Bpce: results for the Q4 and full year 2021

2021: strong revenue growth, +14.1% vs. 2020 and +5.8% vs. 2019, at €25.7bn
illustrating the support given to all our customers in the economic recovery
Net income 1 of €4bn, x2.5 vs. 2020 and +32.1% vs. 2019

Q4-21: NBI of €7bn and net income 1 of €819m, +10.5% and +31.4% respectively vs. Q4-20

Retail Banking & Insurance: strong commercial momentum in the Banques Populaires, Caisses d'Epargne and all our business lines. Net banking income 2 growth of 6.2% in 2021

Global Financial Services: strong growth in revenues, +26.6% in 2021and +24.4% in Q4 21, driven by very strong commercial momentum and favorable financial markets

Tight control over costs: cost/income ratio of 66.1% 3 in 2021, down by 4.2pp vs. 2020 and by 2.9pp vs. 2019

Continued prudent provisioning policy

Very high level of capital adequacy, above the end-2021 guidance

Completion of the Group’s simplification process

Laurent Mignon, Chairman of the Management Board of Groupe BPCE, said: “We have supported all our customers during the economic recovery, playing to the full our role in financing the economy through our activities in Retail Banking and Corporate & Investment Banking, and as a major player in savings management. The support we provided our customers is reflected in the excellent commercial results achieved by all the Group's different business lines. As an unlisted cooperative Group, we can devote the vast majority of these results to continuing and expanding our action with our customers, particularly in their energy transition. We have also completed the final steps in the transformation of the Group with a simplification of its organizational structure, enabling us to execute our strategic plan under the best possible conditions and to become a front-ranking cooperative banking group, innovative and working closely with our customers at a local level, closely attuned to the challenges facing society.”

1 Group share 2 Underlying 3 See note on methodology 4 Estimate

The quarterly financial statements of Groupe BPCE for the period ended December 31, 2021, approved by the Management Board at a meeting convened on February 8, 2022, were verified and reviewed by the Supervisory Board, chaired by Thierry Cahn at a meeting convened on February 10, 2022.

Groupe BPCE:

€m Q4-21 % Change
vs.Q4-20
% Change
vs.Q4-19
2021 % Change
vs.2020
% Change
vs.2019
Net banking income 6,967 10.5% 10.6% 25,716 14.1% 5.8%
Operating expenses (4,916) 12.9% 7.3% (17,840) 7.2% 1.5%
Gross operating income 2,051 5.3% 19.2% 7,876 33.6% 17.2%
Cost of risk (619) (33.0)% 45.4% (1,783) (40.5)% 30.4%
Income before tax 1,360 28.0% (2.8)% 6,231 x2.2 12.5%
Income tax (489) 53.7% 24.3% (1,946) 86.2% 8.1%
Non-controlling interests (52) (56.9)% (76.1)% (282) x2.1 (60.1)%
Net income – Group share 819 31.4% 3.9% 4,003 x2.5 32.1%
Exceptional items (261) x2.0 x3.1 (455) (14.8)% (1.6)%
Underlying net income – Group share 1,080 42.7% 23.6% 4,457 x2.1 27.6%
Cost to income ratio (underlying excl. SRF) 67.6% 1.2pp (2.4)pp 66.1% (4.2)pp (2.9)pp

1. Groupe BPCE

Unless specified to the contrary, the following financial data and related comments refer to the Group's reported results and the underlying results of the business lines, i.e. restated to account for exceptional items as presented in the annexes on pages 17 to 19; changes express differences between Q4-21 and Q4-20, full-year 2021 and full-year 2020.

Groupe BPCE reported growth in net banking income of 10.5% in Q4-21 to 6,967 million euros and of 14.1% in full-year 2021 to 25,716 million euros, buoyed up by a strong recovery in commercial activities across all our business lines compared with 2020 (a low basis for comparison) but also compared with 2019. Net banking income rose by 5.8% in 2021 vs. 2019.

The Retail Banking & Insurance division posted a 2.7% increase in revenues in Q4-21 to 4,391 million euros and 6.2% growth in full-year 2021 to 17,502 million euros driven by the commercial dynamism of the two Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne retail banking networks as well as the commercial success of all the business lines in the Financial Solutions & Expertise division. In Insurance, the level of premiums enjoyed a sharp recovery (+32% in 2021) while the share of unit-linked products rose to 29% of assets under management. Payments activities have also progressed significantly compared with 2020, a period deeply affected by the health measures taken in response to the Covid pandemic.

The Global Financial Services division, which includes the Asset & Wealth Management and Corporate & Investment Banking businesses, recorded revenues of 2,348 million euros in Q4-21 and of 7,590 million euros in full-year 2021, up 24.4% and 26.6% respectively. In Asset Management, the first half of 2020 had been negatively impacted by market valuation and seed money effects; in the Corporate & Investment Banking division, activities were depressed by dividend cancellations (with their downward pressure on the revenues of the Equity businesses) and by xVA effects.

