By Cytonn Research, Apr 18, 2021
During the week, T-bills remained undersubscribed, with the subscription rate coming in at 86.9%, from 84.8% recorded last week. The undersubscription can be attributed to the tightened liquidity in the money markets which led to an increase in the average interbank rate to 5.0%, from 4.0% recorded the previous week. Investors' interest in the 364-day paper remained strong, with the paper recording the highest subscription rate of 131.0%, down from 146.3% recorded the previous week. The subscription rate for the 91-day paper rose to 102.4%, from 25.6%, while that of the 182-day paper decreased to 36.7% from 79.0% recorded the previous week. The Yields on the 364-day, 182-day and 91-day papers rose by 1.2 bps, 2.4 bps and 3.7 bps to 9.4%, 7.9% and 7.1%, respectively.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) released their monthly statement on fuel prices, the maximum wholesale and retail prices, highlighting unchanged prices for Super Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene at Kshs 122.8, Kshs 107.7, and 97.9 per litre, respectively, from the prices recorded in 15th March 2021. Also, the National Treasury gazetted the revenue and net expenditures for the first nine months of FY’2021/2021 closing on 31st March 2021, highlighting that the total revenue collected as at the end of March 2021 amounted to Kshs 1.9 tn, equivalent to 63.6% of the revised 12-month target of Kshs 2.9 tn;
During the week, the equities market was on an upward trajectory, with NASI, NSE 20 and NSE 25 gaining by 4.1%, 0.8% and 3.3% respectively, taking their YTD performance to gains of 8.6%, 0.6% and 6.6% for NASI, NSE 20 and NSE 25, respectively. The equities market performance was driven by gains recorded by stocks such as NCBA Group, Safaricom and KCB Group which gained by 7.2%, 5.8% and 5.0%, respectively. The gains were however weighed down by losses recorded by stocks such as Bamburi and Standard Chartered Bank which declined by 2.5% and 0.9%, respectively. During the week, the Central Bank of Kenya released the Quarterly Economic Report for Q4’2020, highlighting that the banking sector’s total assets grew by 2.9% to Kshs 5.4 tn, from Kshs 5.3 tn recorded in Q3’2020. The sector’s asset growth was mainly driven by a 45.3% growth in placements, coupled with the 1.9% growth in loans and advances to customers. Also, during the week, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) announced that Chase Bank Limited (In Receivership) (CBLIR) would be liquidated, following the recommendation made by Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC);
According to the Quarterly Economic Review October-December 2020 the real estate sector recorded a 6.4% increase in the gross non-performing loans in Q4’2020 to Kshs 61.4 bn from Kshs 57.7 bn in Q3’2020. In the retail sector, Naivas and Cleanshelf Supermarkets opened new branches in Nakuru taking up spaces left by Tuskys and Ukwala Supermarkets, respectively. Additionally, Artcaffe Group, a restaurant chain based in Kenya, announced plans to open four new outlets within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area in Kileleshwa, Freedom Height Mall in Lang’ata, ACK Garden in Upperhill and at Hardy in Ngong;
Following the release of FY’2020 results by Kenyan listed banks, this week we analyse the performance of the 10 listed local banks (previously 11, before the acquisition of National Bank by KCB Group Plc), identify the key factors that influenced their performance, and give our outlook for the banking sector;
Investment Updates:
Real Estate Updates:
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Money Markets, T-Bills & T-Bonds Primary Auction:
During the week, T-bills remained undersubscribed, but the overall subscription rate improved to 86.9%, from 84.8% recorded last week. The undersubscription can be attributed to the tightened liquidity in the money markets which can be seen from the increase in the average interbank rate to 5.0%, from 4.0% recorded the previous week. Investors' interest in the 364-day paper remained strong, with the paper recording the highest subscription rate of 131.0%, down from 146.3% recorded the previous week. The subscription rate for the 91-day paper rose to 102.4%, from 25.6%, while that of the 182-day paper declined to 36.7%, from 79.0% recorded the previous week. Yields on the 364-day, 182-day and 91-day papers rose by 1.2 bps, 2.4 bps and 3.7 bps to 9.4%, 7.9% and 7.1%, respectively. The rise in the yields since the beginning of the year can be partly attributed to investors continuing to demand a premium for the elevated market risks, but we have seen the government continue to reject expensive bids, accepting Kshs 18.2 bn of the Kshs 20.9 bn bids received, translating to an acceptance rate of 87.2%.
In the money markets, 3-month bank placements closed the week at 7.5% (based on what we have been offered by various banks), the 91-day T-bill remained unchanged at 7.1%, similar to what was recorded the previous week. Additionally, the average yield of the Top 5 Money Market Funds remained unchanged at 10.0%. The yield on the Cytonn Money Market fund increased marginally by 0.1% points to 10.6% from 10.5% recorded the previous week.
