerging markets investors looking to invest in their own markets and abroad, as well as international investors seeking opportunities in target frontier and emerging markets. Arqaam Capital is headquartered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), with additional offices in Libya, Lebanon, Egypt, and South Africa. 

Arqaam Capital's research platform provides the largest coverage footprint of MENA equities and one of the largest on the African continent with a total of 300 stocks under coverage. Arqaam Capital is ranked as one of the leading research providers in the region - a reflection of its broad coverage universe, its in-depth and high quality research, as well the compelling investment ideas that the team generates. The analysts closely analyze their sectors and issue in-depth company and sector research while the strategy team connects the micro with the macro, focusing on index analysis, macroeconomics and strategy research. 

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