Operating expenses increased by 12.9% in Q4-21 and by 7.2% year-on-year in 2021.

Thanks to a positive jaws effect, the cost/income ratio excluding exceptional items and the contribution to the Single Resolution Fund 1 stood at 66.1% in 2021, down 4.2pp compared with 2020 and down 2.9pp compared with 2019.

Gross operating income rose sharply in Q4-21 to 2,051 million euros (+5.3% vs. Q4-20, +19.2% vs. Q4-19) and rose to 7,876 million euros in full-year 2021 (+33.6% vs. 2020, +17.2% vs. 2019).

Groupe BPCE's cost of risk fell sharply on a year-on-year basis: it stood at 619 million euros in Q4-21 (-33.0%) and at 1,783 million euros in 2021 (-40.5%). However, the cost of risk in 2021 remains higher than in 2019 (+30.4%) as a result of the continued pursuit of a prudent provisioning policy.

For Groupe BPCE, the amount of provisions for performing loans rated ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2’ stood at 419 million euros in 2021 compared with 1,358 million euros in 2020. The amount of provisions for known risks, rated ‘Stage 3’, stood at 1,364 million euros in full-year 2021 compared with 1,634 million euros in 2020.

The cost of risk stood at 32bps compared with gross customer outstandings for Groupe BPCE in Q4-21 (49bps in Q4-20), including 16bps for the provisioning of performing loans in Q4-21 (31bps in Q4-20) rated ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2’.
The cost of risk stood at 34bps for the Retail Banking & Insurance division (49bps in Q4-20), including 18bps for the provisioning of performing loans (36bps in Q4-20) rated ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2’, and 26bps for the Corporate & Investment Banking division (95bps in Q4-20), including 11bps for the provisioning of performing loans rated ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2’ compared with 30bps in Q4-20.

For Groupe BPCE, the cost of risk stood at 23bps compared with gross customer outstandings in full-year 2021 (41bps in 2020), including 5bps for the provisioning of performing loans (19bps in 2020) rated ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2.’
The cost of risk stood at 24bps for the Retail Banking & Insurance division (35bps in 2020), including 7bps for the provisioning of performing loans (20bps in 2020) rated ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2’, and 27bps for the Corporate & Investment Banking division (126bps in 2020), including 3bps for the provisioning of performing loans rated ‘Stage 1’ or ‘Stage 2’ compared with 22bps in 2020.

The ratio of non-performing loans to gross loan outstandings stood at 2.4% at December 31, 2021, down 0.1pp compared with the end of 2020.

Reported net income (Group share) in Q4-21 came to 819 million euros vs. 624 million euros in Q4-20 (+31.4%). In full-year 2021, it stood at 4,003 million euros, up significantly (x2.5) year-on-year vs. 1,610 million euros in 2020.

Exceptional items reached - 455 million euros in terms of impact on net income, Group share in 2021, down 14.8% compared to 2020 and down 1.6% compared to 2019.

Underlying net income (Group share) came to 1,080 million euros in Q4-21 (+42.7%) and 4,457 million euros in 2021 (multiplied by a factor of 2.1).

1 See note on methodology.

2. Digital & Data

The Group's customers and their advisers are increasingly using the digital and data solutions at their disposal. As at December 31, 2021, 11.8 million customers had made use of the Group's websites and mobile applications over the previous 6-month period, including 8.9 million for mobile applications alone (+24% year-on-year). Also as at December 31, 2021, 80.8% of our principal active customers had used our digital channels in the previous 12 months. The digital Net Promoter Score, a metric used to measure customer satisfaction, stands at a high level: +40 in Q4-21. The scores for the Group's mobile applications are also high: 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store and 4.3 out of 5 on Google Play at the end of 2021.

3. Climate change/ESG

With respect to climate change and the pursuit of our ESG policy, the Group has made long-term commitments and defined clear strategic priorities. Among the objectives for late 2024, when the “BPCE 2024” strategic plan will be coming to an end, the Group has notably included the goal of reducing the temperature of the portfolios of the Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) division to 2.5°C and the main fund of Natixis Assurances (NA) to 2°C. In the longer term, the aim is to lower the temperature of the CIB portfolios to 2.2°C in 2030 and 1.5°C in 2050, with the goal of lowering the temperature of NA’s main fund to 1.5°C in 2030. Another major target for the end of 2024 is to reduce the Group's own carbon footprint by 15% vs. the end of 2019. What is more, in its capacity as a major player in green and social finance, the Group is aiming to complete at least 3 green or social bond issues per year during the 4-year life of the “BPCE 2024” strategic plan.

In this respect, Groupe BPCE had 12.1 billion euros in outstanding green or social bond issues at the end of 2021. In January 2022, the Group achieved a new first for a European bank with a 750 million-euro 5-year green bond issue devoted to sustainable agriculture.