The table below shows the money market fund yields for Kenyan fund managers as published on 16th April 2021:
Money Market Fund Yield for Fund Managers as published on 16th April 2021 |
|||
Rank |
Fund Manager |
Daily Yield |
Effective Annual Rate |
1 |
Cytonn Money Market Fund |
10.03% |
10.55% |
2 |
Nabo Africa Money Market Fund |
9.59% |
10.02% |
3 |
Alphafrica Kaisha Money Market Fund |
9.56% |
9.99% |
4 |
Zimele Money Market Fund |
9.56% |
9.91% |
5 |
GenCapHela Imara Money Market Fund |
8.98% |
9.39% |
6 |
Madison Money Market Fund |
8.94% |
9.36% |
7 |
CIC Money Market Fund |
8.93% |
9.24% |
8 |
Sanlam Money Market Fund |
8.78% |
9.15% |
9 |
Dry Associates Money Market Fund |
8.64% |
8.88% |
10 |
Co-op Money Market Fund |
8.27% |
8.62% |
11 |
British-American Money Market Fund |
8.28% |
8.60% |
12 |
Apollo Money Market Fund |
8.43% |
8.50% |
13 |
ICEA Lion Money Market Fund |
8.03% |
8.36% |
14 |
NCBA Money Market Fund |
8.04% |
8.34% |
15 |
Old Mutual Money Market Fund |
6.75% |
6.96% |
16 |
AA Kenya Shillings Fund |
6.07% |
6.24% |
Liquidity:
During the week, liquidity in the money markets tightened, with average interbank rate increasing to 5.0%, from 4.0% recorded the previous week, partly attributable to banks trading cautiously in the interbank market in order to meet their CRR requirements for the cycle ending 14th April. Additionally, there was a 29.2% increase in the average volumes traded in the interbank market to Kshs 12.6 bn, from Kshs 9.8 bn the previous week. According to the Central Bank of Kenya’s weekly bulletin released on 9th April 2021, commercial banks’ excess reserves came in at Kshs 14.1 bn in relation to the 4.25% Cash Reserve Ratio.
Kenya Eurobonds:
During the week, the yields on all Eurobonds were on a downward trajectory pointing to improved investor sentiment. According to Reuters, the yields on the 10-year Eurobond issued in June 2014, and the 10-year and 30-year Eurobonds issued in 2018 all declined, to 3.2%, 5.7% and 7.6%, from 3.4%, 6.0% and 7.8%, respectively. The yields on the 7-year and 12-year Eurobonds issued in 2019 both decreased by 0.3% points to 5.0% and 6.6%, from 5.3% and 6.9%, respectively.
Kenya Eurobond Performance |
|||||
|
2014 |
2018 |
2019 |
||
Date |
10-year issue |
10-year issue |
30-year issue |
7-year issue |
12-year issue |
31-Dec-2020 |
3.9% |
5.2% |
7.0% |
4.9% |
5.9% |
09-April-2021 |
3.4% |
6.0% |
7.8% |
5.3% |
6.9% |
12-April-2021 |
3.3% |
6.0% |
7.8% |
5.3% |
6.9% |
13-April-2021 |
3.4% |
6.0% |
7.8% |
5.3% |
6.9% |
14-April-2021 |
3.4% |
6.0% |
7.8% |
5.2% |
6.8% |
15-April-2021 |
3.2% |
5.9% |
7.7% |
5.2% |
6.8% |
16-April-2021 |
3.2% |
5.7% |
7.6% |
5.0% |
6.6% |
Weekly Change |
(0.2%) |
(0.3%) |
(0.2%) |
(0.3%) |
(0.3%) |
YTD Change |
(0.7%) |
0.5% |
0.6% |
0.1% |
0.7% |
Source: Reuters
The Kenya Shilling:
During the week, the Kenya Shilling appreciated against the dollar by 1.1%, to close at Kshs 107.1, from Kshs 108.0 recorded the previous week, attributable to low importer dollar demand. On a YTD basis, the shilling has appreciated by 1.9% against the dollar, in comparison to the 7.7% depreciation recorded in 2020. We expect the shilling to remain under pressure in 2021 as a result of:
The shilling is however expected to be supported by:
Weekly Highlight
A: Oil prices
During the week, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) released their monthly statement on the maximum wholesale and retail prices for fuel prices in Kenya effective 15th April 2021 to 14th May 2021. Below are the key take-outs from the statement:
We expect pressure on the inflation basket going forward given the projected increase in global fuel prices after a 26.3% increase to USD 63.4 per barrel this week, from USD 50.2 recorded in December 2020 (OPEC Basket Price). The rise in global prices is due to the anticipated turnaround in economic growth given the rapid vaccination and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) continued supply restraint.
B: Revenue and Net Exchequer for FY’2020/2021
During the week, the National Treasury gazetted the revenue and net expenditures for the first nine months of FY’2021/2021, closing on 31st March 2021. Key to note, the report is inclusive of the revised estimates from the Supplementary Budget. Below is a summary of what was gazetted:
FY'2020/2021 Budget Outturn |
|||
Amounts in Kshs billions unless stated otherwise |
|||
Item |
12M Revised Estimates |
9M Actual |
Percentage achieved |
Opening Balance |
48.0 |
48.0 |
100.0% |
Tax Revenue |
1,469.7 |
1,037.2 |
70.6% |
Non-Tax Revenue |
124.3 |
69.7 |
56.1% |
External Loans & Grants |
418.8 |
65.8 |
15.7% |
Domestic Borrowings |
853.8 |
648.0 |
75.9% |
Other Domestic Financing |
28.5 |
3.7 |
13.0% |
Total Revenue |
2,943.1 |
1,872.4 |
63.6% |
Recurrent Exchequer issues |
1,084.4 |
718.5 |
66.3% |
CFS Exchequer Issues |
1,073.7 |
761.5 |
70.9% |
Development Expenditure & Net Lending |
401.4 |
184.3 |
45.9% |
County Governments +Contingencies |
383.6 |
201.5 |
52.5% |
Total Expenditure |
2,943.1 |
1,865.8 |
63.4% |
Fiscal Deficit excluding Grants |
(418.8) |
(59.2) |
14.1% |
Total Borrowing |
958.4 |
699.5 |
72.9% |
The key take outs from the report include:
The revenue underperformance was expected given the ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy for most parts of 2020. However, the recent reversal of the tax incentive introduced earlier in 2020 will help improve tax revenue, as seen by reported revenue out-performances in the first three months of 2021. In our view, we expect the government to plug in the Kshs 59.2 bn deficit by turning to the less expensive multilateral institutions and commercial loans, as recently seen by the IMF credit facility of Kshs 255.9 bn. Looking forward, we also expect revenue collection to increase but will remain under pressure from the recent movement restrictions.
