Category Archives: CFCStanbic

Countdown to REIT’s in Kenya

This week CFCLIfe and Stanlib managers held a media briefing on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT’s) in Kenya and their possible impact on the local property scene.  REIT’s are common around the world, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria have had legislation for them, and finally, there’s a Kenya law on REIT’s in place (July 2013) after many years of formulation and review.

 Stanlib Kenya  plan to launch REIT’s in Kenya in September 2014 – and the law allows for two kinds – Income REIT’s (I-REIT) and Development REIT’s (D-REIT). Some unique features about REIT’s (which will cost between Kshs 100 – 300 million to set up with a minimum of 7 promoters) include they must distribute about 80% of profits to investors, and investors can sign on to I-REIT’s for as low as Kshs 5,000.

The speakers noted that many large landlords in Kenya are quite comfortable earning incomes of less than 5% on their assets, when they could be earning quite a bit more (10% – 20%) by signing up with REIT’s – which are tax-exempt and offer diversification (can invest in strong properties prisons, hospitals, malls) with more liquidity for all investors who participate in the REIT. While there’s saturation as the high end of the property market, and expensive land prices are still climbing,  there are still great opportunities at the mid- and lower- residential and commercial income segments. Also,  the Kenya UN classification was upgraded which means that from a previous 45, over 180 countries will now have officials accredited to the UN living in Nairobi. 

Also licensed as REIT managers alongside Stanlib in April, were CIC Assets and Fusion Investments.

Answers to ColdTusker’s questions

  • The minimum amount of initial assets for a D-Reit is 100M and for a I-Reit is Kshs 300M
  • D-REIT in the act is defined as “a development and construction real estate investment trust” is for sophisticated investors e.g for property developers to put up properties. They have shorter lifespans – and YES they can convert to I-Reit’s which are for income from established properties. D-Reit’s can borrow up to 50% of assets, and i-Reit’s only 35%, also i-Reit’s must have 75% of portfolio in properties, and D-Reits have to have sunk 30% of their funds into property within year 1 
  • Centum 2 Rivers was mentioned as the planned largest mall in Eastern Africa – with Carrefour as an anchor along with other foreign shops as main tenants (not the usual local supermarket and shops in the stores)..interesting as Carrefour seems to be withdrawing from emerging markets –  http://qz.com/231405/carrefours-india-exit-has-little-to-do-with-the-governments-reservations-on-retail/

2011 Kenya Bank Rankings Final Word

Local banks rules, but KCB holds off Equity

The top local Kenyan banks as at December 2011, ranked by assets are:

6 (6 last year) CFC Stanbic Bank: Steady assets of Kshs 140 billion ($1.7 billion) and profit of Kshs 3.1 billion ($38 million)

5 (4) Standard Chartered: Assets up 15% to Kshs 164 billion , and profits went up 8% to Kshs 8.25 billion. Deposits grew 22%, and loans went up 48% as they halved their government securities to Kshs24 billion. (Barclays & KCB also reduced their government securities positions compared to December 2010)

4 (2) Barclays: Drop from 4 to 2, but still have the best return on assets at 7.18% on a slightly smaller asset base of Kshs 167 billion. Profits went up 11% to Kshs 12.01 billion, and loans went up 14%, but there was no change in deposits.

3 (3) Cooperative: Was leap-frogged by Equity Bank, but gained a place thanks to shrinking Barclays. Steady but slow growth as assets grew by 9% to Kshs 167 billion, deposits grew by 15% and profits by 11% to Kshs. 6.16 billion as the bank still seeks to move beyond the cooperative sector.

2 (5) Equity Bank: Leap from No. 5 to 2 after reporting assets of Kshs. 177 billion and profits of Kshs. 12.1 billion, signifying growth of about 32%. for each. The years of annual 100% growth are over but as John Staley the Director of Mobile Banking and Payment Innovations, told attendees at HP leadership event dubbed Staying Ahead of the Pack, the bank has grown ten-fold every five years leveraging on technology and always with the mission to provide affordable financial services which they now plan to take beyond Uganda and Sudan.

No.1 (last year No. 1) KCB assets of 282 billion ($3.45 billion) and profit of Kshs. 14 billion ($172 million) KCB remains at number and matched Equity, growing deposits by 29%, loans 31%, and profits by 22%.

2010 Kenya Bank Rankings Part II

Comparing to last year’s Top 10 list.

I&M Bank: Sits, at number eleven, for the year, just outside the top 10, but made more profit than two of the top banks . I&M had an exciting year, with a November rights issue targeting to raise Kshs 2.4 billion ($30 million); they also launched an e-commerce platform, bought stakes in banks in Mauritius and Tanzania and got investment funding from Proparco & DEG.