In July 2021, Groupe BPCE joined the Net Zero Banking Alliance, a financial initiative of the United Nations Environment Program.

In October 2021, the Group published its first climate report, known as the “TCFD report,” named after the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures set up by the Financial Stability Board.

The quality of the Group's ESG policy has won official recognition in the form of good ratings from five non-financial agencies:

4. Capital and loss-absorbing capacity

4.1 CET1 1 level

Groupe BPCE's CET1 1,2 ratio at the end of December 2021 reached an estimated level of 15.8%, compared with 16.0% at the end of 2020. Changes during the year can be explained by the impact of the following items:

At the end of December 2021, Groupe BPCE held a buffer of 480bps above the threshold for triggering the maximum distributable amount relating to Own Funds (MDA) while taking account of the prudential requirements set by the ECB applicable as of March 1, 2022.

Total loss-absorbing capacity (TLAC) estimated at the end of December 2021 stands at 109.4 billion euros. The TLAC ratio, expressed as a percentage of risk-weighted assets, stood at an estimated 24.8% at the end of December 2021 (without taking account of preferred senior debt for the calculation of this ratio), well above the 21.51% requirement laid down by the Financial Stability Board, effective as of January 1, 2022.

Expressed as a percentage of risk-weighted assets at December 31, 2021, Groupe BPCE's subordinated MREL ratio and total MREL ratio stood at 24.8% and 31.1% respectively, well above the minimum requirements laid down by the SRB in 2021 of 19.5% and 25.0% respectively.

At December 31, 2021, the estimated leverage ratio 1 stood at 5.8%. The adjusted leverage ratio requirement is 3.2%.

    Liquidity reserves at high levels

The Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) for Groupe BPCE is well above the regulatory requirements of 100%, standing at 158% on the basis of the average of end-of-month LCRs in the 4 th quarter of 2021.
The volume of liquidity reserves reached 329 billion euros at the end of December 2021, representing an extremely high coverage ratio of 247% of short-term financial debts (including short-term maturities of medium-/long-term financial debt).

The size of the MLT refinancing program for 2021 was established in March last year at the lower end of the initially announced range of 22 to 25 billion euros (excluding structured private placements and ABS). The latest adjustment to the breakdown per type of debt security is as follows:

The target for ABS was 1.5 billion euros.

At December 31, 2021, Groupe BPCE had raised 24.0 billion euros, excluding structured private placements and ABS (109% of the funding plan):

The amount raised in ABS (chiefly RMBS) was 2.7 billion euros.

The size of the MLT funding plan for 2022 has been established at 24 billion euros and the breakdown per type of debt security is as follows:

The target for ABS is 1.7 billion euros.

At January 31, 2022, Groupe BPCE had raised 7.9 billion euros, excluding structured private placements and ABS (33% of the funding plan):

No amounts in ABS have been raised so far this year.

1 See note on methodology 2 As part of its annual resolvability assessment, Groupe BPCE has chosen to waive the possibility offered by Article 72ter(3) of the Capital Requirements Regulation to use senior preferred debt for compliance with its TLAC/subordinated MREL requirements in 2021

5. RESULTS OF THE BUSINESS LINES

Unless specified to the contrary, the following financial data and related comments refer to the underlying results, i.e. results restated to exclude exceptional items, as presented in the annexes on pages 17 to 19. Changes express differences between Q4-21 and Q4-20, full-year 2021 and full-year 2020.
.

5.1 Retail Banking & Insurance

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % Change 2021 % Change
Net banking income 4,391 2.7% 17,502 6.2%
Operating expenses (2,833) 4.2% (10,885) 3.4%
Gross operating income 1,559 0.1% 6,617 11.3%
Cost of risk (552) (26.0)% (1,566) (23.3)%
Income before tax 993 22.1% 5,086 28.8%
Cost/income ratio 64.5% 0.9pp 62.2% (1.7)pp

Loan outstandings enjoyed year-on-year growth of 6.2%, rising to 650 billion euros at the end of December 2021, including 7.6% growth in residential mortgages and 7.0% and 5.5% increases for consumer loans and equipment loans respectively.
At the end of December 2021, customer deposits & savings (excluding regulated savings centralized at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations) stood at 553 billion euros (+6.0% year-on-year) and sight deposits were up 7.1% year-on-year.

Net banking income generated by the Retail Banking & Insurance division enjoyed 2.7% growth in Q4-21, rising to 4,391 million euros. In full-year 2021, net banking income rose by 6.2% to 17,502 million euros, including 6.7% growth for the two Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Épargne retail banking networks (excluding provisions for home-purchase savings schemes). The Financial Solutions & Expertise and Payments divisions also enjoyed very good sales momentum, with revenues up 5.8% and 13.9% respectively in 2021. In the Insurance division, revenues rose by 5.0% in 2021.

Operating expenses came to 2,833 million euros in Q4-21 (+4.2%) and to 10,885 million euros in full-year 2021 (+3.4%).

