BOGOTA -(Dow Jones)- Colombia's financial institutions posted a combined net profit of 2.36 trillion Colombian pesos ($1.13 billion) in the first five months of the year, up 13% from the same period in 2008, the country's banking regulator said Friday.
Locally owned private-sector banks reported COP1.49 trillion in profits in the January-May period, up 5% from COP1.42 billion in the same period last year.
Net profit at Bancolombia (CIB), the country's largest bank, fell 4% to COP479 billion in the first five months of the year.
Banco de Bogota (BOGOTA.BO), the country's second-largest bank, posted a net profit of COP309.9 billion in the first five months, up 17% from a year earlier, when it booked a net profit of COP265 billion.
The local unit of Spain's BBVA (BBV) reported the biggest profit among foreign banks, posting a net profit of COP157.9 billion in the five-month period, up 11% from COP142.5 billion.
The net profit of the Colombian unit of U.S.-based Citibank (C) jumped to COP123 billion from COP63.7 billion.
The local unit of HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) reported a net loss of COP5 billion, widening from a net loss of COP2.1 billion.
The securities regulator said the total outstanding loan portfolio through May reached COP149.2 trillion.
The loan portfolio for microlending reported the fastest expansion at 61%, said the regulator.
-By Diana Delgado, Dow Jones Newswires; 571-6107044 Ext 1132; diana.delgado@dowjones.com
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Publié le 03 Juillet 2009 Copyright © 2009 Dowjones