Banco Bbva Argentina SA (BBAR) 2021 Q3 法說會逐字稿

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for waiting. At this time, we would like to welcome everyone to BBVA Argentina's Third Quarter 2021 Results Conference Call. We would like to inform you that this event is being recorded (Operator Instructions)

First of all, let me point out that some of the statements made during this conference call may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions found in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 under U.S. federal securities law. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these factors is contained in BBVA Argentina's annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year 2020 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Today with us, we have Mr. Ernesto Gallardo, CFO; Mrs. Ines Lanusse, IRO; and Ms. Belen Fourcade with Investor Relations. Ms. Fourcade, you may begin your conference.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to BBVA Argentina Third Quarter 2021 Earnings Conference Call. Before we begin our formal remarks, let me stress that some of the statements made during the course of this conference call may constitute forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including factors that may be beyond the company's control. For a description of these risks, please refer to our SEC filings and earnings release, which are available at our Investor Relations website, ir.bbva.com.ar.

Speaking during today's call will be Ines Lanusse and Ernesto Gallardo, our Chief Financial Officer, who will be available for the Q&A session. Please note that starting January 1, 2020, as per Central Bank regulation, we have begun reporting results applying hyperinflation accounting pursuant to IFRS rule IAS 29. For ease of comparability, 2020 and 2021 figures have been restated to reflect the accumulated effect of inflation adjustment for each period to September 30, 2021.

Now let me turn the call over to Ines.

Thank you, Belen, and thank you all of you for joining us on our third quarter 2021 conference call. Conflicts and drawbacks generated by the COVID-19 pandemic began to cease during the third quarter of 2021, thanks to the progress in vaccine campaigns and declining cases. Nonetheless, the uncertainty of the current political scenario remains in the middle of an electoral process and definitions to be taken regarding the full necessary economic plan linked to negotiations with International Monetary Fund.

BBVA Argentina's operating income in the third quarter of 2021 was the product of an improvement in the net interest and fee income, offset by higher administrative expenses that took place in the quarter. Meanwhile, the bank actively monitors its business, financial conditions and operating results in the aim of keeping a competitive position to face context for changes.

Regarding digitalization, our service offering has evolved in such way that by the end of September 2021, digital science penetration reached 74% from 71% a year back while that of mobile clients reached 63% from 59% in the same period. Trends came towards a certain stabilization considering that the pandemic has caused an important shift towards the adoption of digital channels pipeline. Lastly in terms of responsible banking within the context of it compromised with UN sustainable development growth, BBVA Argentina has begun participating in the Consejo Empresario Argentino para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CEADS), the local division of the World Business Council of Sustainable Development.

I will now comment on the bank's third quarter 2021 financial results. BBVA Argentina third quarter 2021 net income, including inflation adjustment effects, totaled ARS 3.4 billion, falling 57.1% quarter-over-quarter and 37.6% year-over-year. Quarterly results are mainly explained by greater operating expenses related to higher administrative and personnel benefits expense. The contraction is offset by a better net operating income enhanced by higher net fee income and interest income in addition to a lower result from the net monetary position.

The accumulated net income for the first 9 months of 2021 was ARS 14.9 billion, 1.1% above the accumulated net income for the first 9 months of 2020 of ARS 14.7 billion. The accumulated ROE as of the third quarter of 2021 is 14%, while the accumulated ROA is 2.1%. Excluding the effects of the reversal of the provisions on the tax line in connection with the repayment of income tax inflation adjustment for 2017 and 2019 fiscal years for a total of ARS 4.7 billion at current value. The second quarter 2021 net income would have been ARS 3.6 billion. As of the third quarter of 2021, a lower quarterly fall of 6.7% would have been observed instead of 57.1%. The accumulated net income for the first 9 months, net of the effect of actions of the clarity judgment on the tax plan, including effects in the first quarter of 2021 for ARS 1.4 billion at current value, would have been ARS 9.5 billion, decreasing 35.6% versus the accumulated net income for the first 9 months of 2020. This would have meant an accumulated ROE on the third quarter of 2021, up 8.9% and accumulated ROA of 1.4%.