Thanks to a positive jaws effect, the cost/income ratio 1 improved in 2021 by 1.7pp to 62.2%.

The division’s gross operating income, which enjoyed strong 11.3% growth in 2021, rose to 6,617 million euros, reflecting good business line performance and effective cost control since the beginning of the year.

The cost of risk came to 552 million euros in Q4-21, down 26.0%, and stood at 1,566 million euros in full-year 2021, down 23.3%. In 2021, the cost of risk decreased in both the Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Épargne retail banking networks as well as in the Financial Solutions & Expertise business.

For the division as a whole, income before tax amounted to 993 million euros in Q4-21 and 5,086 million euros in full-year 2021, up 22.1% and 28.8% respectively from one year to the next.

1 See note on methodology.

The Banque Populaire network is comprised of 14 cooperative banks (12 regional Banques Populaires along with CASDEN Banque Populaire and Crédit Coopératif) and their subsidiaries, Crédit Maritime Mutuel, and the Mutual Guarantee Companies.

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % Change 2021 % Change
Net banking income 1,725 3.2% 6,867 8.7%
Operating expenses (1,098) 4.9% (4,289) 3.6%
Gross operating income 627 0.2% 2,578 18.4%
Cost of risk (282) (8.7)% (734) (11.4)%
Income before tax 333 5.5% 1,871 35.8%
Cost/income ratio 63.6% 1.1pp 62.5% (3.1)pp

Loan outstandings increased by 6.3% year-on-year to 276 billion euros at the end of December 2021. Customer deposits & savings rose by 7.5% year-on-year to 347 billion euros at the end of December 2021 (+7.3% for on-balance sheet savings & deposits, excluding regulated savings centralized at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations).

In Q4-21, net banking income came to a total of 1,725 million euros, up 3.2% year-on-year. In full-year 2021, it rose by 8.7% to 6,867 million euros, including a 9.7% increase in net interest income (excluding provisions for home-purchase savings schemes) to 4,073 million euros and 11.4% growth in commissions to 2,821 million euros.

Operating expenses rose by 3.6% in 2021, a rate well below growth in revenues.

As a result, the cost/income ratio 1 improved by 3.1pp to 62.5% in 2021.

Gross operating income increased by 0.2% and 18.4% to respectively 627 million euros in Q4-21 and 2,578 million euros in full-year 2021.

The cost of risk stood at 282 million euros in Q4-21 (-8.7%) and 734 million euros in 2021 (-11.4%).

Income before tax rose to 333 million euros in Q4-21 (+5.5%) and enjoyed sharp growth of +35.8% to reach 1,871 million euros in full-year 2021.

1 See note on methodology.

The Caisse d’Epargne network comprises 15 individual Caisses d’Epargne along with their subsidiaries.

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % Change 2021 % Change
Net banking income 1,804 2.1% 7,240 4.7%
Operating expenses (1,213) 4.2% (4,565) 2.9%
Gross operating income 591 (2.0)% 2,674 7.8%
Cost of risk (216) (39.0)% (578) (36.7)%
Income before tax 373 50.7% 2,097 33.0%
Cost/income ratio 67.2% 1.3pp 63.1% (1.1)pp

Loan outstandings increased by 6.4% year-on-year to 336 billion euros at the end of December 2021 while Customer deposits & savings rose by 4.0% year-on-year to 496 billion euros (+4.7% for on-balance sheet savings & deposits, excluding regulated savings centralized at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations).

Year-on-year, net banking income increased by 2.1% in Q4-21 to 1,804 million euros and by 4.7% in full-year 2021 to 7,240 million euros, including 7.9% growth in the net interest margin (excluding provisions for home-purchase savings schemes) to 4,117 million euros, and 3.2% growth in commissions to 3,297 million euros.

Operating expenses rose by 2.9% in 2021 at a rate well below growth in revenues.

As a result, the cost/income ratio 1 improved by 1.1pp to 63.1% in 2021.

Gross operating income declined by 2.0% to 591 million euros in Q4-21 but rose by 7.8% to 2,674 million euros in full-year 2021.

The cost of risk came to 216 million euros in Q4-21 (-39.0%) and stood at 578 million euros (-36.7%) in full-year 2021.

Income before tax rose to 373 million euros in Q4-21 (+50.7%) and to 2,097 million euros in full-year 2021 (+33.0%).

1 See note on methodology.

    Financial Solutions & Expertise

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % change 2021 % change
Net banking income 301 0.2% 1,200 5.8%
Operating expenses (164) 7.2% (625) 4.3%
Gross operating income 137 (7.0)% 576 7.4%
Cost of risk (29) (10.6)% (113) (3.5)%
Income before tax 108 (5.8)% 462 10.5%
Cost/income ratio 54.5% 3.5pp 52.0% (0.7)pp

The net banking income generated by the Financial Solutions & Expertise division grew by 0.2% in Q4-21 to 301 million euros and by 5.8% in full-year 2021 to reach a total of 1,200 million euros, driven by the good performance of the different business lines against a backdrop of economic recovery and effective risk control.

