Capitec flags 22% earnings growth

CAPITEC Bank expected first-half earnings to increase by as much as 22 percent, it said yesterday. Shares in Capitec closed 9.07 percent higher at R232. Following the collapse of rival unsecured lender African Bank last month, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Capitec, citing “heightened concerns regarding the inherent risks of Capitec’s consumer lending focus”. But Capitec said it had seen a marked increase in fees from transactions in the six months to August, and it attracted more retail deposits. – Reuters