China Banking Corp. said Friday its net income reached P6.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025, up 10 percent from the same period last year.
The bank’s return on equity was 15.1 percent and return on assets was 1.6 percent, Chinabank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.
“Our first-quarter results reflect the fruits of the concerted efforts across all our different businesses to drive organic growth and support our customers,” said Chinabank president and chief executive Romeo Uyan Jr.
Net interest income rose 14 percent to P17.1 billion, as higher asset yields and loan volume offset the rise in interest expenses.
Net interest margin stayed at 4.5 percent. Total revenues reached P16.3 billion, or 8 percent higher year-on-year.
Operating expenses increased 17 percent to P8.4 billion as the bank continued to invest in digital tools, infrastructure and talent.
Total assets went up by 10 percent to P1.7 trillion. This makes Chinabank the fourth largest private universal bank in the Philippines.
Gross loans grew 19 percent to P954 billion. The growth was led by strong lending to businesses and consumers.
The bank kept its asset quality strong. Its non-performing loan (NPL) ratio stood at 1.5 percent, better than the industry average.
Chinabank reduced its credit provision by 6 percent to P285 million. NPL coverage was at 112 percent, up from 108 percent the previous quarter.
The bank hiked deposits by 8 percent to P1.3 trillion, on sustained increase in checking and savings accounts (CASA) and time deposits.
Chinabank chief finance officer Patrick Cheng said the bank’s ongoing digital transformation would be a key growth driver for the bank.
“We expect to provide better service, expand our customer base, and deepen client relationships with the launch earlier this year of our enhanced mobile app, My CBC, and other digital initiatives in the pipeline,” he said.
