13 Feb 2013

CBA makes $A3.7bn half-year profit

12:27 pm on 13 February 2013

Commonwealth Bank has posted a record first half net profit of $A3.661 billion and has given a cautious outlook on the economy.

The Australian bank's net profit in the six months to 31 December was up from $A3.62 billion in the same period in the previous year.

The bank's cash profit, a measure of its underlying performance, rose 6% to $3.78 billion from $3.58 billion.

The growth in profits of Australia's largest home lender was due mainly to a stronger performance from its retail bank, where personal loans and credit cards drove a 10% rise in cash profit.

Chief executive Ian Narev said there had been improvement in the global economy in the six months to December, which had a positive impact on debt and share markets.

But he maintained a cautious outlook, with consumer and business confidence in Australia still subdued.