PR Banking Industry Report – January to September 2013

The local banking sector reached an adjusted pre-tax ROE of 5.4% in 2013 YTD, an improvement when compared to 2012 but still very far from reaching pre-crisis levels of profitability. This adjusted rate does not include the adverse effects the sale of non performing loan (NPL) portfolios had on the sector’s bottom line. The Island’s current economic outlook characterized by a protracted contraction, low aggregate demand, no clear growth drivers in the shortterm, warnings from credit agencies of a potential downgrade to Puerto Rico’s general obligation bonds, a housing market that still faces steep challenges and disconcerting labor market indicators, presents few opportunities domestically for the local banking industry to perform at levels prior to 2007 when it reached double digit rates of profitability.