Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) has announced a strong start to 2025, reporting net earnings of PHP12.3 billion for the first quarter. This impressive performance was fueled by substantial loan growth across all segments, strong fee and trading income, and well-managed operating costs.
The bank’s pre-provision operating profit saw a healthy 8.8% year-on-year increase, reaching PHP18.8 billion in the first three months of 2025.
Metrobank President Fabian S. Dee commented, “Our first quarter performance positions us well to achieve our medium-term growth strategies, even amidst ongoing global uncertainties. Our robust capitalization and healthy portfolio provide both us and our clients with confidence in our ability to navigate the evolving economic landscape.”
Net interest income edged up to PHP29.4 billion during the quarter, supported by the continued expansion of Metrobank’s lending activities. Gross loans demonstrated significant growth, increasing by 16.1% year-on-year. This growth was broad-based, with commercial loans also expanding by 16.1%, driven by sustained corporate capital expenditure. The consumer loans portfolio experienced a similarly robust increase of 16.0%, propelled by strong growth in auto loans (21.4%) and gross credit card receivables (17.9%).
On the funding side, total deposits reached PHP2.2 trillion, with a significant 64.4% held in low-cost current and savings accounts (CASA). Non-interest income also showed strong momentum, growing by 31.9% to PHP 8.7 billion for the quarter. Fee income contributed significantly, jumping by 10.5% to PHP 4.3 billion, benefiting from the expanding consumer business. Notably, combined trading and foreign exchange gains surged nearly fourfold to PHP 2.6 billion.
Metrobank effectively managed its operating costs, with growth kept at a moderate 7.0%, resulting in a cost-to-income ratio of 50.8%. The bank also maintained strong asset quality, with non-performing loans (NPL) representing a low 1.6% of total loans, significantly better than the industry’s reported 3.5% NPL ratio as of February 2025. The bank booked PHP 2.6 billion in provisions during the quarter, maintaining a high NPL cover of 150.9%, providing a substantial buffer against potential portfolio risks.
Metrobank’s total consolidated assets expanded by 9.1% to PHP3.5 trillion, solidifying its position as the second largest private universal bank in the Philippines in terms of assets.
The bank’s financial strength was further underscored by a total equity of PHP377.2 billion, a Capital Adequacy Ratio of 15.4%, and a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 14.7%, all comfortably exceeding regulatory requirements.
Metrobank’s excellence in wealth management was again recognized, earning the title of Philippines’ Best Bank for Ultra-High-Net-Worth clients at Euromoney’s Global Private Banking Awards 2024. Furthermore, in March 2025, Fitch Ratings upgraded the bank’s viability rating to bbb-/stable from bb+/stable, highlighting its credit strength, superior asset quality relative to the industry, and healthy capital buffers against high credit growth. Fitch Ratings also affirmed Metrobank’s Issuer Default Rating of BBB- with a stable outlook.
