ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (RBS).

Investors Chronicle, March, 2003

RBS may have lost its crown as the Citys favourite bank - the reassuringly dull Northern Rock and the fast-growing (too fast, wed argue) HBOS are now more favoured by City analysts. But it still manages to churn out impressive numbers. Its trusted formula of achieving solid income growth (12 per cent excluding acquisitions) while maintaining a stable 3.1 per cent net interest margin, again helped profits power ahead.

Granted, the bad debt charge did climb 31 per cent to GBP1.29bn, but thats in-line with the increase in total lending. Non-performing loans as a percentage of total lending actually declined from 2.31 per cent to 2.14 per cent. Meanwhile, the leap in the dividend payout - a rise only bettered during the current bank reporting season by Northern...

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