Research and consultancy, Tabbush Report

Daniel Tabbush

Research and consultancy

Tabbush Report

We provide research and consultancy on Asian banks. Our focus is on what we call “Asian bank research, without the noise.” We are interested in the most critical swing-factors for banks, the NPL and credit cycle, and where we believe there is a gap between perception and reality. We often focus on the less studied components of bank financial statements.  Our research is highly thematic, sometimes examining unlisted banks and companies as a window on mainstream banks. 

Being independent allows us to look at smaller banks, often overlooked by others. Analysis of BIS bank guidelines in the context of Asia, is also a focal point, while we also analyze global banks operating in the region. We use what we believe is the most comprehensive, reliable financials database, SNL Financial. S&P Capital IQ augments our database, with corporate data and CEIC, with economics. 

Asian bank research, without the noise.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Singapore domestic credit growth is expanding upward over several months, where there are positive implications for net interest income growth</li>
<li>Growth of local loans was negative YoY in past months last year, so the delta pick up of net interest income can be strong</li>
<li>Accelerating growth likely means better credit metrics, and this is what MAS data shows too; this means that credit costs can come in, improving profit growth</li>
</ul>


Singapore domestic credit growth is expanding upward over several months, where there are positive implications for net interest income growth
Growth of local loans was negative YoY in past months last year, so the delta pick up of net interest income can be strong
Accelerating growth likely means better credit metrics, and this is what MAS data shows too; this means that credit costs can come in, improving profit growth


Singapore Banks - Domestic Credit Growth Rising Substantially, Credit Cost May Follow With A Decline

Equity Bottom-Up

United Overseas Bank Limited provides a wide range of financial services including personal financial services, wealth management, private banking, commercial and corporate banking, transaction banking, investment banking, corporate finance, capital market activities, treasury services, futures broking, asset management, venture capital management and insurance.

<ul>
<li>Headlines of UOB 3Q24 while strong at the bottom line, we have a very different read of the numbers </li>
<li>Investment &amp; trading income is more than the whole delta in UOB's net profit during 3Q24 YoY and QoQ</li>
<li>Operating costs rose 12% YoY, while net interest income was up just 1% YoY and core net fee income was up 7% YoY</li>
</ul>


Headlines of UOB 3Q24 while strong at the bottom line, we have a very different read of the numbers 
Investment &amp; trading income is more than the whole delta in UOB's net profit during 3Q24 YoY and QoQ
Operating costs rose 12% YoY, while net interest income was up just 1% YoY and core net fee income was up 7% YoY


UOB - Profit +SGD228m YoY, Trading & Investment Income +SGD320m YoY, 3Q24 Not as Great as Headline

PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk is formed by the merger of four state-owned banks, namely Pt Bank Bumi Daya, PT Bank Dagang Negara, PT Bank Ekspor Import Indonesia (Bank Exim), PT Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bank Bapindo). The Bank operates in the commercial banking services.

<ul>
<li>BMRI continues to take loan market share with growth well higher than average, due to its large balance sheet and focus on mining</li>
<li>Despite this, its NPL ratio has been steady for several periods, suggesting good underwriting, loan emphasis</li>
<li>ROA recent peak was 3.14% but the bank is near there now at 2.97%, growing in recent quarters, and likely to continue</li>
</ul>


BMRI continues to take loan market share with growth well higher than average, due to its large balance sheet and focus on mining
Despite this, its NPL ratio has been steady for several periods, suggesting good underwriting, loan emphasis
ROA recent peak was 3.14% but the bank is near there now at 2.97%, growing in recent quarters, and likely to continue


2025 High Conviction - BMRI Strong Loan Growth at 2x Industry, Better Fees and Lower Costs/Assets

PT Bank Central Asia Tbk provides banking and related services.  The Bank also provides custodianship, trusteeship, and management of pension funds of financial institutions.  Through its subsidiaries, the Bank also provides leasing and consumer financing services.

