PANews reported on August 18 that according to the 21st Century Business Herald, Chen Yongfu, a senior analyst in the banking and fintech industry at Bloomberg Industry Research, said that it is expected that by 2024, due to rapid revenue growth and a stable cost base, the comprehensive losses of Hong Kong virtual banks will narrow to HK$2 billion or less; operating expenses may fall below HK$3.2 billion.
Last year, the eight virtual banks generally recorded an increase in net interest income, with MOX BANK, Fusion Bank, Li & Fung Bank and Ant Bank (Hong Kong) recording an increase of more than 100%. However, the net interest income of PAO Bank and Air Star Bank decreased compared with the previous year, down 14% and 32% year-on-year respectively.
In addition, Ant Bank has the smallest loss, with a net loss of approximately HK$180 million after tax in 2023. Its net interest income in 2023 is HK$58.419 million, a year-on-year increase of 291%. In the same year, customer deposits were HK$633.822 million, a year-on-year increase of 79%; customer loans were HK$314.375 million, a year-on-year increase of 573%. According to the financial report, PAO Bank's technology-related expenditure in 2023 totaled approximately HK$60.61 million, while Airstar Bank's technology-related expenditure was approximately HK$72.67 million, accounting for approximately 24% and 30% of the total expenditure of the two banks in 2023, respectively.