In the Consumer credit segment, personal loan activities grew by 19% year-on-year in 2021 thanks to the rebound in consumer spending.
In the Sureties & financial guarantees business, gross premiums written enjoyed 10% year-on-year growth in 2021 in the “guarantees on loans to individual customers” segment.
The activities pursued by the Retail securities services business remained buoyant with transaction volumes up 7% year-on-year in 2021 following in the wake of a very good year in 2020.
The Leasing business continued to enjoy buoyant levels of activity with 22% year-on-year growth in production in 2021, including 20% growth in new equipment leasing activities driven by business generated with our two retail banking networks.
Recovery was confirmed in our Factoring business with factored sales up 18% year-on-year in Q4-21 and up by 12% year-on-year in 2021.
For Socfim, new production rose sharply in 2021: +63 from one year to the next, with a doubling of new production in Q4-21 year-on-year.

Operating expenses remained under control with a year-on-year increase of 4.3% in 2021 to 625 million euros, the result of a positive jaws effect.

This performance led to a 0.7pp decline in the cost/income ratio 1 in full-year 2021 to 52.0%.

Gross operating income fell on a year-on-year basis by 7.0% in Q4-21 to 137 million euros. In full-year 2021, it stood at 576 million euros (+7.4%).

The cost of risk fell by 10.6% in Q4-21 to 29 million euros, and by 3.5% in full-year 2021 to 113 million euros.

Income before tax stood at 108 million euros in Q4-21, down 5.8% year-on-year, and at 462 million euros in full-year 2021, up 10.5% from one year to the next.

1 See note on methodology.

The results presented below concern the Insurance division of Natixis.

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % change 2021 % change
Net banking income 243 4.4% 964 5.0%
Operating expenses (129) 4.4% (510) 4.1%
Gross operating income 115 4.5% 455 6.1%
Income before tax 115 0.2% 462 6.2%
Cost/income ratio 53.1% 0.3pp 52.8% (0.5)pp

Net banking income rose by 4.4% in Q4-21 to 243 million euros and by 5.0% in 2021 to 964 million euros.
Premiums 2 enjoyed robust growth in Q4-21 to 3.6 billion euros (+22%) and were up sharply in full-year 2021 to 14.3 billion euros (+32%), with strong growth in life and personal protection insurance (+24% in Q4-21 and +36% in 2021) and continued growth in property & casualty insurance (+12% in Q4-21 and +8% in 2021).

Assets under management 2 stood at 81.3 billion euros at the end of December 2021. Since the end of 2020, they have grown by 12% with net inflows of 3.0 billion euros on euro-denominated funds and 3.6 billion euros in unit-linked products.
Unit-linked products accounted for 29% of total assets under management at the end of December 2021 (up 3pp year-on-year) and represented 39% of gross inflows in full-year 2021 (up 3pp year-on-year).

In P&C insurance, the customer equipment rate for the Banque Populaire network reached 29.6% at end-2021 (up 1.8pp compared with end-2020) while the customer equipment rate of the Caisse d'Epargne network stood at 32.8% at end-2021 (up 1.4pp compared with end-2020).

The combined P&C ratio stood at 98.0% in Q4-21 (+8.2pp year-on-year) and at 94.6% in full-year 2021 (+2.7pp year-on-year), in line with the deterioration in the loss experience.

Operating expenses increased by 4.1% in 2021 to 510 million euros, benefitting from a positive jaws effect.

The cost/income ratio 1 fell by 0.5pp in 2021 to 52.8%.

Gross operating income grew by 4.5% in Q4-21 to 115 million euros and by 6.1% in full-year 2021 to 455 million euros.

In Q4-21, income before tax stood at 115 million euros (+0.2%) and totaled 462 million euros in full-year 2021 (+6.2%).

1 See note on methodology 2 Excluding the reinsurance agreement with CNP Assurances.

The results presented below concern the Payments division of Natixis.

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % change 2021 % change
Net banking income 129 12.2% 489 13.9%
Operating expenses (111) 11.8% (416) 9.6%
Gross operating income 18 15.2% 74 45.5%
Cost of risk (1) ns (8) ns
Income before tax 17 3.5% 65 23.3%
Cost/income ratio 86.0% (0.1)pp 84.9% (3.3)pp

Net banking income enjoyed 12.2% growth in Q4-21 to 129 million euros and rose by 13.9% in full-year 2021 to 489 million euros (although 2020 represents a weak basis for comparison considering the impact of the lockdown measures on our commercial activities).