In the third quarter of 2021, interest income totaled ARS 52 billion, increasing 9% compared to the second quarter of 2021 and 30.7% compared to the third quarter of 2020. In the third quarter of 2021, interest income increased above interest expenses mainly due to a great deposition in Central Bank liquidity bill also called LELIQ and higher interest from REPO transaction, both explained by a greater liquidity traffic from a lower credit demand.

Interest expenses totaled ARS 22.8 billion, denoting a 7.9% increase quarter-over-quarter and a 58.2% increase year-over-year. Portal growth is described by an increase in checking account expenses, partially offset by lower expenses by UVA sales adjustments, thereby from time deposits linked to such indexes due to the lower increase in the UVA sales index quarter-over-quarter. Interest from time deposits and investment accounts explains 71.5% of interest expenses versus 73.9% on the previous quarter.

Net fee income as of the third quarter of 2021, total ARS 6.2 billion, growing 4.3% quarter-over-quarter and 35% year-over-year. In the third quarter of 2021, fee income totaled ARS 10.3 billion, marginally decreasing 0.8% quarter-over-quarter and increasing 8.2% year-over-year. The quarterly decrease is mainly explained by contracting effects against the previous quarter since commercial credit card benefits were recognized in the second quarter of 2021 and offset by fee linked to liabilities. The latter impacted by an increase in prices of ATMs and bundle products and a greater activity in the wholesale segment.

Regarding the expenses, this totaled ARS 4.2 billion, contracted 7.5% quarter-over-quarter and 16.6% year-over-year. Lower expenses are partially explained by lower digital sales expenses in the third quarter of 2021, which have been reclassified to administrative expenses offset by the positive effect in the second quarter of 2021 of the revaluation of miles purchased in 2020 within the LATAM program linked to the foreign exchange rate.

During the third quarter of 2021, personnel benefits and administrative expenses totaled ARS 16.2 billion, growing 21% or ARS 2.8 billion compared to the second quarter of 2021 and 18.7% or ARS 2.5 billion compared to the third quarter of 2020. Personnel benefits grew 6.2% quarter-over-quarter and 5.6% year-over-year. The quarterly increase is partially explained by an increase in variable compensation and social contribution.

As of the third quarter of 2021, administrative expenses increased 37% quarter-over-quarter and 32.4% year-over-year. The quarterly increment is explained by the previously mentioned reclassification of key expenses on digital race into adversive net expenses and higher cost of service outsourced through the Spanish parent company.

The accumulated efficiency ratio as of the third quarter of 2021 was 69.7%, improving versus the 70.1% and deteriorating versus the 62.3% reported in the second quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2020, respectively. The quarterly improvement is explained by a higher percentage increase in the denominator income considering monetary precision results than the numerator expenses, which has been positively affected by an improvement in net fee income and net interest income. Excluding inflation adjustments considered in the income from the monetary position line item, in the third quarter of 2021, accumulative efficiency ratio would have been 49.7%, deteriorating compared to the 48.5% of the second quarter of 2021 and improving versus the 50.3% in the third quarter of 2020.

In terms of activity, private sector loans as of the third quarter of 2021 totaled ARS 339.9 billion, decreasing 2.8% quarter-over-quarter and 13.8% year-over-year. Loans to the private sector in pesos increased 2.4% in the third quarter of 2021 and decreased 11% year-over-year. During the quarter, growth is especially driven by a 61% increase in overdraft, mainly through corporate clients and 7.9% in discounted instruments, mainly with SME's clients.

Notes to the private sector denominated in foreign currency fell 37% quarter-over-quarter and 35.4% year-over-year. Quarterly increase is mainly explained by a 40.1% fall in prefinancing and financing of exports and a 46.1% fall in other loans. These loans measured in U.S. dollars fell 38.9% quarter-over-quarter and 50.2% year-over-year. The depreciation of the Argentine pesos versus the U.S. dollar was 3% quarter-over-quarter and 22.8% year-over-year.

