Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) announced a strong financial performance for the first half of 2025, recording a net income of PHP24.8 billion. The solid results were driven by healthy loan growth, recovering margins, robust trading income, and improving cost efficiency.
Pre-provision operating profit for the first half of the year increased by 16.3% year-on-year to PHP39.1 billion, demonstrating the bank’s strong operational foundation.
“Our first half performance reflects the continuing strength of our core businesses,” said Metrobank President Fabian S. Dee. “As we enter the second half of the year, we remain focused on building on our fundamentals and implementing prudent strategies, which will allow us to continue helping our clients grow further as well as achieve our medium-term goals.”
Net interest income reached PHP60.0 billion, fueled by sustained growth across business segments and a sequential rebound in net interest margin. Gross loans expanded by 13.2% year-on-year, with a healthy performance across all portfolios. Institutional loans grew by 12.7%, supported by a sustained increase in corporate capital expenditures. Meanwhile, consumer loans saw a robust 15.3% increase, led by gross credit card receivables and auto loans, which climbed by 18.2% and 17.8% year-on-year, respectively.
The bank’s total deposits reached PHP2.3 trillion, with PHP1.5 trillion in low-cost current and savings accounts (CASA). Non-interest income jumped by 46.2% to PHP17.6 billion, buoyed by fee income of PHP8.6 billion from the expanding consumer business. Combined trading and foreign exchange gains surged to PHP5.4 billion, driven by strong customer flows and optimization strategies in the investment portfolio.
Operating costs were managed at a moderate pace, growing by 5.9% year-on-year, which helped ease the cost-to-income ratio to 50.0% from 52.3% in the first half of 2024.
Asset quality improved, with the non-performing loans (NPL) ratio easing to 1.5% of total loans from 1.7% a year ago. This remains significantly lower than the industry’s reported 3.5% NPL ratio as of May 2025. Metrobank booked PHP5.8 billion in provisions during the semester, maintaining a high NPL cover of 153.9%, a strong buffer against any emerging risks.
Total consolidated assets expanded by 6.0% to PHP3.5 trillion, solidifying Metrobank’s position as the second-largest bank in asset terms among private universal banks. Total equity stood at PHP390.7 billion. The bank’s balance sheet remains strong, with a Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 16.3% and a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 15.6%, both well above minimum regulatory requirements.
Metrobank’s solid performance and forward-looking strategies have been recognized by several prestigious institutions. The Asian Banker awarded Metrobank as the Best Managed Bank in the Philippines, citing its strong capital base and steady Return on Equity improvement. The bank was also named by Euromoney as the Philippines’ Best Bank for Large Corporates and the Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility. Additionally, the Philippine Dealing System (PDS) Group recognized Metrobank for its strong contribution to the Philippine capital markets in 2024, awarding it the Cesar E.A. Virata Award – Best Securities House for the 10th year, along with other top honors.