In the Payment Processing & Services business, revenues grew by 13% in 2021. The number of card transactions grew by 17% in full-year 2021 with a share of contactless payments of approximately 47% in Q4-21 vs. approximately 43% in Q4-20. The business continued to enjoy strong momentum in the volume of payments via mobile phones, up 141% in Q4-21 year-on-year, and in the volume of instant payment transactions, up 60% in Q4-21 year-on-year.
For the Digital segment, 2021 is another year of strong volume growth for Dalenys (+ 39%) and PayPlug (+ 67%).
In the Benefits segment, the volume of vouchers presented for payment saw 24% year-on-year growth in 2021 for the restaurant voucher business, against a backdrop economic recovery and increased consumer spending.

Operating expenses rose by 9.6% year-on-year in 2021, benefiting from a positive jaws effect.

The cost/income ratio 1 improved by 3.3pp to 84.9% in full-year 2021.

Gross operating income rebounded sharply to 74 million euros in 2021 (+45.5%); in Q4-21, it increased by 15.2% to 18 million euros.

Income before tax rose to 17 million euros in Q4-21 (+3.5%) and to 65 million euros in full-year 2021 (+ 23.3%).

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % Change 2021 % Change
Net banking income 105 (2.1)% 414 (4.8)%
Operating expenses (69) (7.2)% (280) (2.7)%
Gross operating income 36 9.2% 134 (8.9)%
Cost of risk (31) 49.4% (94) 10.0%
Income before tax 5 (57.2)% 40 (34.5)%
Cost/income ratio 65.7% (3.6)pp 67.7% 1.5pp

Oney Bank recorded 16% growth in its loan production activities in 2021 to 3.5 billion euros (BtoBtoC +11% and BtoC +36%).
Loan outstandings came to 2.7 billion euros at December 31, 2021, up 3% year-on-year.

1 See note on methodology.

The GFS division includes the Asset & Wealth Management activities and the Corporate & Investment Banking activities of Natixis.

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % change 2021 % change ConstantFx % change
Net banking income 2,348 24.4% 7,590 26.6% 28.6%
Operating expenses (1,635) 33.9% (5,226) 17.7% 19.3%
Gross operating income 713 6.9% 2,364 52.0% 55.6%
Cost of risk (44) (72.1)% (170) (79.9)%
Income before tax 676 32.1% 2,193 x3.0
Cost/income ratio 69.6% 4.9pp 68.9% (5.2)pp (5.5)pp

Revenues rose by 24.4% in Q4-21 YOY and by 26.6% in full-year 2021 YOY (+28.6% at constant exchange rates).

Thanks to a strong positive jaws effect in 2021, gross operating income enjoyed 52.0% growth in 2021, rising to 2,364 million euros (+55.6% at constant exchange rates); this metric increased by 6.9% in Q4-21 to 713 million euros despite a negative jaws effect due, in particular, to the upward adjustment of variable compensation against a background of strong revenue growth in 2021.

The cost/income ratio 1 improved significantly in 2021: - 5.2pp to stand at 68.9%.

The cost of risk fell sharply compared to a high base in 2020 in the context of the health crisis: by 72.1% to 44 million euros in Q4-21, and by 79.9% to 170 million euros in full-year 2021.

Income before tax enjoyed strong growth in Q4-21 to 676 million euros (+32.1%) and very strong growth in full-year 2021 to 2,193 million euros (multiplied by a factor of 3.3).

1 See note on methodology.

The Asset & Wealth Management business line includes the Asset Management and Wealth Management activities of Natixis

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % change 2021 % change Constant FX
% change
Net banking income 1,366 34.9% 3,800 22.7% 25.0%
Operating expenses (926) 39.3% (2,746) 19.6% 21.7%
Gross operating income 439 26.6% 1,054 31.6% 34.4%
Income before tax 450 31.8% 1,066 36.9%
Cost/income ratio 67.8% 2.1pp 72.3% (1.9)pp
Q4-21 % change 2021 % change Constant FX
% change
1,400 39.5% 3,921 21.5% 23.7%
(942) 39.6% (2,801) 19.3% 21.3%
458 39.4% 1,120 27.5% 30.0%
460 42.4% 1,105 29.2%
67.3% 0.1pp 71.4% (1.3)pp

Unless specified to the contrary, the following comments relate to the key financial figures (excluding the contribution of H2O AM).

In Q4-21, the net banking income for the division excluding H2O AM amounted to 1,366 million euros, up 34.9%, and came to 3,800 million euros in full-year 2021, up 22.7% (+25.0% at constant exchange rates), integrating the increase in management fees due to the growth in average assets under management and in the fee rate as well as the increase in financial income in asset management, against a backdrop of rising financial market indices.
Net banking income including H2O AM rose by 39.5% in Q4-21 to reach 1,400 million euros and by 21.5% in 2021 to 3,921 million euros (+23.7% at constant exchange rates).

In Asset Management, net banking income excluding H2O AM in Q4-21 includes 436 million euros in performance fees (compared to €200 million in Q4-20) and €502 million in performance fees in 2021 (compared to €257 million in 2020).

