Russian consumer credit company TCS said Monday that its first-quarter net profit has fallen 64 percent, year-on-year, driven by higher loan-loss provisions as the Russian economy slows.
TCS, owner of Tinkoff Credit Systems, which went public in London in October, said first-quarter net profit fell to 362.3 million rubles ($10.54 million) from 1 billion rubles a year earlier, missing analysts' forecasts.
The company's shares fell 6.2 percent in early London trading.
TCS said its cost of risk — the reserves it would have to set aside this year to cover lending risks — rose to 20.5 percent from 16.2 percent a year ago.
Its return on equity, a measure of profitability, fell to 7.0 percent in the first quarter from 41.2 percent for the whole of last year.
TCS said in a statement that its full-year profit guidance of more than 7 billion rubles was now under review.
The company, majority owned by Russian entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov, has challenged state-controlled banks and grabbed market share in the high-margin business of consumer credit. It focuses on Russia's regions, where it delivers credit cards by courier.
A Reuters survey of seven analysts had forecast that net profit at TCS would be 969.7 million rubles in the first quarter, 6 percent down on the year-earlier figure.
The Central Bank last year toughened regulation of consumer credit companies, forcing them to raise their provisions against bad loans to prevent them from destabilizing the wider financial system.
A slowdown in the Russian economy, which is forecast to achieve growth of just 0.5 percent this year amid instability caused by the Ukraine crisis, has also increased the share of nonperforming loans at major banks including Sberbank and VTB.
TCS said its share of nonperforming loans rose to 8.9 percent in the first quarter from 7 percent for the whole of last year.
See also:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
