BOCOM + plane leasing +++

Banking watchdog approves BOCOM's leasing unit


BANK of Communications Ltd has gained regulatory approval to set up a two-billion-yuan (US$266 million) leasing unit, the bank said on its Website today.

The Shanghai-based leasing unit will be wholly owned by the bank and its business will cover ship and plane leasing.

The leasing business may sooth China's gasping demand for ships and planes as the country's economy continues to grow quickly.

Over the past 10 years, China's demand for planes has doubled while about 90 percent of the financing for plane leases on the mainland are conducted by foreign companies.

Last week, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China announced that the China Banking Regulatory Commission has approved it to set up a financial leasing company in Tianjin Municipality.

The company, solely invested by the biggest lender in China, will register in Binhai District in Tianjin with a capital of two billion yuan.

The commission is still considering applications from Minsheng Bank and China Merchants Bank to enter the leasing business, according to previous media reports.  

Hong Kong-listed Bank of Communications raised to 'buy' vs 'neutral' - Goldman


HONG KONG (Thomson Financial) - Goldman Sachs upgraded to ""buy"" from ""neutral"" its call on Bank of Communications Co Ltd, while raising its price targets on several Hong Kong-listed Chinese banks on hopes the companies will achieve strong earnings growth over the next three years.

The investment house said it is keeping an ""overweight"" call on the sector, citing reduced risk of harsh macroeconomic tightening in China. Goldman is expecting just one more interest rate increase this year. China may not impose further rate increases following a slowdown in the US economy and as previous interest rate increases in China take effect.

Goldman analyst Ning Ma cited as reasons for its ""overweight"" call, its ""greater conviction of a China macro soft landing and reduced risk of harsh tightening, given the potential US slowdown and China's previous rate hikes.""

Goldman is expecting Chinese banks to post a 39 percent rise in earnings per share this year from a year earlier, and a 42 percent increase in EPS in 2008. The investment bank is expecting a 20 percent rise in EPS in 2009.

Goldman is raising its call on Bank of Communications to ""buy"" from ""neutral"" on expectations the bank will post a 32 percent rise in earnings per share over the next three years.

Goldman is also raising its price target for Chinese banks trading in Hong Kong.

The bank is increasing its price target for Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, the mainland's largest lender, by 12 percent to 6.50 Hong Kong dollars, and raised China Merchants Bank's price target by 22 percent to 39. 20. Goldman has a ""buy"" call on both stocks.

Goldman also increased its price target for China Construction Bank, the mainland's third largest, by 20 percent to 7.95 dollars, and CITIC Bank's by 5 percent to 6.4 dollars.  

DJ China Bank Of Communications: '07 Net Pft Likely Over CNY20B

-China's Bank of Communications Co. (3328.HK), which is 18.6%-owned by HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC), will likely post a net profit of more than CNY20 billion this year, Chairman Jiang Chaoliang said Tuesday. The forecast represents a growth of at least 63% from a net profit of CNY12.27 billion in 2006. Jiang was speaking at the Communist Party Congress in Beijing. China's fifth-largest commercial lender by assets posted a 33% net profit growth last year on strong loan growth and more profitable lending.  

Bank of Communications (Bocom) was suspended from trading. China's fifth-biggest bank by assets expects its 2007 net profit to rise 63 percent to over 20 billion yuan, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday citing chairman Jiang Chaoliang.

The bank registered a net profit of 12.3 billion yuan last year, up 33 percent from 2005. In the first half of this year, its net profit rose 42 percent to 8.6 billion yuan.  

Fulbright Securities

Bank of Communications (03328) The Bank reported that profit for the first three quarters would rise more than 60% from 2006. Share price fell yesterday. It is time for bargain hunting. Share price will rise. Buy $10.80 Target $12.00 Cut loss $9.00  

Bank of Communications  shot up 7.3 percent to HK$11.74 after its chairman said global lender HSBC Holdings plc  would raise its stakes in the Chinese bank in the next 12 months  

3328 BANKCOMM 11.54 0.6 5.48

China's Bank of Communications shares surge on 20 billion yuan FY profit

Shares in Bank of Communications (BoCom), China's fifth largest bank, surged Thursday after the bank's chairman confirmed they ares expecting net profit of 20 billion yuan in 2007.

BoCom was 62 cents or 5.7 percent higher at 11.56 Hong Kong dollars, after touching record of 12.30 dollars on opening.

BoCom was suspended from trading on Wednesday after reports quoted its chairman Jiang Chaoliang forecasting a 63 percent growth in net profit for 2007.

""The bank wishes to clarify that the information contained in Mr Jiang's statements was a performance target for 2007 set by the management of the bank, based on the economic growth of China and the operating results of the bank, for internal management purpose,"" BoCom corporate secretary Zhang Jixiang said in a statement to the stock exchange.

BoCom will announce its third-quarter and nine-month earnings later this month.

""At this stage, there is no result or expectation of the performance for the whole year available for disclosure,"" said Jixiang.