In Asset Management, the fee rate (excluding performance fees) in Q4-21 stood at approximately 25bps overall and at approximately 39bps excluding insurance driven management (+0.8pp compared to Q4-20). The fee rate reaches around 35bps for American affiliates and around 43bps for European affiliates excluding insurance driven management. For insurance driven management, the fee rate is around 3bps. The increase in the fee rate is mainly attributable to the improvement in the affiliate mix, with a greater share of Equity and private assets.
In Asset Management, Q4-21 was an excellent quarter regarding fund inflows. Net inflows 2 Net inflows excluding money market and insurance products reached 9 billion euros in Q4 21, driven by the good momentum of the American (mainly Loomis) and European (mainly Mirova and AEW) affiliates. Asset management thus recorded the 7th consecutive quarter of positive net inflows on long products, i.e. around 27 billion euros since the start of 2021.

At December 31, 2021, assets under management 2 stood at 1,245 billion euros in the Asset Management segment. This metric increased by 4% in Q4-21 thanks to strong net inflows of 15 billion euros, a positive market effect of 20 billion euros, and a positive currency translation effect of 11 billion euros.

Operating expenses for the division were up by 39.3% in Q4-21 and by 19.6% in full-year 2021 (+21.7% at constant exchange rates).

Thanks to a positive jaws effect, the cost/income ratio 1 improved by 1.9pp to 72.3% in 2021.

Gross operating income rose by 26.6% to 439 million euros in Q4-21 and by 31.6% to 1,054 million euros in full-year 2021 (+34.4% at constant exchange rates).
If H20 AM is included, gross operating income increased by 39.4% to 458 million euros in Q4-21 and by 27.5% to 1,120 million euros in 2021 (+30.0% at constant exchange rates).

Income before tax totaled 450 million euros in Q4-21 (+31.8%) and 1,066 million euros in full-year 2021 (+36.9%).
If H20 AM is included, income before tax stood at 460 million euros in Q4-21 (+42.4%) and 1,105 million euros in full-year 2021 (+29.2%).

1 See note on methodology 2 Asset Management: Europe includes Dynamic Solutions and Vega IM, excluding H20 AM (€14bn AuM as at December 31, 2021); North America includes WCM IM

    Corporate & Investment Banking

The Corporate & Investment Banking business line (CIB) includes the Global markets, Global finance, Investment banking and M&A activities of Natixis.

Underlying figures
€m
Q4-21 % Change 2021 % Change ConstantFx % Change
Net banking income 948 7.1% 3,669 32.4% 34.3%
Operating expenses (694) 26.7% (2,425) 15.9% 17.0%
Gross operating income 255 (24.6)% 1,244 83.7% 89.0%
Cost of risk (41) (73.0)% (167) (79.7)%
Income before tax 216 14.4% 1,088 ns
Cost/income ratio 73.2% 11.4pp 66.1% (9.5)pp

Net banking income generated by the Corporate & Investment Banking division enjoyed 7.1% growth in Q4-21 to 948 million euros and very strong 32.4% growth to 3,669 million euros in 2021 (+34.3% at constant exchange rates).

In the Global Markets segment, FICT revenues reached 260 million euros in Q4-21 (+4% year-on-year) and 1,150 million euros in full-year 2021 (+4% year-on-year). Growth in Q4-21 was driven by credit activities in Europe and the US as well as by foreign exchange activities, which benefited from market volatility.
In the Equity business line, revenues of 76 million euros in Q4-21 were stable compared to Q3-21 and in line with the annual run rate of 300 million euros updated during the strategic review completed in Q3-20. Revenues for 2021 reached 427 million euros, representing a very strong recovery compared with the negative 48 million-euro result in 2020 when the first half of 2020 was impacted by numerous dividend cancellations that depressed Equity business revenues.

Global finance's revenues grew by 13% to 387 million euros in Q4 21 and by 17% to 1,499 million euros in 2021, driven by the Real Assets business and by a very good contribution from portfolios whose revenues increased by 15% in Q4-21 compared to Q4-20 and by 23% in 2021. Global Trade, down over the quarter in Q4-21 compared to Q4-20, recorded a performance growing over the year (+3.0% in 2021).

Operating expenses were up by 26.7% in Q4-21 to 694 million euros (upward adjustment of variable compensation accompanied by development investments) and by 15.9% in 2021 to 2,425 million euros (+17.0% at constant exchange rates).

Thanks to this positive jaws effect, the cost/income ratio 1 improved by 9.5pp to 66.1% in full-year 2021.

Gross operating income fell by 24.6% in Q4-21 to 255 million euros (adjustment of expenses) but rose by a significant 83.7% in full-year 2021 to 1,244 million euros (+89.0% at constant exchange rates).

The cost of risk fell sharply by 73.0% in Q4-21 to 41 million euros and by 79.7% in full-year 2021 to 167 million euros.

