The Board of Directors of BNP Paribas met on 14 February 2012. The meeting was chaired by Baudouin Prot and the Board examined the Group's results for the fourth quarter and approved the 2011 financial statements.
(1) Subject to shareholder approval, shares will go ex-dividend on 30 May 2012 and the dividend will be paid in cash or in shares
on 26 June 2012.
(2) Source: Thomson Reuters.
(3) Source: Dealogic.
6 BILLION EUROS IN NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO EQUITY HOLDERS, DESPITE THE GREEK SOVEREIGN DEBT IMPAIRMENT INCREASING THE PROVISION TO 75% OF THE TOTAL GREEK DEBT EXPOSURE, CONFIRMING THE ROBUSTNESS OF BNP PARIBAS' BUSINESS MODEL
The second half of 2011 was marked by the European authorities' decision not to cover the full amount of the Greek sovereign debt, the sovereign debt crisis of certain eurozone countries, plummeting equity markets, liquidity and refinancing tensions as well as the more stringent solvency requirements of the European Banking Authority (EBA). In the circumstance, the Group increased the provision covering its Greek sovereign debt to 75% and substantially reduced its sovereign debt outstandings (-29%), taking a 872 million euro loss. It also contracted its mediumand long-term funding needs in dollars (-53 billion dollars) and grew its medium- and long-term debt issues (43 billion euros as compared to 35 billion planned). Lastly, the Group has introduced a plan to deleverage its balance sheet and downsize its business operations in order to generate a further +100bp in common equity Tier 1 ratio by the end of 2012. One-third has already been completed.
In this exceptional environment, the Group generated 42,384 million euros in revenues1, down 3.4% compared to 2010. Operating expenses came to 26,116 million euros (-1.5%)2 and gross operating income was down 6.3% to 16,268 million euros. Due to the Greek sovereign debt provision (-3,241 million euros), the cost of risk is up 41.5% to 6,797 million euros. Excluding this effect, it was down 25.9% to 3,556 million euros. After the impact of Greek sovereign debt impairment in the insurance partnerships (-213 million euros), the pre-tax income was down 25.9% to 9,651 million euros. After the corporate tax charge (-2,757 million euros) and minority interests (-844 million euros), net income attributable to equity holders came to 6,050 million euros, down 22.9% compared to 2010.
Despite this exceptionally challenging environment, the Group has confirmed its expertise in corporate integration. The successful integration of BNP Paribas Fortis and BGL BNP Paribas with the Group thanks to the dedication of the teams in all of the territories and business units produced 1,127 million euros in synergies already in 2011, an amount close to the 1,200 million euro target set for 2012. An additional 300 million euros per year starting in 2012 will bring the total amount of synergies to 1,500 million euros compared to 900 million initially planned. The corresponding residual restructuring costs will total 300 million euros in 2012.
Return on equity was 8.8% compared to 12.3% in 2010.
Net earnings per share were 4.82 euros compared to 6.33 euros in 2010. The net book value per share, which totalled 58.2 euros, was up 5.0% compared to 2010. It has increased 35.7% since 2006, the last year before the crisis began. So, BNP Paribas' business model generates robust growth in net book value per share throughout the cycle.
The Board of Directors will propose to shareholders to pay a dividend of 1.20 euro per share, which equates to a 25.1% pay-out ratio, payable in cash or shares3. This allocation of earnings will enable the Group to reinvest at least three-quarters of profits back into the company to reinforce the shareholders' equity and protect the Group's ability to finance its customers. In the fourth quarter 2011, in a context marked by additional Greek sovereign debt impairment, increasing the provision to 75%, very challenging market conditions and sovereign bond sales, the Group's revenues totalled 9,686 million euros, down 6.1% compared to the fourth quarter 2010 and operating expenses were 6,678 million euros, down 3.0%. These trends incorporate nonrecurring items in CIB and the “Corporate Centre” (see below), the net effect of which was -120 million euros in revenues and -28 million euros in operating expenses. Excluding the Greek sovereign debt impairment (-567 million euros), the cost of risk was down 18.2% (+30.6% including this effect). Thus, the Group's net income attributable to equity holders was 765 million euros, down 50.6% compared to the same period a year earlier.
1) Exceptional revenue items offset one another, save for 35 million euros: losses from sovereign bond sales
(-872 million euros), losses from loan sales (-152 million euros), the impairment of the equity investment in
AXA (-299 million euros), own debt revaluation (+1,190 million euros) and a one-off amortisation of Fortis
PPA (+168 million euros).
2) Exceptional operating expense items offset each other, save for 14 million euros: cost of the adaptation
plan (-239 million euros), reversal of provision due to the favourable outcome of litigation (+253 million
euros).
Read the Press Release "BNP Paribas Group: Results as at 31 December 2011" (unavailable link)
View the slides of the presentation (unavailable link)
View the consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited) (unavailable link)
View the slides of Financial Stability Board (unavailable link)
View the Pilar 3 (unavailable link)
View the Quarterly Series (unavailable link)