The bank posted a 41.8 percent increase in half-yearly profit to 8.56 billion yuan. Income from fees and commissions swelled 139.3 percent to 3.1 billion yuan, helped by China's buoyant stock markets.

In 2006, net profit jumped 32.7 percent to 12.26 billion yuan.

Though the bank is expected to record solid earnings growth this year on rising lending and fee incomes, analysts are not completely buying into BoCom's 20-billion-yuan profit forecast.

Goldman Sachs expects BoCom's net profit to rise to 16.89 billion yuan in 2007 while Bear Stearns forecasts a much lower 15.7 billion dollars.

Bear Stearns said it was not very bullish on BoCom compared with its peers in the industry.

""We believe the bank faces declining asset quality and a stagnant net interest margin this year. BoCom also has a one-off negative tax effect in 2007,"" analysts with the US investment bank said.

BoCom shares have also been gaining on speculation that Europe's biggest bank HSBC Holdings may restore its holding in the bank to 19.9 percent from 18.6 percent.

HSBC's 19.9 percent stake in BoCom was diluted after the latter's A-share issue.
 

BoCom (3328.HK) still best-performing blue chip, +6.4% at HK$11.64 on expectations of strong earnings growth  

Chinese banks expected to post strong Q3 as mortgage loans, fees jump

HONG KONG (Thomson Financial) - Chinese banks are expected to report solid earnings when the major players kick off the third-quarter reporting season next week, buoyed by increased fee and commission income and solid mortgage loan growth, analysts said Friday.

""We expect strong results driven by slightly above estimate loan growth, quarter-on-quarter margin improvement, continuing fee growth, favourable trading income and low tax,"" said Bill Stacey, analyst with Credit Suisse.

After posting average earnings growth of 67 percent in the first half on robust fee income growth, the sector is expected to put in another strong showing, supported by the continued rally on the mainland and Hong Kong bourses.



Income from fees swelled 100.9 percent on average in the first half. Banks earn fees on financial products and services such as credit card sales and wealth management.

Mainland banks have shrugged off the five interest rate hikes and eight reserve requirement ratio increases implemented by the Chinese authorities this year.

Yuan-denominated loan growth stood at 17.1 percent at end-September, higher than the regulator's target of 15 percent and above 2005 and 2006 levels.

Retail loans were the main driver of growth with mortgage loans making up 30 percent of total new loans in July and August.

New residential mortgages topped 19.13 billion yuan in the third quarter compared with 12.3 billion in the first half, boosted by the strong property market in the mainland.

""The wealth effect created by investment gains from the bullish A-share stock market has provided the primary support for the rapid growth in mortgage loans,"" said Dorris Chen, analyst with BNP Paribas Equities.

Net interest margins are also expected to improve in the third quarter as bond yield and interbank rates are above the first-half average levels, retail deposits have increased and the quality and mix of loans have been improving, said Morgan Stanley.



Boom time



Earlier this week, China Merchants Bank, the mainland's sixth-largest bank by assets, said it expects net profit for the first nine months to be more than double the 4.5 billion yuan it made a year ago because of increased fee income.

That would imply a third-quarter net profit of more than 2.82 billion yuan, an increase of 68.7 percent from the third quarter of 2006.

The bank reported a 120 percent increase in first-half earnings at 6.12 billion yuan, driven by fee and loan income, as well as lower taxes.

China Merchants Bank will be the first off the block when it reports earnings on Monday.

Goldman Sachs said it expects net profit for the nine month period to be at least 8.937 billion yuan, or a minimum 70.5 percent of its full-year estimate of 12.7 billion yuan.

China's biggest bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, or ICBC, is expected on Thursday to report 60 percent growth in net profit, as it continues to expand its loan portfolio.

ICBC said net profit increased 61 percent to 41 billion yuan in the year to June on greater loan growth and fee income.

Lehman Brothers said it expects a 90 percent increase in fee income and an 8 basis-point improvement in net interest margin.

""In the third quarter general trends we expect to be carried over from the second quarter include solid loan growth, continued margin expansion, robust fee income led by buoyant capital market derived business,"" said Lehman analyst Lucy Feng.

Bank of China and Bank of Communications are scheduled to unveil earnings on Oct. 30

Bank of Communications, China's fifth largest bank, has already created a stir in the market by revealing a 2007 net profit target of 20 billion yuan, a 63 percent increase from 2006.

The bank posted a 41.8 percent increase in its first-half earnings at 8. 56 billion yuan. Income from fees and commission swelled 139.3 percent to 3.1 percent, buoyed by China's buoyant stock markets.

In 2006, net profit jumped 32.7 percent to 12.26 billion yuan.

BoCom, which is 18.6 percent owned by HSBC, is expected to post a solid performance in the third quarter on rising net interest margins, fee income and benign asset quality, said Nomura International Equity Research.

Analysts expect BoCom to improve its net interest margins in the third and fourth quarter after lagging its peers at 2.73 percent in the first half.

The bank's interest margin were hurt by weak treasury business and an 18 basis-point increase in deposit rates as compared with a flat or decreasing deposit rate at China Construction Bank and ICBC.

Management has been taking steps improve earnings in the third quarter.