As a result, income before tax recovered sharply: it stood at 216 million euros in Q4-21 (+14.4%) and reached 1,088 million euros in full-year 2021 compared with -132 million euros in full-year 2020.

1 See note on methodology.

ANNEXES

Notes on methodology

Presentation of restated and pro-forma quarterly results
Following the announcement on February 25, 2020 of the sale of a 29.5% stake in Coface, all impacts relating to this transaction are shown, for financial communication purposes, on a separate line in the income statement entitled “Coface net contribution” (at the level of the Corporate center and Groupe BPCE).
From an accounting standpoint, the Coface capital loss in respect of H1-20 is classified under “Gains or losses on other assets” and the impairment loss on the residual stake in Coface in H1-20 is recorded under “Share in net income of associates.”
To facilitate comparison with previous publications, the restated quarterly series for Groupe BPCE and the Corporate center are included in these annexes.
In its capacity as the central institution, BPCE SA organizes, coordinates and supervises a certain number of activities or services on behalf of the Group and, notably, of the Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne retail banking networks (strategic oversight, coordination of commercial policies, centralized management of refinancing, major projects, etc.). The contribution of the central institution is presented under the Corporate center division.
The rules governing the re-invoicing by BPCE SA of expenses recorded with respect to the missions it pursues in its central institution capacity were modified in the fourth quarter of 2020. As a result and for comparison purposes, the 2020 quarterly income statements of the Retail Banking & Insurance and Corporate center divisions have been restated for past periods.

Simplified Public Tender Offer on Natixis shares
On February 9, 2021, BPCE SA announced its intent to acquire the shares in Natixis SA’s capital that it did not already own, i.e. approximately 29.3% at December 31, 2020, and to file a simplified tender offer (“offre publique d’achat simplifiée”) with the French stock market regulator AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers).
After the tender offer was declared compliant by the AMF on April 15, the various necessary regulatory approvals were subsequently obtained, enabling the simplified public tender offer to proceed on June 4, 2021.
On June 30, 2021, BPCE SA held 79.71% of Natixis shares (percentage of ownership expressed as a proportion of the total number of shares settled and delivered as at the balance sheet date, excluding treasury shares held by Natixis). The earnings generated by the Natixis Group in the 2nd quarter of the year and attributed to BPCE were computed on the basis of this percentage.

Result of the Simplified Public Tender Offer on Natixis shares
The simplified tender offer for 29.3% of the share capital of Natixis S.A., which closed on July 9, 2021, enabled Groupe BPCE to hold more than 90% of the share capital and voting rights of Natixis. The squeeze-out was subsequently implemented on July 21, 2021.

Exceptional items
The exceptional items and the reconciliation of the reported income statement to the underlying income statement of Groupe BPCE are detailed in an annex to this document.

Net banking income
Customer net interest income, excluding regulated home savings schemes, is computed on the basis of interest earned from transactions with customers, excluding net interest on centralized savings products (Livret A, Livret Développement Durable, Livret Épargne Logement passbook savings accounts) in addition to changes in provisions for regulated home purchase savings schemes. Net interest on centralized savings is assimilated to commissions.

Operating expenses
The operating expenses correspond to the aggregate total of the “Operating Expenses” (as presented in the Group’s registration document, note 4.7 appended to the consolidated financial statements of Groupe BPCE) and “Depreciation, amortization and impairment for property, plant and equipment and intangible assets.”

Cost/income ratio
Groupe BPCE's cost/income ratio is calculated on the basis of net banking income and operating expenses excluding exceptional items, the latter being restated to account for the Single Resolution Fund booked in the Corporate center division. The calculations are detailed in the annexes.
Business lines cost/income ratio are calculated on the basis of underlying net banking income and operating expenses.

Cost of risk
The cost of risk is expressed in basis points and measures the level of risk per business line as a percentage of the volume of loan outstandings; it is calculated by comparing net provisions booked with respect to credit risks of the period to gross customer loan outstandings at the beginning of the period.

Loan outstandings and deposits & savings
Restatements regarding transitions from book outstandings to outstandings under management are as follows:

Capital adequacy
Common Equity Tier 1 is determined in accordance with the applicable CRR II/CRD V rules, after deductions.
Additional Tier-1 capital takes account of subordinated debt issues that have become non-eligible and subject to ceilings at the phase-out rate in force.
The leverage ratio is calculated in accordance with the applicable CRR II/CRD V rules. Centralized outstandings of regulated savings are excluded from the leverage exposures as are Central Bank exposures for a limited period of time (pursuant to ECB decision 2021/27 of June 18, 2021).

Total loss-absorbing capacity
The amount of liabilities eligible for inclusion in the numerator used to calculate the Total Loss-Absorbing Capacity (TLAC) ratio is determined by article 92a of CRR. Please note that a quantum of Senior Preferred securities has not been included in our calculation of TLAC.
This amount is consequently comprised of the following 4 items: