ING posts 2012 underlying net profit of EUR 2,603 million

ING press release:rnrnING posts 2012 underlying net profit of EUR 2,603 millionrnrnING Group’s full-year 2012 net result was EUR 3,894 million, or EUR 1.03 per share, including divestments, discontinued operations and special items. The 4Q12 net result was EUR 1,434 million, or EUR 0.38 per share. The 4Q12 underlying net result was EUR 373 million, reflecting a solid quarter at Insurance and lower Bank results due to incidental items and the Dutch bank tax.rn rnBank 4Q12 underlying result before tax was EUR 184 million, reflecting negative CVA/DVA adjustments, de-risking losses and the Dutch bank tax. The interest margin was relatively stable at 1.33% versus 3Q12 while risk costs increased slightly to EUR 588 million.rn rnInsurance 4Q12 operating result improved versus 3Q12 to EUR 296 million as the investment spread strengthened to 132 bps. Sales grew 12.7% from 4Q11 and 23.6% from 3Q12 at constant currencies. Underlying result before tax rose to EUR 272 million.rnrnChairman’s Statementrnrn”2012 was a transformational year for ING as we worked decisively on the restructuring of the Group, preparing the Bank and Insurance companies for independent futures,” said Jan Hommen, CEO of ING Group. “In the fourth quarter we announced two major divestments of our Asian Insurance/IM businesses. We filed the IPO registration statement for our US insurance business, and we reached an agreement with the European Commission which gives us more time and greater flexibility for restructuring. The Bank made strides in optimising its balance sheet and generating capital to meet Basel III requirements while funding a payment of EUR 1.125 billion to the Dutch State and upstreaming an additional EUR 1 billion to the Group to reduce core debt.”rnrn”Results for the year held up well, despite the sovereign debt crisis in Europe and weak economic climate which persisted throughout 2012. Underlying net results for the Group were EUR 2,603 million, down just 5.2% from 2011, despite EUR 626 million of de-risking losses at the Bank, a EUR 175 million Dutch bank tax, and higher loan losses as the economy weakened. At Insurance, de-risking and low interest rates put pressure on investment returns, but underlying results recovered as market-related items diminished.”rnrn”As the environment around us changes, ING is also evolving as we work to meet our customers’ rapidly changing needs and to achieve operational excellence. In the Netherlands as well as in Belgium, we have made great progress in improving service and investing in IT as customers move swiftly towards mobile banking. As our business model evolves, so must our organisation. Retail Banking Netherlands is expanding the transformation programme started in 2011, leading to approximately 1,400 additional redundancies by the end of 2015 and reducing expenses by an additional EUR 120 million per annum from 2016 onwards. At ING Bank in Belgium, employee headcount is expected to decline by 1,000 FTEs by 2015, through natural attrition, leading to EUR 150 million in annual cost savings by 2015. These initiatives come on top of measures announced in Commercial Banking and Insurance Europe last quarter. Combined, all of these programmes accounted for EUR 452 million in after-tax restructuring provisions booked in 2012, but they are essential to drive future performance, reducing annual expenses by a combined EUR 1 billion by 2015.”rnrn”Amid all of the changes we are going through, our employees have demonstrated consistent dedication and commitment to keeping our customers’ needs paramount. As we embark on 2013, the economic climate remains challenging, and we must be agile to respond quickly to the dynamic environment so that we can deliver sustainable results for the long-term benefit of all stakeholders.”