According to PANews, Bloomberg Industry Research's senior banking and fintech analyst, Chen Yongfu, predicts that Hong Kong's virtual banks will see a reduction in overall losses to HKD 2 billion or less by 2024, driven by rapid income growth and stable cost bases. Operating expenses are expected to fall below HKD 3.2 billion.
Last year, eight virtual banks generally recorded growth in net interest income. MOX Bank, Fusion Bank, Livi Bank, and Ant Bank (Hong Kong) saw increases of over 100%. However, PAO Bank and WeLab Bank experienced declines in net interest income, with decreases of 14% and 32%, respectively.
Ant Bank reported the smallest loss, with a post-tax net loss of approximately HKD 180 million in 2023. Its net interest income for the year was HKD 58.4 million, a 291% increase year-on-year. Customer deposits reached HKD 633.8 million, up 79%, and customer loans totaled HKD 314.4 million, a 573% increase. Financial reports indicate that PAO Bank's technology-related expenditures in 2023 amounted to approximately HKD 60.6 million, while WeLab Bank's technology-related expenditures were around HKD 72.7 million, accounting for about 24% and 30% of their total expenditures for the year, respectively.
