Strong Financial Performance
Return on equity at 18.9% in the quarter, with an 18% adjusted for a one-off gain from the Fremtind-Eika merger. Net interest income up 2% from the last quarter driven by lending growth. Net commission and fees are up 11.1% from the corresponding quarter last year. Earnings per share increased by 22.5% from the third quarter of 2023.
Lending and Deposit Dynamics
Loan growth observed in all customer segments: personal customers up by 0.8%, corporate banking in Norway up by 0.3%, and large corporate growth of 4.7%. Although deposit volumes were reduced by 4.1%, this was attributed to seasonal effects and low-margin deposits.
Norwegian Economy Resilience
Norwegian Mainland GDP rose by 0.1% in the second quarter, with full-year projected growth at 0.6%. Unemployment remains low at 2%, and inflation levels have gradually come down.