Rates in the fixed income market have remained relatively stable as the government rejects expensive bids. The government is 14.7% ahead of its domestic borrowing target, having borrowed Kshs 505.1 bn against a pro-rated target of Kshs 440.5 bn for the financial year 2021/2021. In our view, due to the current subdued economic performance brought about by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government will record a shortfall in revenue collection with the target having been set at Kshs 1.9 tn for FY’2020/2021, thus leading to a larger budget deficit than the projected 7.5% of GDP. The high deficit and the lower credit rating will mean that the government might be forced to borrow more from the domestic market which will ultimately create uncertainty in the interest rate environment. In our view, investors should be biased towards short-term fixed income securities to reduce duration risk.
Market Performance:
During the week, the equities market was on an upward trajectory, with NASI, NSE 20 and NSE 25 gaining by 4.1%, 0.8% and 3.3% respectively, taking their YTD performance to gains of 8.6%, 0.6% and 6.6% for NASI, NSE 20 and NSE 25, respectively. The equities market performance was driven by gains recorded by stocks such as NCBA Group, Safaricom and KCB Group which gained by 7.2%, 5.8% and 5.0%, respectively. The gains were however weighed down by losses recorded by stocks such as Bamburi and Standard Chartered Bank which were down by 2.5% and 0.9%, respectively.
Equities turnover increased by 15.3% during the week to USD 21.9 mn, from USD 19.0 mn recorded the previous week, taking the YTD turnover to USD 335.0 mn. Foreign investors remained net sellers, with a net selling position of USD 3.2 mn, from a net selling position of USD 4.0 mn recorded the previous week, taking the YTD net selling position to USD 16.9 mn.
The market is currently trading at a price to earnings ratio (P/E) of 12.4x, 3.7% below the 12-year historical average of 12.9x, and a dividend yield of 3.7%, 0.4% points below the historical average of 4.1%. Key to note, NASI’s PEG ratio currently stands at 1.4x, an indication that the market is trading at a premium to its future earnings growth, which means that some of the stocks are expensive. Basically, a PEG ratio greater than 1.0x indicates the market may be overvalued while a PEG ratio less than 1.0x indicates that the market is undervalued. The current P/E valuation of 12.4x is 61.4% above the most recent trough valuation of 7.7x experienced in the first week of August 2020. The charts below indicate the historical P/E and dividend yields of the market.
Weekly Highlight
A: CBK Quarterly Economic Report
During the week, the Central Bank of Kenya released the Quarterly Economic Report for Q4’2020, highlighting that the banking sector’s total assets grew by 2.9% to Kshs 5.4 tn, from Kshs 5.3 tn recorded in Q3’2020. The sector’s asset growth was mainly driven by the 45.3% growth in placements coupled with the 1.9% growth in loans and advances to customers. Below are some of the key take outs from the report:
As highlighted in the report, we believe that the banking sector will continue to remain resilient and stable amid the pandemic. However, risks abound on the sectors earnings growth in the medium term, following the recent containment measures adopted in order to contain the spread of the virus and the possibilities of elevated credit risks as a large portion of the sector’s loan book is categorized in Stage 3. Additionally, we believe that the normalization of the sector’s provisioning levels to pre-pandemic levels will take longer than expected given that the duration of the pandemic remains unknown. However, the proactive stance taken by the banks in monitoring their loan books coupled with the measures implemented by the Central Bank will continue to support the sector’s growth.
B: Chase Bank Limited Liquidation
During the week, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) announced that Chase Bank Limited (In Receivership) (CBLIR) would be liquidated, following the recommendation made by Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC). Key to note, this comes five years after CBK appointed the Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC) as the receiver for Chase Bank Limited on April 7, 2016. On April 7, 2021, KDIC submitted a receivers reports to CBK indicating that given the weak financial position of CBLIR, liquidation of the bank was the only plausible option and therefore, effective 16th April 2021, CBK has appointed KDIC as the Liquidator of CBLIR. Key to note, KDIC will release information about the liquidation of CBLIR and payment of depositors in due course. We believe that the move by CBK and KDIC to liquidate Chase Bank is a step in the right direction as this will enable the depositors whose funds have been frozen to access them and restore confidence in the Kenyan banking system.