10. Diamond Trust (2009 rank 10): Assets of Kshs 58.2 billion ($727 million) and nine month profits of Kshs 2.3 billion ($29 million) – had growth across the board of 30% compared to a year ago and with a good income outlook and very low NPA. Expanding to Burundi while other banks have headed to Rwanda, and Chairman stepped down to take up similar post at the revived Air Uganda.

9. Citibank Kenya (2009: 7): Assets of 63.9 billion ($798 million) and nine month profits of 2.15 billion ($27 million). A quiet year for the bank but ramped up in Q3 this year and that will impact year-end numbers, which were flat before that. MD Ade Ayeyemi moved on to other bank operations, and the bank has been unable to shake off local stockbroker allegations that they are holding Safaricom IPO refunds from investors since 2008

8. Commercial Bank of Africa (2009: 9): Assets of 65 billion ($813 million) and nine-month profits of 1.9 billion ($23.7 million) . A quiet year for the bank which has grown by about 40% since a year ago, but which will soon have to raise compliance capital from its shareholders.

7. National Bank of Kenya (2009: 8): Assets of 67.4 billion ($842 million) and nine month profits of 1.9 billion ($24.8 million). And has ramped up lending including mortgages and seen improved profits. The replacement of long serving CEO is up in the air are Government plans to privatize the bank with plans shifting toward private investor as opposed to offering more shares to the public

6. CFC-Stanbic (2009: 6): Assets of Kshs 104 billion ($1.3 billion) and nine month profits of 1.5 billion ($18.8 million). The sleeping giant created by the merger of two mid size banks is still treading, and though with improved profit, they are still the lowest of the top 10 banks.

5. Equity Bank(2009: 5): Assets of 129 billion ($1.61 billion) and profits of 6.8 billion ($84 million) . For the second year slightly reduced growth to 40 – 50% not the 100% of years past. The bank had a shift in direction towards an agency branch model using mobile phones to reach its 5 million plus customers, and after the rapid growth of m-kesho ( a partnership with Safaricom,), they have in the last two months also signed on with Orange and Essar, tying up 3 of the 4 Telco’s with mobile money.

Diversification has been a mixed bag, with good results from Sudan and M-kesho, but not so (yet) with Uganda, investment banking, and Housing Finance, which while initially unwelcome it appears that HF shareholders would now welcome a merger. Still, this could be the year they clinch the highest profit crown in the Kenya banking sector.

4. Standard Chartered (2009: 3): Assets of 134.6 billion ($1.68 billion) and profits of Kshs 6.1 billion ($77 million) in nine months. Had an over-subscribed rights issue and took over the custody business that Barclays sold in Africa. They make good money from corporate loans and from government securities – they have almost as much paper ($650 million) as they do in customer loans.

3. Cooperative Bank ( 2009: 4): Assets of 141.1 billion ($1.76 billion) and nine-month profits of 4.3 billion ($53.7 million) . overall growth of ~40% with group assets about the same, and diversification has included buying stake in CIC insurance, stock broking and have talked about going into South Sudan and other East Africa countries

2. Barclays(2009: 1): Assets of 177 billion (2.2 billion), with nine month profit of 7 billion ($87 million). This big bank has nowhere to go, with growth of 5% from a year ago, can they buy up some smaller banks? They shed their Africa custody business to standard chartered and got into an m-pesa banking partnership belatedly after pushing their own mobile money platform for two years.
Site of planned KCB new HQ building, opp Equity Bank Centre, Upper Hill Nairobi
1 KCB (2009: 2): Assets of Kshs 218.2 billion ($2.72 billion) and nine month profit of 6.39 billion ($80 million). Had a rights issue earlier in the year, that raised $156 million and they plan to put up a new headquarters in upper hill. But with total group assets of 244 billion, the bank was third in profit behind Barclays and Equity after Q3.

Online Share Trading in Kenya

Tonight CFC Stanbic Financial Services launched online share trading which they say is the first online share trading platform in the country. The actual ceremony was conducted by Information Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo (a Mumias shareholder through CSFS) who noted that while Diaspora Kenyans remitted $2 billion per year, they hand no true seamless mechanism to buy shares – until now.

It’s a light-weight system accessible to CSFS customers to make trade orders – buy, sell, cancel, monitor volumes, settlements, & trade live at the Nairobi Stock Exchange in real time as well as get statements & portfolio valuations.

Disclaimer: I’ve been a long-term investor through CSFS primarily through e-mailing trades, and this has been quite satisfactory. Enabling online share trading is a service which several brokers have promoted, but delivery has been spotty. The CSFS system is available even on Smartphones,and while SMS and mobile money are not highlighted, these will be features to push for and the service is one to try out and see.