<ul>
<li>BCA is showing a strong rise in its LDR, and this had been an historical concern</li>
<li>Its asset-liability management (ALM) is improving, with NIM moving higher still</li>
<li>No evidence of marked deterioration in credit metrics, provision costs are conservative</li>
</ul>


BCA is showing a strong rise in its LDR, and this had been an historical concern
Its asset-liability management (ALM) is improving, with NIM moving higher still
No evidence of marked deterioration in credit metrics, provision costs are conservative


BCA - Focus on LDR, Which Had Historically Been a Problem, Too Low, With Stable Credit Metrics

Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited provides various banking and financial services including commercial, consumer, credit card, and mortgage lending, international trade financing, investment banking, and securities services.

<ul>
<li>Where there are many other areas of interest in Asia, globally, the figures just out for Bangkok Bank are incredible to us, not in a positive way.</li>
<li>The bank has seen its NPLs rise from THB71bn to THB85bn to THB92bn from 4Q23 to 2Q24 to 3Q24, putting YTD growth at 29%</li>
<li>The bank has more than 1/4 of its loans in manufacturing &amp; commercial where loan balances are down 4.0% YTD and down 4.3% QoQ</li>
</ul>


Where there are many other areas of interest in Asia, globally, the figures just out for Bangkok Bank are incredible to us, not in a positive way.
The bank has seen its NPLs rise from THB71bn to THB85bn to THB92bn from 4Q23 to 2Q24 to 3Q24, putting YTD growth at 29%
The bank has more than 1/4 of its loans in manufacturing &amp; commercial where loan balances are down 4.0% YTD and down 4.3% QoQ


Bangkok Bank - BBL Sees 29% Higher NPLs YTD and Core Manufacturing & Commercial Loans -4% YTD

The Tabbush Report: Asian bank research and consultancy, without the noise.

Daniel Tabbush has ~30 years experience analyzing Asia-Pacific banks, including HSBC, Standard Chartered, Japanese and Australian banks. His research and consulting focuses on global banking issues, including with banks in the US. He was the Head of Asian Bank research at the number one Asian brokerage CLSA for most of his career, overseeing coverage of 80 banks and 10 analysts in Asia-Pacific.

He has been highly ranked by Asiamoney, The Asset and Bloomberg, as well as by institutional investors focused on Asia. He continues to appear in press interviews with TVB in Hong Kong, and has appeared on CNBC in the past. He maintains an information-sharing agreement with Dr. Jim Walker of Asianomics, the foremost economist in Asia-Pacific, and Tabbush was an invited speaker on Asian banks at the Independent Research Summit in Hong Kong, during years 2013 and 2014.

Daniel started his own independent bank research and consultancy in 2012, under the banner name Tabbush Report. Since 2014, he has been a member of University of California San Diego Economics Leadership Council (ELC), supporting Economic students at the University through this alumni association, and providing guidance on Economics program develoment. Daniel grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from UCSD in Economics, cum laude and with Phi Beta Kappa honors. He lives with his family in Bangkok, and enjoys cooking, running and chess.

He is known for extolling the unusual positives of Japan’s mega banks in 2005, and the risks likely to hit HSBC from its U.S. subprime loan operations, in 2006.  More recently, when most were concerned with nearly all Western banks in late 2008, Tabbush highlighted the positive outlook for Standard Chartered Bank at that time. 

We provide research and consultancy on Asian banks. Our focus is on what we call “Asian bank research, without the noise.” We are interested in the most critical swing-factors for banks, the NPL and credit cycle, and where we believe there is a gap between perception and reality. We often focus on the less studied components of bank financial statements.  Our research is highly thematic, sometimes examining unlisted banks and companies as a window on mainstream banks. 
 
Being independent allows us to look at smaller banks, often overlooked by others. Analysis of BIS bank guidelines in the context of Asia, is also a focal point, while we also analyze global banks operating in the region. We use what we believe is the most comprehensive, reliable financials database, S&P Global Market Intelligence. S&P Capital IQ augments our database, with corporate data and CEIC, with economics.