PRESS RELEASE

Secure Trust Bank PLC

LEI: 213800CXIBLC2TMIGI76

8 November 2023

For immediate release

SECURE TRUST BANK PLC

Q3 2023 Trading Update

Positive momentum continues

Secure Trust Bank PLC ("Secure Trust Bank", "STB" or the "Group"), a leading specialist lender, is pleased to announce its trading update for the third quarter ended 30 September 2023, with ongoing momentum from the Group's Optimising for Growth strategic priorities.

The net loan book continued to grow and the Group continues to trade in line with management's expectations on an underlying basis. Management has increased the expected annualised savings to be delivered from Project Fusion, the Group's cost optimisation programme, to £5m by the end of 2024.

Highlights

Net lending

The customer loan book grew by 1.7% in the quarter and 14.2% compared to Q3 2022. Strong growth in the quarter of 16.4% was delivered by Commercial Finance as leads were converted to new facilities. Real Estate Finance lending was consistent with Q2 2023. Consumer Lending grew by 1.1% in the quarter and 23.2% compared to Q3 2022.

New business

Total new business lending decreased by 7.3% in the quarter and increased by 15.3% compared to Q3 2022.  Business Finance delivered 29.8% growth on Q2 2023 and 62.5% growth on Q3 2022.  Following a record Q2 2023, Consumer Finance recorded reduced new business lending volumes in the quarter as spending by consumers softened.

Deposits

The Group has continued to raise deposits in a market that has seen a rise in the cost of retail funding. Customer deposits were 2.6% higher at the end of the quarter and 15.7% higher than Q3 2022.

David McCreadie, Chief Executive Officer, said:

"The Group has continued to grow in the third quarter and demonstrated the diversity of its business model with Business Finance contributing its highest quarterly new business volumes in over a year.  Our positive momentum continues, given our strength in specialist markets and we remain on track to achieve our medium term targets, including our plan to deliver £4m in annualised cost savings this year rising to £5m in 2024.

The continuing fall in inflation is welcome. We may have seen the high point of interest rates as a result, although the current rate environment has resulted in demand softening more recently.   The impacts of the recent high inflationary environment may not have materialised fully yet and so we continue to monitor our markets and customer portfolios closely. We will continue to support our customers and trading partners as required.

We are holding our second Capital Markets Day today which will focus on the strengths of our V12 Retail Finance business and demonstrate the pathway to delivery of the Group's medium term targets."

The Group has released a separate announcement relating to the Capital Markets Day.

Enquiries: 

Secure Trust Bank PLC

David McCreadie, Chief Executive Officer

Rachel Lawrence, Chief Financial Officer

Phil Clark, Investor Relations

Tel: 0121 693 9100

Investec Bank plc (Joint Broker)

Bruce Garrow

David Anderson

Maria Gomez de Olea

Tel: +44 (0)20 7597 5970

Shore Capital Stockbrokers (Joint Broker)

Mark Percy / Angus Murphy (Corporate Advisory)

Guy Wiehahn (Corporate Broking)

Tel: +44 (0)20 7408 4090

Camarco

Ed Gascoigne-Pees

Geoffrey Pelham-Lane

Sean Palmer

securetrustbank@camarco.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0)7591 760844

The person responsible for the release of this announcement on behalf of STB is Mark Stevens, Company Secretary.

Forward looking statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements about the business, strategy and plans of STB and its current objectives, targets and expectations relating to its future financial condition and performance. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about STB's or management's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. STB's actual future results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. These include economic and business conditions, risks from failure of clients, customers and counterparties, market related risks including interest rate risk, risks regarding market conditions outside STB's control, expected credit losses in certain scenarios involving forward looking data, operational risks, legal, regulatory, or governmental developments, and other factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of the date of this announcement, and (except as required by law or regulation) STB undertakes no obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements.

About STB

Secure Trust Bank is an established, well‐funded and capitalised UK retail bank with a 71 year trading track record. Secure Trust Bank operates principally from its head office in Solihull, West Midlands, and had 858 employees (full‐time equivalent) as at 30 September 2023. The Group's diversified lending portfolio currently focuses on two sectors:

(i)            Business Finance through its Real Estate Finance and Commercial Finance divisions,

(ii)           Consumer Finance through its Vehicle Finance and Retail Finance divisions.

Secure Trust Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Secure Trust Bank PLC, Yorke House, One Arleston Way, Solihull, B90 4LH.