Virus outbreak to take centre stage at local banks' FY19 results briefings

Singapore

THE focus of the upcoming Singapore banks' results will likely centre on the impact of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak, with global growth expected to slow as China - the world's second largest economy - takes a hard hit.

As it is, DBS, OCBC and UOB are projected to see continued pressure on margins and sequentially moderated earnings in the last quarter of 2019, even as analysts have raised the odds of higher dividends by the Singapore banks that should buoy interest in the trio.

Andrea Choong, banking analyst at CGS-CIMB, told The Business Times that the eventual transmission effects from the novel coronavirus are "concerning".

Investors will want to know what the impact will be, what segments are most sensitive to the virus outside of hospitality …