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The NatWest Group Plc directors have recommended a final dividend of £1.0 billion, or 10.0p per ordinary share (2021 - £844 million, or 7.5p per ordinary share) subject to shareholder approval at the Annual General Meeting on 25 April 2023. If approved, payment will be made on 2 May 2023 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 17 March 2023. The ex-dividend date will be 16 March 2023. Other financial highlights include: - Full year attributable profit of £3,340 million and a return on tangible equity of 12.3%. - Excluding notable items, income increased by £2,877 million, or 28.3%, compared with 2021 principally reflecting volume growth, higher trading income and the improved rate environment. - Bank NIM of 2.85% was 55 basis points higher than 2021. Q4 2022 Bank NIM increased by 21 basis points to 3.20% compared with Q3 2022. - Total operating expenses were £71 million lower than 2021. Other operating expenses for the Go-forward group were £201 million, or 2.9%, lower than 2021, in line with our cost reduction target of around 3%. - A net impairment charge of £337 million, or 9 basis points of gross customer loans, principally reflects the latest macro-economics, including updated scenarios and their associated weighting, with more weight being placed on the downside scenario. Underlying book performance remains strong, with credit conditions remaining benign and levels of default remaining low. - The tax charge for the year includes a £267 million credit in the carrying value of the deferred tax asset in respect of tax losses and a credit of £135 million in respect of an inflationary uplift in the value of UK Government Index Linked Gilt assets that is not subject to corporation tax. - and we intend to commence an ordinary share buyback programme of up to £800 million in the first half of 2023, taking total distributions deducted from capital in the year to £5.1 billion, or 53 pence per share. |
