Citigroup's profit falls less than expected; trading helps
By David Henry and Sweta Singh (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc beat Wall Street expectations on Friday with a smaller-than-expected drop in second-quarter profit as a rebound in trading activity partly offset the effects of persistently low U.S. interest rates. Like its rivals, Citigroup saw a spike in trading volumes after Britain voted on June 23 to exit the European Union. The fourth-largest U.S. bank by assets said earnings, adjusted for counterparty risk, fell 14 percent to $4 billion in the second quarter, far less than the 25 percent drop Chief Executive Officer Michael Corbat had warned of early in June. Earnings per share slid to $1.24 from $1.45 but beat the analysts' average estimate of $1.10, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The outperformance of subdued expectations mirrors that of larger rival JPMorgan Chase & Co, which also beat forecasts with the help of more-robust trading in bonds and currencies. Citi's shares were up 0.4 percent in early trading after gaining 2.5 percent on JPMorgan's results on Thursday. The drop in earnings reflects the struggle of U.S. banks with low U.S. interest rates, which hamper their ability to profit from lending. After raising rates in December for the first time in almost a decade, the U.S. Federal Reserve was widely expected to do so at least twice again this year. But Wall Street is now uncertain there will be any rate hikes in 2016, especially after Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union. Citigroup's net interest margin, a key measure of lending profitability, shrank to 2.86 percent from 2.95 percent a year earlier. The bank's bad debt charges fell in the quarter, unlike rival Wells Fargo & Co, which reported a 3.5 percent fall in quarterly profit on Friday after it set aside more money to cover potential loan losses. INVESTING IN GROWTH Despite the headwinds from low U.S. interest rates, Citi is trying to cash in on the strong U.S economy by overhauling its credit card business, which means it must invest more in marketing. Corbat is hoping the overhaul will increase revenue and improve shareholders' returns. Citi investors got a boost this year when the bank passed the latest U.S. stress tests after failing twice, enabling Corbat to increase dividends and buybacks. The most international of the large U.S. banks, Citi's overseas consumer banking business held up well, with a 7 percent increase in net profit. In the North American consumer business, however, net income dropped 22 percent as revenue fell 3 percent and expenses rose. Overall, Citi's operating expenses declined 5 percent to $10.37 billion, helped by a change in foreign exchange rates, but revenue fell more, dropping 8 percent. The bank's institutional business, which includes the investment banking division, reported a 2 percent rise in net income, benefiting from a 14 percent increase in bond trading. (Writing by Carmel Crimmins; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
