Goldman Sachs issued a research report noting that CM BANK's first-quarter pre-provision profit and net profit were 3% and 5% below the firm's expectations, respectively. The underperformance was primarily attributed to slower growth in fee income, a 7% year-on-year decline in investment returns, and continued net interest margin compression. The report highlighted that the non-performing loan formation ratio increased by 8 basis points year-on-year to 1.08%, largely driven by a 20% rise in credit card NPL formations. Despite the bank's relatively high-quality customer base, this trend warrants attention. Goldman Sachs lowered its pre-provision profit and net profit forecasts for CM BANK for 2026–2028 by 1% to reflect the weak first-quarter results. The firm maintained its "Buy" rating on the bank with a target price of HK$52.86.
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