PANAMA CITY, Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (NYSE: BLX, "Bladex", or "the Bank"), a Panama-based multinational bank originally established by the central banks of 23 Latin-American and Caribbean countries to promote foreign trade and economic integration in the Region, announced today its results for the Third Quarter ("3Q25") and nine months ("9M25") ended September 30, 2025.
The consolidated financial information in this document has been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB").
Financial & Business Highlights
Solid profitability, with Net Profits reaching $55.0 million in 3Q25 (+4% YoY) and $170.9 million in 9M25 (+11% YoY), fostered by a diversified and recurring earnings base delivering strong top-line revenues, overcompensating higher provisions for credit losses.
Annualized Return on Equity ("ROE") totaled 14.9% in 3Q25 (-143bps YoY) and 16.2% in 9M25 (-20bps YoY), as the Bank steadily improved its earnings while further strengthening its capital position, most recently on the back of the successful launch of its inaugural $200 million Additional Tier 1 ("AT1") issuance registered as other equity instruments. Excluding the overall effects of the AT1 issuance, the adjusted ROE stood at 15.1% for the 3Q25 and 16.3% for the 9M25.
Net Interest Income ("NII") totaled $67.4 million in 3Q25 (+1% YoY) and $200.4 million in 9M25 (+4% YoY), mainly driven by higher average business volumes. Net Interest Margin ("NIM") stood at 2.32% for 3Q25 (-23bps YoY) and 2.35% for 9M25 (-14bps YoY), in the face of the gradual impact of lower market-based rates and increased USD market liquidity driving competitive pricing and margin compression.
Strong Fee Income at $14.1 million for 3Q25 (+34% YoY) and $44.5 million for 9M25 (+37% YoY), driven by solid performance in all business lines, highlighted by strong growth on letters of credit and credit commitments.
Well-managed Efficiency Ratio of 25.8% for 3Q25 and 25.2% in 9M25, as revenue growth overcompensated ongoing investments in technology, modernization and other business initiatives related to the Bank's strategy execution.
Credit Portfolio reached new all-time high at $12,286 million as of September 30, 2025 (+13% YoY), resulting from:
-- Commercial Portfolio EoP balances reaching an historic peak of $10,872
million at the end of 3Q25 (+12% YoY), supported by steady credit demand
across all business products.
-- Investment Portfolio amounted to $1,414 million (+18% YoY), mostly
consisting of investment-grade securities outside of Latin America held
at amortized cost, further enhancing country and credit-risk
diversification and providing contingent liquidity funding.
Healthy asset quality, with most of the credit portfolio (97.2%) remaining low risk or Stage 1 at the end of 3Q25. Impaired credits or Stage 3 principal balance totaled $19 million or 0.2% of total Credit Portfolio, with a robust reserve coverage of 5.4x.
Steady growth and diversified deposit base, reaching $6,836 million at the end of 3Q25 (+21% YoY), representing a new all-time high, and 66% of the Bank's total funding sources (+7pp YoY). The Bank also counts on ample and constant access to interbank and debt capital markets, denoted by the $4 billion MXN bond issued in July in the Mexican capital market.
Strong Liquidity position at $1,934 million, or 15.5% of total assets as of September 30, 2025, mostly consisting of deposits placed with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (95%).
The Bank's Tier 1 Basel III Capital and Regulatory Capital Adequacy Ratios improved to 18.1% and 15.8% at the end of 3Q25, respectively, both well above internal targets and regulatory minimum, enhanced by strong earnings generation and the successful execution of its inaugural AT1 issuance.
