HDBank pre-tax profit increases by 65.7 per cent to $ 172.6 million An HDBank branch in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of HDBank The HCM City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) has announced its results for the fourth quarter of last year and for the full financial year, achieving impressive growth and meeting ambitious targets. Its pre-tax profit surpassed the target approved at the annual general meeting early last year. Its return on equity and return on assets were 20.27 per cent and 1.58 per cent. HDBank’s non-performing loan ratio was tightly controlled at 0.97 per cent, the lowest level in the banking industry. In the fourth quarter, the lender achieved a consolidated pre-tax profit of over VND1.12 trillion (US$48.3 million), up 122.1 per cent year-on-year. This included net interest earning of VND2.16 trillion ($93.1 million), up 23.9 per cent over the same period. With a breakthrough performance in the last quarter of 2018, pre-tax profit for the whole year was worth nearly VND4.01 trillion ($172.6 million), the highest-ever and representing an increase by 65.7 per cent from 2017. Besides, earnings from services and foreign exchange trading also grew sharply, helping increase the bank’s income by 37.8 per cent….