Universe of Coverage:
Company |
Price at 9/4/2021 |
Price at 16/4/2021 |
w/w change |
YTD Change |
Year Open 2021 |
Target Price* |
Dividend Yield |
Upside/ Downside** |
Recommendation |
Kenya Reinsurance |
2.5 |
2.5 |
(2.0%) |
6.1% |
2.3 |
3.3 |
4.5% |
39.2% |
Buy |
I&M Holdings*** |
47.4 |
46.0 |
(3.0%) |
2.6% |
44.9 |
59.5 |
5.0% |
34.3% |
Buy |
Diamond Trust Bank*** |
65.5 |
65.0 |
(0.8%) |
(15.3%) |
76.8 |
84.3 |
0.0% |
29.7% |
Buy |
Sanlam |
11.5 |
10.9 |
(5.2%) |
(16.2%) |
13.0 |
14.0 |
0.0% |
28.4% |
Buy |
Britam |
7.0 |
6.7 |
(3.4%) |
(4.0%) |
7.0 |
8.6 |
0.0% |
28.0% |
Buy |
Equity Group*** |
37.7 |
38.9 |
3.1% |
7.2% |
36.3 |
49.5 |
0.0% |
27.4% |
Buy |
Co-op Bank*** |
11.9 |
11.8 |
(0.8%) |
(6.0%) |
12.6 |
13.6 |
8.5% |
23.7% |
Buy |
Stanbic Holdings |
83.0 |
83.8 |
0.9% |
(1.5%) |
85.0 |
99.3 |
4.5% |
23.1% |
Buy |
Standard Chartered*** |
144.0 |
142.8 |
(0.9%) |
(1.2%) |
144.5 |
164.4 |
7.4% |
22.5% |
Buy |
KCB Group*** |
40.0 |
42.0 |
5.0% |
9.4% |
38.4 |
49.8 |
2.4% |
21.0% |
Buy |
Liberty Holdings |
8.2 |
8.1 |
(1.0%) |
5.7% |
7.7 |
9.8 |
0.0% |
20.4% |
Buy |
ABSA Bank*** |
8.9 |
8.8 |
(0.7%) |
(7.6%) |
9.5 |
10.2 |
0.0% |
15.9% |
Accumulate |
Jubilee Holdings |
285.0 |
282.3 |
(1.0%) |
2.4% |
275.8 |
313.8 |
3.2% |
14.4% |
Accumulate |
NCBA*** |
25.0 |
26.8 |
7.2% |
0.8% |
26.6 |
28.4 |
5.6% |
11.6% |
Accumulate |
HF Group |
4.0 |
4.0 |
0.0% |
27.4% |
3.1 |
3.8 |
0.0% |
(5.0%) |
Sell |
CIC Group |
2.3 |
2.3 |
0.9% |
8.5% |
2.1 |
2.1 |
0.0% |
(8.3%) |
Sell |
*Target Price as per Cytonn Analyst estimates **Upside/ (Downside) is adjusted for Dividend Yield ***For Disclosure, these are stocks in which Cytonn and/or its affiliates are invested in |
We are “Neutral” on the Equities markets in the short term. With the market currently trading at a premium to its future growth (PEG Ratio at 1.4x), we believe that investors should reposition towards companies with a strong earnings growth and are trading at discounts to their intrinsic value. Additionally, we expect the recent discovery of new strains of COVID-19 coupled with the introduction of strict lockdown measures in major economies to continue dampening the economic outlook.
During the week, Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) released the Quarterly Economic Review October-December 2020 indicating that the real estate sector recorded a 6.4% increase in the gross non-performing loans in Q4’2020 to Kshs 61.4 bn from Kshs 57.7 bn in Q3’2020 attributed to layoffs, business closures affecting the commercial office and retail sectors, and travel restrictions triggered by the pandemic affecting the performance of the hospitality industry. The loans acquired through title deeds posted the fastest growing default rates attributable to low demand of residential units especially in the high end areas and commercial units which caused a slump in the sector. The report also indicates that the gross non-performing loans in the real estate sector account for 14.0% of the total real estate loan book which is valued at Kshs 439.0 bn. With regards to the loans by sector, real estate accounts for 14.6% of the total banking sector lending which is estimated to be Kshs 3.0 tn. The graph below shows data of the gross non-performing loans and the total loan book in the real estate sector from 2016-2020;
The resultant impact of this is that most of the lenders will pull back or cease new lending on real estate backed loans due to the risk of default in payment. Lenders are expected to exercise a more conservative underwriting approach as a strategy to cushion themselves against the pandemic which is marked by high loan default rates.
During the week, Naivas Supermarket opened a new outlet in Nakuru taking up space previously occupied by Tuskys marking its fourth outlet in Nakuru and 71st countrywide. Cleanshelf Supermarket also opened a new branch in the same town taking up space left by Ukwala marking its first outlet in Nakuru and 12th countrywide. The decision by the retailers to focus on Nakuru town is supported by (i) presence of a growing middle class population in the area that serves as a market for its products, (ii) positive demographics with Nakuru having a population of 2,162,202 as at 2019 representing a 602.0% population growth from 307,990 in 2009 according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2019 Census Report, and, (iii) improving infrastructure.
In terms of performance, according to our Kenya Retail Sector Report 2020, Nakuru posted the lowest average rental yield of 5.9% against the market average of 6.7%. This is attributable to stiff competition from the informal retail market as well as a limited supply of quality retail space in the town. The retailers are however leveraging on affordability as their main reason for moving to Nakuru with the average rent per SQM in 2020 coming in at Kshs 55.7 compared to the market average of Kshs 115.1.