Financial Snapshot
(US$ million, except percentages
and per share amounts) 3Q25 2Q25 3Q24 9M25 9M24
--------------------------------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
Key Income Statement Highlights
Net Interest Income ("NII") $67.4 $67.7 $66.6 $200.4 $192.3
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Fees and commissions, net $14.1 $19.9 $10.5 $44.5 $32.5
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Gain on financial instruments,
net $0.9 $2.2 $0.3 $5.0 $0.1
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Other income, net $0.4 $0.2 $0.1 $0.8 $0.3
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Total revenues $82.8 $90.0 $77.6 $250.8 $225.2
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Provision for credit losses ($6.5) ($5.0) ($3.5) ($16.7) ($13.3)
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Operating expenses ($21.3) ($20.8) ($21.0) ($63.2) ($57.6)
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Profit for the period $55.0 $64.2 $53.0 $170.9 $154.4
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Profitability Ratios
Earnings per Share ("EPS") (1) $1.48 $1.73 $1.44 $4.60 $4.20
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Return on Average Equity ("ROE")
(2) 14.9 % 18.5 % 16.4 % 16.2 % 16.4 %
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Adjusted ROE excluding other
equity instruments (3) 15.1 % 18.5 % 16.4 % 16.3 % 16.4 %
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Return on Average Assets ("ROA")
(4) 1.8 % 2.1 % 1.9 % 1.9 % 1.9 %
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Net Interest Margin ("NIM") (5) 2.32 % 2.36 % 2.55 % 2.35 % 2.49 %
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Net Interest Spread ("NIS") (6) 1.64 % 1.70 % 1.78 % 1.66 % 1.77 %
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Efficiency Ratio (7) 25.8 % 23.1 % 27.1 % 25.2 % 25.6 %
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Assets, Capital, Liquidity &
Credit Quality
Credit Portfolio (8) $12,286 $12,182 $10,875 $12,286 $10,875
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Commercial Portfolio (9) $10,872 $10,819 $9,673 $10,872 $9,673
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Investment Portfolio $1,414 $1,363 $1,202 $1,414 $1,202
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Total Assets $12,498 $12,674 $11,412 $12,498 $11,412
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Total Equity $1,646 $1,415 $1,310 $1,646 $1,310
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Market Capitalization (10) $1,712 $1,500 $1,195 $1,712 $1,195
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Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted
Assets (Basel III -- IRB) (11) 18.1 % 15.0 % 16.0 % 18.1 % 16.0 %
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Capital Adequacy Ratio
(Regulatory) (12) 15.8 % 13.9 % 13.7 % 15.8 % 13.7 %
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Total Assets / Total Equity
(times) 7.6 9.0 8.7 7.6 8.7
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Liquid Assets / Total Assets (13) 15.5 % 15.5 % 15.0 % 15.5 % 15.0 %
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Credit-impaired Loans to Loan
Portfolio (14) 0.2 % 0.2 % 0.2 % 0.2 % 0.2 %
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Impaired Credits (15) to Credit
Portfolio 0.2 % 0.2 % 0.2 % 0.2 % 0.2 %
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Total Allowance for Losses to
Credit Portfolio (16) 0.8 % 0.8 % 0.7 % 0.8 % 0.7 %
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Total Allowance for Losses to
Impaired credits (times) (17) 5.4 5.1 4.7 5.4 4.7
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Recent Events
Quarterly dividend payment: The Board of Directors approved a quarterly common dividend of $0.625 per share corresponding to 3Q25. The cash dividend will be paid on November 25, 2025, to shareholders registered as of November 10, 2025.
AT1 issuance: On September 12, 2025, the Bank announced the successful pricing of its inaugural Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital offering of US$200 million in the international markets. The perpetual, non-cumulative instruments, with an initial call date set for seven years, were priced at a 7.50% coupon. The transaction was more than three times oversubscribed, reflecting robust market confidence in the Bank.
Notes
-- Numbers and percentages set forth in this earnings release have been
rounded and accordingly may not total exactly.
-- QoQ and YoY refer to quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year variations,
respectively.
Footnotes
1. Earnings per Share ("EPS") calculation is based on the average number of
shares outstanding during each period.
2. ROE refers to return on average stockholders' equity which is calculated
based on unaudited daily average balances.
3. ROE excluding other equity instruments refers to the adjusted net profit
after AT1 distributions over average stockholders' equity excluding other
equity instruments, which is calculated based on unaudited daily average
balances.
4. ROA refers to return on average assets which is calculated based on
unaudited daily average balances.
5. NIM refers to net interest margin which constitutes to Net Interest
Income ("NII") divided by the average balance of interest-earning assets.
6. NIS refers to net interest spread which constitutes the average yield
earned on interest-earning assets, minus the average yield paid on
interest-bearing liabilities.
7. Efficiency Ratio refers to consolidated operating expenses as a
percentage of total revenues.
8. The Bank's "Credit Portfolio" includes (i) loans -- principal balance,
which excludes interest receivable, allowance for loan losses, and
unearned interest and deferred fees (or the "Loan Portfolio"); (ii)
principal balance of securities at FVOCI and at amortized cost, which
excludes interest receivable and allowance for expected credit losses (or
the "Investment Portfolio"); and (iii) loan commitments and financial
guarantee contracts, such as confirmed and stand-by letters of credit and
guarantees covering commercial risk and other assets consisting of
customers' liabilities under acceptances.
