Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) said Friday its net income grew 5.1 percent to P24.8 billion in the first half of 2025 from a year ago, driven by healthy loan growth, recovering margins, robust trading income and improved cost efficiency.
Pre-provision operating profit rose 16.3 percent year-on-year to P39.1 billion, it said.
“Our first-half performance reflects the continuing strength of our core businesses,” Metrobank president Fabian Dee said in a statement.
“As we enter the second half of the year, we remain focused on building on our fundamentals and implementing prudent strategies, which will allow us to continue helping our clients grow further as well as achieve our medium-term goals,” said Dee.
Net interest income reached P60.0 billion in the first half, supported by sustained growth across business segments and a sequential rebound in net interest margin.
Gross loans expanded 13.2 percent year-on-year, with institutional loans growing 12.7 percent on sustained corporate capital expenditures. Consumer loans increased 15.3 percent, led by gross credit card receivables and auto loans, which climbed 18.2 percent and 17.8 percent year-on-year, respectively.
Total deposits amounted to P2.3 trillion, with P1.5 trillion in low-cost current and savings accounts (CASA).
Non-interest income jumped 46.2 percent to P17.6 billion in the first half. Fee income reached P8.6 billion, supported by the expanding consumer business. Combined trading and foreign exchange gains surged to P5.4 billion, driven by strong customer flows and optimization strategies in the bank’s investment portfolio.
Operating costs grew at a moderate pace of 5.9 percent year-on-year. As a result, the cost-to-income ratio eased to 50.0 percent from 52.3 percent in the first half of 2024.
Asset quality also improved, with the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio easing to 1.5 percent of total loans from 1.7 percent in the same period last year, significantly lower than the industry’s reported 3.5 percent NPL ratio as of May 2025. The bank booked P5.8 billion in provisions during the semester, keeping its NPL cover high at 153.9 percent, providing a strong buffer against any emerging risks.
Total consolidated assets expanded by 6.0 percent to P3.5 trillion, maintaining Metrobank’s position as the second-largest bank in asset terms among private universal banks. Total equity stood at P390.7 billion.
Metrobank said its balance sheet remains robust, with a capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 16.3 percent and a common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 15.6 percent, both above minimum regulatory requirements.
