E.SUN FHC investor conference was held on August 25, announcing the financial overview for the first quarter of 2017. The cumulative profit after tax was NT$3.73 billion, the earnings per share (EPS) was NT$0.43, ROE was 11.42%, and ROA was 0.79%. Every financial indicator exhibited stable growth.
In the first quarter of the year, E.SUN demonstrated favorable performance in various business activities. The overall net profit was 13.1% higher than the previous year, with net interest income and net service fee income increasing by 12.8% and 5.0%, respectively. E.SUN has also attained satisfactory performance with respect to the number of valid cards issued and credit card transactions, with the net service fee growth reaching as high as 21.0%.
Regarding financial innovation, E.SUN insists on providing customer-centric digital services that are memorable and of the highest quality. Concerning wealth management, E.SUN has introduced the "FES Financial Management" application that enables customers to allocate their assets remotely and capture investment opportunities in real time. Regarding online banking, the e-Click Loan Application service is an extension of personal loan service to include mortgage loan and small business loan services. This service is aimed at customizing services that cater to the needs of customers. Regarding online payment, E.SUN Wallet supports both Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, making payment more efficient and convenient.
E.SUN has again received accolades from international credit rating companies for its business performance. Following Moody's credit rating of E.SUN Bank (A3) and E.SUN FHC (Baa1), the S&P and Taiwan Ratings simultaneously increased the credit rating of E.SUN FHC (BBB/twAA-) and E.SUN Bank (BBB+/twAA) in the beginning of May. This is also the fourth year in which E.SUN's credit ratings or outlook were increased by credit agencies. The analyst indicated that these adjustments were mainly attributed to the diversification of E.SUN's business development in recent years, the excellent asset quality it holds, and the sound long-term development strategy it adopts.
E.SUN emphasizes the importance of economic, social, and environmental responsibilities. It has always continued to ensure compliance with international CSR trends and practices, and actively supports green industry policies by issuing green bonds. E.SUN is the first green bond issuing bank in Taiwan to have established the price of green bonds and issued the highest number of green bonds. Thus far, US$60 million worth of green bonds have been purchased, and E.SUN started trading these bonds on May 19. Following the issuing of green bonds, E.SUN is the first bank in Taiwan to issue green bonds and adopt the Equator Principles simultaneously. E.SUN is committed to responsible investment and responsible lending as a means of maximizing the influence of green financing.
In the beginning of the month, E.SUN FHC successfully completed planning the capital increase of NT$10.5 billion in cash, which will be used as the capital for the development of its subsidiary E.SUN Bank. After the current capital increase in cash plus the transfer of retained earnings to capital, E.SUN's capital stock is expected to exceed NT$100 billion. With plans for overseas expansion in the future, E.SUN aims to become the most distinguished bank in Asia.