9. The Bank's "Commercial Portfolio" includes loans -- principal balance (or
the "Loan Portfolio"), loan commitments and financial guarantee contracts,
such as issued and confirmed letters of credit, stand-by letters of
credit, guarantees covering commercial risk and other assets consisting
of customers' liabilities under acceptances.
10. Market capitalization corresponds to total outstanding common shares
multiplied by market close price at the end of each corresponding period.
11. Tier 1 Capital ratio is calculated according to Basel III capital
adequacy guidelines, and as a percentage of risk-weighted assets.
Risk-weighted assets are estimated based on Basel III capital adequacy
guidelines, utilizing internal-ratings based approach or "IRB" for credit
risk and standardized approach for operational risk.
12. As defined by the Superintendency of Banks of Panama ("SBP") through
Rules No. 01-2015, 03-2016 and 05-2023, based on Basel III standardized
approach. The capital adequacy ratio is defined as the ratio of capital
funds to risk-weighted assets, rated according to the asset's categories
for credit risk. In addition, risk-weighted assets consider calculations
for market risk and operating risk.
13. Liquid assets consist of total cash and due from banks, excluding time
deposits with original maturity over 90 days and other restricted
deposits, as well as corporate debt securities rated A- or above.
Liquidity ratio refers to liquid assets as a percentage of total assets.
14. Loan Portfolio refers to loans -- principal balance, which excludes
interest receivable, allowance for loan losses, and unearned interest and
deferred fees. Credit-impaired loans are also commonly referred to as
Non-Performing Loans or NPLs.
15. Impaired Credits refers to the principal balance of Non-Performing Loans
or NPLs and non-performing securities at FVOCI and at amortized cost.
16. Total allowance for losses refers to allowance for loan losses plus
allowance for loan commitments and financial guarantee contract losses,
allowance for investment securities losses and allowance for cash and due
from banks losses.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements of expected future developments within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "seek", "believe", "project", "estimate", "expect", "strategy", "future", "likely", "may", "should", "will" and similar references to future periods. The forward-looking statements in this press release include the Bank's financial position, asset quality and profitability, among others. These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations of the Bank's management and are based on currently available data; however, actual performance and results are subject to future events and uncertainties, which could materially impact the Bank's expectations. Among the factors that can cause actual performance and results to differ materially are as follows: the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and geopolitical events; the anticipated changes in the Bank's credit portfolio; the continuation of the Bank's preferred creditor status; the impact of increasing/decreasing interest rates and of the macroeconomic environment in the Region on the Bank's financial condition; the execution of the Bank's strategies and initiatives, including its revenue diversification strategy; the adequacy of the Bank's allowance for expected credit losses; the need for additional allowance for expected credit losses; the Bank's ability to achieve future growth, to reduce its liquidity levels and increase its leverage; the Bank's ability to maintain its investment-grade credit ratings; the availability and mix of future sources of funding for the Bank's lending operations; potential trading losses; the possibility of fraud; and the adequacy of the Bank's sources of liquidity to replace deposit withdrawals. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
About Bladex
Bladex, a multinational bank originally established by the central banks of Latin-American and Caribbean countries, began operations in 1979 to promote foreign trade and economic integration in the Region. The Bank, headquartered in Panama, also has offices in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States of America, and a Representative License in Peru, supporting the regional expansion and servicing its customer base, which includes financial institutions and corporations.
Bladex is listed on the NYSE in the United States of America $(BLX)$, since 1992, and its shareholders include: central banks and state-owned banks and entities representing 23 Latin American countries; commercial banks and financial institutions; and institutional and retail investors through its public listing.
Conference Call Information
There will be a conference call to discuss the Bank's quarterly results on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. New York City time (Eastern Time). For those interested in participating, please click here to pre-register to our conference call or visit our website at http://www.bladex.com. Participants should register five minutes before the call is set to begin. The webcast presentation will be available for viewing and downloads on http://www.bladex.com. The conference call will become available for review one hour after its conclusion.
For more information, please access http://www.bladex.com or contact:
Mr. Carlos Daniel Raad
Chief Investor Relations Officer
Tel: +507 366-4925 ext. 7925
E-mail: craad@bladex.com / ir@bladex.com
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SOURCE Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (Bladex)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 28, 2025 18:00 ET (22:00 GMT)