The emblem of French financial institution Societe Generale is seen exterior a financial institution workplace in Nantes, France, February 4, 2022. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

PARIS, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Societe Generale struck a assured observe for 2022 on Thursday after the French financial institution’s revenue hit 1.79 billion euros ($2.05 billion) within the fourth quarter on decrease pandemic-related prices and a retail banking and fairness buying and selling rebound.

France’s third-largest listed financial institution after BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) and Credit score Agricole (CAGR.PA) additionally stated it anticipated to enhance profitability within the coming years.

“The group is coming into 2022 with confidence,” Chief Govt Frederic Oudea stated in an announcement, including that 2021’s earnings had been the “finest monetary outcomes” in SocGen’s historical past.

SocGen (SOGN.PA) stated it anticipated its underlying cost-to-income ratio, a key profitability metric, to be between 66% and 68% this 12 months, from 67% in 2021 and 74.6% in 2020 and past 2022, the ratio will decline 12 months after 12 months.

Shares in Societe Generale rose by 3.92% to 37.03 euros, their highest since October 2018.

“CIB (company and funding banking) turnaround is on monitor and French retail prime line can also be stunning positively,” analysts at JP Morgan stated in a observe.

The financial institution’s quarterly web revenue jumped to 1.79 billion euros ($2.05 billion) from 470 million euros a 12 months in the past, with a price of threat, reflecting provisions in opposition to unhealthy loans, down by 87.5%.

RISK COST

SocGen expects the price of threat in 2022 to be under 30 foundation factors (bps), which compares with 13 bps in 2021 and 64 bps in 2020 when the worst of the coronavirus disaster and lockdowns prompted banks to put aside large quantities of cash to take care of loans that would flip bitter.

Within the final quarter of 2021, income was up 13.4%, helped by an 11% rise in French retail banking, and gross sales in fairness buying and selling rising by practically 23%.

SocGen additionally stated its financing and advisory enterprise delivered its “finest historic annual efficiency” final 12 months, with document income of 814 million euros within the fourth quarter.

SocGen and Dutch rival ING (INGA.AS) stated final week they had been discussing the opportunity of serving ING’s on-line banking clients in France by way of SocGen’s Boursorama, after ING’s choice to stop the French market. learn extra

SocGen has streamlined operations in recent times to spice up returns and monetary solvency, notably with the sale of companies in Central and Jap Europe and by refocusing its company and funding banking.

The financial institution additionally deliberate to chop 3,700 jobs between 2023 and 2025 because it merges its two French retail banking networks.

($1 = 0.8752 euros)

Reporting by Matthieu Protard; Extra reporting by Marc Angrand; Modifying by Clarence Fernandez, Shailesh Kuber, Kim Coghill and Alexander Smith

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