Decline in both retail and commercial portfolios and in the total loan portfolio are mainly explained by the effect of inflation during the third quarter of 2021, which reached 9.3%. In nominal terms, the retail commercial and total loans portfolio, all increased 8.3%, 3.1% and 6.5%, respectively, during the quarter, yet unable to offset the impact of inflation during the same period.

BBVA's Argentina consolidated market share of private sector loans reached 8.08% as of the third quarter of 2021 from 8.27% a year ago. In the third quarter of 2021, total loans-to-deposit ratio reached 54.5% from 65.5% a year ago. In the third quarter of 2021, NPL ratio reached 2.54% compared to the 2.49% reported in the second quarter of 2021. The increase is mainly explained by the subtle increase in weak or nonperforming loans, given the unification in nonperforming loans rate period in addition to a reduction, both in total retail and commercial portfolios.

The coverage ratio was 181.66% in the third quarter of 2021 versus the 187.89% reported in the second quarter of 2021. The change in the ratio reflects the greater reduction in allowances over the contraction in the total nonperforming loan portfolio, mainly due to the update in macroeconomic projections used in impairment loss model, enhanced by the effect of inflation adjustments from previous quarters.

Cost of risk reached 2.8% over the third quarter of 2021, higher than the second quarter of 2021, 2.61%. This is mainly explained by the greater reduction in the loan portfolio in contrast to the increase in loan loss allowances in real terms. The increase in write-offs is explained by the unification of nonperforming loans deferral linked to the measures taken by the Central Bank during pandemic, mainly related to credit cards.

In the third quarter of 2021, exposure to the public sector, excluding Central Bank instruments, reached 6.9% from the 6.5% recorded in the previous quarter. From the funding side, as of the third quarter of 2021, total deposits reached ARS 630.8 billion, declining 5.2% or ARS 34.9 billion quarter-over-quarter and increasing 3.5% or ARS 21.5 billion year-over-year. Private nonfinancial sector deposits in the third quarter of 2021 totaled ARS 620.4 billion, decreasing 5.6% quarter-over-quarter and increasing 3.5% year-over-year.

Private nonfinancial sector deposits in pesos totaled ARS 455 billion, falling 5.8% compared to the second quarter of 2021, an increase in 6.8% compared to the third quarter 2020. The quarterly decrease is mainly affected by the decline in site deposits, especially checking accounts (interest-bearing) and savings accounts. This was partially offset by a 16% increase in investment accounts. Private nonfinancial sector deposits in foreign currency expressed in pesos fell 5.1% quarter-over-quarter and 4.6% year-over-year. Measured in U.S. dollars, these deposits fell 8% quarter-over-quarter and 26.4% year-over-year.

As of the third quarter of 2021, the bank's transactional deposits, checking accounts and savings accounts represented 63% of total nonfinancial private deposits, totaling ARS 391 billion versus 65.4% in the second quarter of 2021. The bank's consolidated market share of private deposits reached 7.02% as of the third quarter of 2021 from 7.41% a year ago.

In terms of capitalization, BBVA Argentina continues to show strong solvency indicators on the third quarter of 2021. Capital ratio reached 23.5%, Tier 1 ratio was 22.9% and capital excess over regulatory requirement was ARS 88.5 billion or 187.7%. The bank's aim is to make the best use of this excess cap. The bank's liquidity ratio in pesos and dollars remained healthy at 72.2% and 91.5% of total deposits as of September 30, respectively.

Lastly, on November 3, 2021, the shareholders' meeting approved the distribution of cash dividends in the amount of ARS 6.5 billion. The distribution of the dividend is subject to the Central Bank's prior authorization, which has not been granted yet, and is suspended until December 31, 2021. The total amount of accumulated cash dividend, pending distribution is ARS 28 billion, considering dividends of ARS 14.5 billion for 2019 results and ARS 13.5 billion for 2020 results.

This concludes our prepared remarks. We will now take your questions. Operator, please open the line for questions.

(Operator Instructions) Showing no questions. This concludes the question-and-answer session. At this time, I would like to turn the floor back to Mrs. Lanusse for any closing remarks.

Thank you for your time, and please let us know you have further questions. Have a good day. Bye.

Thank you. This concludes today's presentation. You may disconnect your lines at this time, and have a nice day.