Challenger bank OSB Group PLC (LSE:OSB) shares rose after it announced profits above consensus, a £200mln of shareholder returns and, along with the rest of the sector, was carried higher in the rebound from market sell-off earlier in the week.
Along with a £150mln share buyback the FTSE 250-listed lender unveiled an unexpected £50mln special dividend, worth 11.7p per share.
For 2022 it announced an underlying profit before tax of £591mln, 3.7% above the average City forecast.
However, the results were flattered by very strong fair value gains of £48.5mln, analysts at Peel Hunt noted, and had these been in line with expectations, PBT would have been 2.5% below consensus.
The net loan book grew 12% to £23.5bn underlying and £23.6bn statutory, which was above guidance of 10%. Guidance for 2023 was given for 5% growth.
Net interest margin of 3.03% was in line with guidance, and for 2023 was guided to be flat, broadly consistent with NIM trends more widely.
Peel Hunt said the aggregate of £200mln of returns was in line with its capital return forecast for 2023, albeit it had been modelling all of it as a buyback.
The ordinary dividend of 30.5p compares to a consensus forecast at 31.5p.
"Overall estimates should not move much for 2023. The shares are low valued (a PE of <5x, yield >6%) and we continue to believe they afford attractive value at current levels," said the Peel Hunt analysts.
Those at Shore Capital have the shares on a price-to-NAV rating of 0.9x, a p/e ratio of circa 5x and a dividend yield of around 6%.
"Our fair value currently stands at 745p and offers 57% upside. OSB is a high-quality specialist bank, in our view, benefitting from a structurally high return on equity (in part a function of its low cost and wholly-owned Indian back office) and a strong capital base (with scope for further optimisation)."
Both brokers reiterated their 'buy' ratings.