A more robust commercial lending portfolio combined with improved operational efficiency enabled Asia United Bank (AUB) and its subsidiaries to post a record double-digit growth in profitability in 2025.
The group disclosed that its unaudited consolidated net income increased by 12% to P12.7 billion for the full year 2025 from P11.4 billion in 2024. This was primarily driven by a significant expansion in their combined commercial loan portfolio.
Reflecting success in deploying capital efficiently while maintaining a clean balance sheet, the bank sustained a return on equity (ROE) of 20% while return on assets (ROA) stood at 3.1%.
Total operating income rose 9% to P23.2 billion, anchored on a 13% increase in total loan portfolio which stood at P276 billion in 2025. The bank saw a surge in loan availments as business confidence returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2025. This lending activity drove net interest income to P18.4 billion, up 10% from previous year.
Low-cost current account/savings account (CASA) deposits grew 25% to P279 billion, cushioning the bank from higher funding costs and enabling it to keep its net interest margin steady at 4.8%. CASA deposits comprised 71% of AUB’s total deposits of P349 billion, which grew by 12% year-on-year.
Complementing its lending business, AUB’s other income increased 8% to P4.8 billion, led by higher fee-based income from other operational activities such as AUB PayMate, HelloMoney, remittance, trust, and credit cards businesses.
Credit costs remained well-contained, with a nonperforming loans (NPL) ratio of 0.38% and NPL coverage ratio of 115%. This reflects the bank’s disciplined underwriting and high-quality asset base, which further bolstered its strong income performance. This also ensures the bank is fully prepared to absorb potential volatility, even as provisioning requirements normalize due to improved borrower behavior.
Total assets reached P435 billion, 13% higher than in 2024. Capital ratios remained robust, with Common Equity Tier 1 (CET 1) at 18.4% and Total Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) at 19.1%.
“Even as we continue to post record growth, we remain cautiously optimistic as the entire banking industry faces more intense competition from fintechs, AI adoption, and more complex cyber threats. In addition, there are still mounting cost pressures and continuing geopolitical instability. However, growth opportunities abound for AUB, particularly in digital partnerships. It is through this that we can stay ahead of the curve by revolutionizing cross-border digital payment solutions through our HelloMoney, among others,” said Manuel A. Gomez, president of AUB.
AUB has been expanding the global acceptance of its e-wallet HelloMoney, which now includes mainland China and nearly 60 other countries in 2025. This means more than six million HelloMoney users can now make seamless payments by scanning QR (quick response) codes supported by Alipay+ in more markets when they travel abroad.