The retail performance of key urban centres in Kenya is summarized below:
All Values in Kshs Unless Stated Otherwise
Summary Performance of Key Urban Cities in Kenya |
|||
Region |
Rent/SQFT 2020 |
Occupancy% 2020 |
Rental Yield 2020 |
Mount Kenya |
125 |
78.0% |
7.7% |
Nairobi |
168.5 |
74.5% |
7.5% |
Mombasa |
114.4 |
76.3% |
6.6% |
Kisumu |
97.2 |
74.0% |
6.3% |
Eldoret |
130 |
80.2% |
5.9% |
Nakuru |
55.7 |
76.6% |
5.9% |
Average |
115.1 |
76.6% |
6.7% |
Source: Cytonn Research
The table below shows the summary of the number of stores of the key local and international retail supermarket chains in Kenya;
Main Local and International Retail Supermarket Chains |
|||||
Name of Retailer |
Category |
Highest number of branches that have ever existed as at FY’2020 |
Number of branches opened in 2021 |
Closed branches |
Current number of Branches |
Naivas |
Local |
69 |
2 |
0 |
71 |
Tuskys |
Local |
64 |
0 |
61 |
3 |
QuickMart |
Local |
37 |
3 |
0 |
40 |
Chandarana Foodplus |
Local |
20 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
Carrefour |
International |
9 |
3 |
0 |
12 |
Cleanshelf |
Local |
11 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
Uchumi |
Local |
37 |
0 |
35 |
2 |
Game Stores |
International |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Choppies |
International |
15 |
0 |
13 |
2 |
Shoprite |
International |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
Nakumatt |
Local |
65 |
0 |
65 |
0 |
Total |
334 |
9 |
176 |
167 |
Source: Online research
Artcaffe Group, a restaurant chain based in Kenya, announced plans to open four new outlets within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area in Kileleshwa, Freedom Height Mall in Lang’ata, ACK Gardens in Upperhill, and at Hardy in Ngong. This will bring the total number of outlets opened by Artcaffe in the last 16 months to 11. The expansion drive by the retailer is aimed at matching the existing competition from its competitors such as Big Square, KFC and Subway who have also been aggressively expanding fuelled by private equity investments. In our opinion, Nairobi continues to present a viable opportunity for investors supported by; (i) a stable political environment, (ii) Nairobi’s position as a regional hub in East Africa, (iii) an attractive demographic profile with rise in middle class that form a majority of potential customers, and, (iv) sustained infrastructure development boosting economic growth.
The continued expansion by local and international retailers is expected to cushion the performance of the retail sector which has been affected by; (i) the Covid-19 pandemic which led to decreased footfall and sales in retail outlets, (ii) constrained spending power among consumers due to a tough macroeconomic environment, (iii) shifting focus by some retailers to e-commerce thus reducing demand for physical retail space, and, (iv) exit by some retailers such as Shoprite and Nakumatt.
Despite the existing effects of the pandemic on the real estate sector, we expect that the sector will record increased activities supported by the continued expansion of local retailers.
Following the release of the FY’2020 results by Kenyan listed banks, the Cytonn Financial Services Research Team undertook an analysis on the financial performance of the listed banks and identified the key factors that shaped the performance of the sector.
Core Earnings per Share recorded a weighted decline of 26.8% in FY’2020, compared to a weighted growth of 8.9% recorded in FY’2019. The decline in the earnings was mainly attributable to the increased provisioning levels, which increased by 233.2% to Kshs 110.7 bn in FY’2020 from Kshs 33.2 bn in FY’2019, for the listed banking sector.
Asset quality for the listed banks deteriorated, with the NPL ratio rising by 3.0% points to 13.5% in FY’2020 from 10.5% in FY’2019, and higher than the 5-year average of 9.9%. By the end of December 2020, the banking sector had restructured loans amounting to Kshs 1.6 tn (54.2% of the total banking sectors loans book) in order to offer relief for their customers in line with the Central Banks’ guidance on loan restructuring. Key to note, the restructuring window ran from 18th March 2020 to 2nd March 2021.
The report is themed “Subdued Growth in Earnings Amidst Deteriorating Asset Quality” where we assess the key factors that influenced the performance of the banking sector in FY’2020, the key trends, the challenges banks faced, and areas that will be crucial for growth and stability of the banking sector going forward. As such, we shall address the following:
Section I: Key Themes That Shaped the Banking Sector Performance in FY’2020
Below, we highlight the key themes that shaped the banking sector in FY’2020 which include regulation, consolidation, asset quality deterioration, and capital conservation:
Guidance on Loan Restructuring: On March 27th 2020, the Central Bank of Kenya provided commercial banks and mortgage finance companies with guidelines on loan reclassification and provisioning on extended and restructured loans as per the Banking Circular No 3 of 2020. The loan restructuring involved placing moratoriums on both interest and principal payments between three to twelve months, in effect giving reprieve to borrowers who found it difficult to repay their loans due to the impact caused by the pandemic. Following this guidance, the banking sector saw loans worth Kshs 1.6 tn restructured as at December 2020, representing 54.2% of the banking sector loan book.
The table below highlights some of the major banks that have disclosed the amount of loans they restructured;
No. |
Bank |
Amount Restructured (Kshs bn) |
% of restructured loans to total loans |
FY’2020 y/y Change in Loan Loss Provision |
1 |
Equity Group Holdings |
171.0 |
35.8% |
402.2% |
2 |
Kenya Commercial Bank |
106.1 |
19.6% |
209.5% |
3 |
Diamond Trust Bank |
101.0 |
45.0% |
453.6% |
4 |
NCBA Group |
78.0 |
31.4% |
227.0% |
5 |
Absa Bank Kenya |
62.0 |
29.7% |
114.9% |
6 |
Co-operative Bank of Kenya |
46.0 |
14.9% |
219.5% |
7 |
Standard Chartered Bank of Kenya |
22.0 |
18.1% |
578.0% |
|
Total |
586.1 |
|
Below is a summary of the deals in the last 5-years that have either happened, been announced or expected to be concluded:
Acquirer |
Bank Acquired |
Book Value at Acquisition (Kshs. Bns) |
Transaction Stake |
Transaction Value |
P/Bv Multiple |
Date |
KCB Group |
Banque Populaire du Rwanda |
5.2 |
62.1% |
5.7 |
1.1x |
Nov-20* |
KCB Group |
ABC Tanzania |
Unknown |
100.0% |
Undisclosed |
0.4x |
Nov-20* |
Co-operative Bank |
Jamii Bora Bank |
3.4 |
90.0% |
1 |
0.3x |
Aug-20 |
I&M Holdings |
Orient Bank Ltd |
3.5 |
90.0% |
3.6 |
1.1x |
Jul-20* |
Commercial International Bank |
Mayfair Bank Limited |
1 |
51.0% |
Undisclosed |
N/D |
May-20* |
Access Bank PLC (Nigeria) |
Transnational Bank PLC. |
1.9 |
100.0% |
1.4 |
0.7x |
Feb-20* |
Equity Group ** |
Banque Commerciale Du Congo |
8.9 |
66.5% |
10.3 |
1.2x |
Nov-19* |
KCB Group |
National Bank of Kenya |
7 |
100.0% |
6.6 |
0.9x |
Sep-19 |
CBA Group |
NIC Group |
33.5 |
53%:47% |
23 |
0.7x |
Sep-19 |
Oiko Credit |
Credit Bank |
3 |
22.8% |
1 |
1.5x |
Aug-19 |
CBA Group** |
Jamii Bora Bank |
3.4 |
100.0% |
1.4 |
0.4x |
Jan-19 |
AfricInvest Azure |
Prime Bank |
21.2 |
24.2% |
5.1 |
1.0x |
Jan-18 |
KCB Group |
Imperial Bank |
Unknown |
Undisclosed |
Undisclosed |
N/A |
Dec-18 |
SBM Bank Kenya |
Chase Bank Ltd |
Unknown |
75.0% |
Undisclosed |
N/A |
Aug-18 |
DTBK |
Habib Bank Kenya |
2.4 |
100.0% |
1.8 |
0.8x |
Mar-17 |
SBM Holdings |
Fidelity Commercial Bank |
1.8 |
100.0% |
2.8 |
1.6x |
Nov-16 |
M Bank |
Oriental Commercial Bank |
1.8 |
51.0% |
1.3 |
1.4x |
Jun-16 |
I&M Holdings |
Giro Commercial Bank |
3 |
100.0% |
5 |
1.7x |
Jun-16 |
Mwalimu SACCO |
Equatorial Commercial Bank |
1.2 |
75.0% |
2.6 |
2.3x |
Mar-15 |
Centum |
K-Rep Bank |
2.1 |
66.0% |
2.5 |
1.8x |
Jul-14 |
GT Bank |
Fina Bank Group |
3.9 |
70.0% |
8.6 |
3.2x |
Nov-13 |
Average |
|
|
74.7% |
|
1.2x |
|
* Announcement Date ** Deals that were dropped |
The number of commercial banks in Kenya has now reduced to 38, compared to 43 banks 5-years ago. The ratio of the number of banks per 10 million population in Kenya now stands at 7.1x, which is a reduction from 9.0x 5-years ago, demonstrating continued consolidation of the banking sector. However, despite the ratio improving, Kenya still remains overbanked as the number of banks remains relatively high compared to the population. For more on this see our topical.
Additionally, the acquisition valuation for banks has come down significantly, from an average acquisition multiple of 3.2x price to book value in 2013, to 0.7x price to book value in 2020, as highlighted in the chart below;
The chart below highlights the asset quality trend:
The table below highlights the asset quality for the listed banking sector:
|
FY'2019 NPL Ratio |
FY'2020 NPL Ratio |
FY'2019 NPL Coverage |
FY'2020 NPL Coverage |
ABSA Bank Kenya |
6.6% |
7.7% |
77.0% |
71.1% |
Diamond Trust Bank |
7.7% |
10.4% |
42.9% |
44.6% |
Equity Group |
9.5% |
11.5% |
47.5% |
62.4% |
I&M Holdings |
11.3% |
11.6% |
59.1% |
66.8% |
Stanbic Bank |
9.6% |
11.8% |
57.1% |
60.6% |
NCBA Group |
12.6% |
14.7% |
55.9% |
60.9% |
KCB |
11.1% |
14.8% |
59.5% |
59.8% |
Standard Chartered Bank |
13.9% |
16.0% |
78.7% |
80.6% |
Co-operative Bank of Kenya |
11.2% |
18.7% |
51.8% |
50.3% |
HF Group |
27.7% |
24.6% |
47.8% |
63.4% |
Mkt Weighted Average |
10.5%** |
13.5%* |
57.6%** |
62.2%* |
*Market cap weighted as at 15/04/2021 **Market cap weighted as at 09/04/2020 |
Key take-outs from the table include;
Capital Preservation: The Central Bank of Kenya, on 14th August 2020, directed that Banks will have to get approval before declaring dividends for the FY’2020 financial year, in a bid to ensure that the banks have enough capital that will enable them to respond appropriately to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Central Bank gave guidance to lenders, asking them to revise their ICAAP (Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process) based on the pandemic as highlighted in the Banking Circular No 11 of 2020. Subject to the submission of the revised ICAAP, CBK would determine if it would endorse the board’s decision to pay out dividends. A similar trend was mirrored globally by both financial and non-financial businesses frantically seeking ways to save money with several regulators encouraging companies to cease the discretionary payments of dividends to shareholders. For instance, in the United Kingdom (UK), the seven largest banks sought to cancel dividend pay-outs in May 2020 despite having solid capital bases, due to fears of an economic recession. Additionally, the Central Banks of most countries offered guidelines to banks on dividend payments, with for instance the Federal Reserve announcing on 25th June 2020 that it would cap dividend payments and prevent share repurchases up to the end of 2020. Closer home, on 6th April 2020, the South African Reserve Bank’s Prudential Authority advised banks not to pay out dividends this year and that the bonuses for senior executives should also be put on hold during this period as well. The authority highlighted that this directive would ensure banks conserve their capital and as such, enable the banks to fulfil their fundamental roles.
As banks reinforced their capital adequacy and liquidity requirements in FY’2020, regulators globally have adopted a softer stance on dividend payments due to banks’ resilience amid the pandemic coupled with their adequate capital buffers. The Bank of England, through the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), a regulator and part of the central bank, granted banks authority to issue dividends in December 2020 after carrying out two stress tests of banks’ capital positions and judged that banks are now resilient to a wide range of economic outcomes. The Federal Reserve, on the other hand, will issue a stress test which will determine if banks will be allowed to resume normal dividend pay-outs from June 30th 2021. The European Central Bank also lifted curbs on dividends but urged banks to limit their pay-out to less than 15.0% of profit, or 0.2% of their key capital ratio for 2019 and 2020. The South African Reserve Bank‘s Prudential Authority also eased their stance on dividend payments by banks, while insisting that protecting cash reserves should still remain a key priority amid ongoing uncertainty from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following the release of the FY’2020 results, 6 of the 10 Kenyan listed banks issued dividends to their shareholders, an indication that the capital adequacy and risk management policies employed under ICAAP for most of the listed banks was satisfactory to the CBK in FY’2020. Below are the listed banks that declared dividends in FY’2020:
# |
Bank |
Dividends per share (Kshs) |
Amount (Kshs bn) |
1 |
Cooperative Bank |
1.00 |
5.9 |
2 |
Standard Chartered Bank |
10.50 |
3.6 |
3 |
KCB Group |
1.00 |
3.2 |
4 |
NCBA Group |
1.50 |
2.3 |
5 |
I&M Holdings |
2.25 |
1.9 |
6 |
Stanbic Bank |
3.80 |
1.5 |
Total |
18.4 |
Section II: Summary of the Performance of the Listed Banking Sector in FY’2020:
The table below highlights the performance of the banking sector, showing the performance using several metrics, and the key take-outs of the performance;
Bank |
Core EPS Growth |
Interest Income Growth |
Interest Expense Growth |
Net Interest Income Growth |
Net Interest Margin |
Non-Funded Income Growth |
NFI to Total Operating Income |
Growth in Total Fees & Commissions |
Deposit Growth |
Growth in Government Securities |
Loan to Deposit Ratio |
Loan Growth |
Return on Average Equity |
Equity |
(10.9%) |
23.5% |
26.3% |
22.6% |
7.6% |
25.1% |
41.1% |
6.9% |
53.5% |
26.8% |
64.5% |
30.4% |
16.5% |
Stanbic |
(18.6%) |
(3.4%) |
(1.6%) |
(4.1%) |
4.7% |
(8.7%) |
44.9% |
(18.7%) |
15.7% |
25.0% |
75.5% |
2.7% |
10.3% |
I&M |
(21.9%) |
2.5% |
5.1% |
0.6% |
5.4% |
4.3% |
35.6% |
4.4% |
14.3% |
88.6% |
71.3% |
6.9% |
13.2% |
KCB |
(22.1%) |
19.4% |
14.2% |
21.0% |
8.5% |
1.0% |
29.5% |
(10.4%) |
11.7% |
26.6% |
77.6% |
10.3% |
14.4% |
Co-op |
(24.4%) |
11.9% |
1.3% |
16.1% |
8.5% |
1.9% |
32.5% |
0.7% |
13.8% |
37.4% |
75.7% |
7.5% |
12.5% |
SCBK |
(33.9%) |
(6.1%) |
(20.4%) |
(1.8%) |
6.8% |
(10.2%) |
30.2% |
(12.0%) |
12.3% |
0.2% |
47.4% |
(5.6%) |
11.0% |
NCBA |
(41.7%) |
73.4% |
54.0% |
91.1% |
5.8% |
3.1% |
45.1% |
19.2% |
11.4% |
12.8% |
59.0% |
(0.3%) |
6.6% |
ABSA |
(44.2%) |
1.3% |
2.7% |
0.9% |
7.1% |
5.2% |
32.3% |
(9.9%) |
6.7% |
2.5% |
82.3% |
7.2% |
15.1% |
DTB-K |
(51.5%) |
(5.4%) |
(8.0%) |
(3.4%) |
5.0% |
6.1% |
25.3% |
(7.8%) |
6.4% |
12.0% |
70.0% |
4.8% |
5.8% |
HF Group |
N/A |
(17.4%) |
(23.8%) |
(5.2%) |
4.2% |
(63.0%) |
21.8% |
(38.0%) |
6.8% |
54.4% |
92.6% |
(4.0%) |
(23.3%) |
FY'20 Mkt Weighted Average* |
(26.8%) |
16.7% |
12.5% |
18.9% |
7.3% |
6.4% |
35.4% |
(2.1%) |
22.3% |
26.3% |
69.8% |
11.7% |
13.2% |
FY'19 Mkt Weighted Average** |
8.9% |
3.2% |
3.4% |
3.4% |
7.3% |
17.4% |
37.4% |
18.4% |
12.7% |
19.4% |
75.0% |
12.8% |
18.4% |
*Market cap weighted as at 15/04/2021 |
|||||||||||||
**Market cap weighted as at 09/04/2020 |
Key takeaways from the table above include:
Section III: Outlook of the banking sector:
The banking sector witnessed a decline in profitability, attributable to the tough operating environment occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic which affected loan repayment due to disruption of businesses, job losses and the consequent reduction of disposable income. The waiver of charges on transactions also affected the Non-Funded Income (NFI) performance with the listed banks recording a slower 6.4% weighted growth in NFI, from the 17.4% growth recorded in FY’2019. Following the expiry of the waiver on fees and commissions on loans and the loan restructuring window having closed in March 2021, we expect the banking sector’s performance to improve in the medium to long term. Based on the current operating environment, we believe the future performance in the banking sector will be shaped by the following key factors:
Section IV: Brief Summary and Ranking of the Listed Banks:
As per our analysis on the banking sector from a franchise value and a future growth opportunity perspective, we carried out a comprehensive ranking of the listed banks. For the franchise value ranking, we included the earnings and growth metrics as well as the operating metrics shown in the table below in order to carry out a comprehensive review of the banks:
Bank |
Loan to Deposit Ratio |
Cost to Income (With LLP) |
Return on Average Capital Employed |
Deposits /Branch |
Gross NPL Ratio |
NPL Coverage |
Tangible Common Ratio |
Non Funded Income/Revenue |
Coop Bank |
75.7% |
73.2% |
12.5% |
2.1 |
18.7% |
50.3% |
15.9% |
32.5% |
KCB Group |
77.6% |
73.3% |
14.4% |
2.1 |
14.8% |
59.8% |
13.9% |
29.5% |
DTBK |
70.0% |
81.3% |
5.8% |
2.2 |
10.4% |
44.6% |
14.4% |
25.3% |
Equity Bank |
64.5% |
77.6% |
16.5% |
2.2 |
11.5% |
62.4% |
12.2% |
41.1% |
I&M Holdings |
71.3% |
52.0% |
13.2% |
4.0 |
11.6% |
66.8% |
16.6% |
35.6% |
NCBA Group |
59.0% |
86.2% |
6.6% |
6.0 |
14.7% |
60.9% |
12.6% |
45.1% |
Absa Bank |
82.3% |
74.4% |
15.1% |
3.0 |
7.7% |
71.1% |
12.2% |
32.3% |
SCBK |
47.4% |
73.0% |
11.0% |
7.1 |
16.0% |
80.6% |
14.8% |
30.2% |
Stanbic Bank |
75.5% |
52.2% |
10.3% |
10.4 |
11.8% |
60.6% |
13.0% |
44.9% |
HF Group |
92.6% |
170.1% |
(18.1%) |
1.8 |
24.6% |
63.4% |
14.1% |
21.8% |
Weighted Average FY'2020 |
69.8% |
73.3% |
13.2% |
3.5 |
13.5% |
62.2% |
13.7% |
35.4% |
The overall ranking was based on a weighted average ranking of Franchise value (accounting for 60.0%) and intrinsic value (accounting for 40.0%). The Intrinsic Valuation is computed through a combination of valuation techniques, with a weighting of 40.0% on Discounted Cash-flow Methods, 35.0% on Residual Income and 25.0% on Relative Valuation, while the Franchise ranking is based on banks operating metrics, meant to assess efficiency, asset quality, diversification, and profitability, among other metrics. The overall FY’2020 ranking is as shown in the table below:
Bank |
Franchise Value Score |
Intrinsic Value Score |
Weighted Score |
Q3'2020 Rank |
FY'2020 Rank |
I&M Holdings |
1 |
1 |
1.0 |
1 |
1 |
Equity Group Holdings Ltd |
4 |
2 |
2.8 |
4 |
2 |
KCB Group Plc |
3 |
4 |
3.6 |
5 |
3 |
ABSA |
2 |
5 |
3.8 |
7 |
4 |
DTBK |
9 |
3 |
5.4 |
2 |
5 |
Stanbic Bank/Holdings |
6 |
6 |
6.0 |
6 |
6 |
Co-operative Bank of Kenya Ltd |
5 |
7 |
6.2 |
3 |
7 |
SCBK |
7 |
8 |
7.6 |
9 |
8 |
NCBA Group Plc |
8 |
9 |
8.6 |
8 |
9 |
HF Group Plc |
10 |
10 |
10.0 |
10 |
10 |
Major Changes from the Q3’2020 Ranking are:
For more information, see our Cytonn FY’2020 Listed Banking Sector Review
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are those of the writers where particulars are not warranted. This publication, which is in compliance with Section 2 of the Capital Markets Authority Act Cap 485A, is meant for general information only and is not a warranty, representation, advice or solicitation of any nature. Readers are advised in all circumstances to seek the advice of a registered investment advisor.