Singapore’s United Overseas Bank, or UOB, posted a faster-than-expected rise in third-quarter net profit to a record, helped by brisk trading and investment, and flagged a pick up in loan growth next year.

Southeast Asia’s third-largest bank by assets said that July to September net profit jumped 16 per cent to a record S$1.61 billion (US$1.22 billion) from a year earlier. This beat the mean estimate of almost S$1.50 billion from four analysts polled by LSEG.

“Amid a volatile global economy, Southeast Asia stands out as a bright spot,” said UOB Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Wee Ee Cheong in a statement.

“We are confident of ASEAN’s long-term potential, bolstered by strong economic fundamentals and a surge in foreign direct investment inflows with shifting supply chains,” he added.

Wee projected high single-digit loan growth for 2025, versus low single-digit for 2024, according to slides accompanying the earnings results.

The bank expects double-digit fee growth, higher total income, cost-to-income ratio at 41 per cent to 42 per cent and credit costs within 25 to 30 basis points range, all broadly in line with 2024, the slides showed.

The better third-quarter performance was driven by record-high net fees and trading and investment income.

However, net interest margins, a key gauge of profitability, were slightly lower at 2.05 per cent in the third quarter from 2.09 per cent in the same period a year earlier.