By Peter OBIORA InvestAdvocate

Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-Lender Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc said on Tuesday its pretax profit for the period ended December 31, 2014 increased 63 percent to N40.070 billion from N24.617 billion recorded a year earlier.

Similarly, post-tax profit grew to 54 percent as the bank declared N32.065 billion in 2014 compared to N20.773 billion in the same period of 2013.

Gross earnings increased from N111.226 billion in 2013 end to N130.611 billion in the review period of 2014; indicating a growth in gross earnings of 17 percent, according to the lender in a filing with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Stanbic IBTC increased its dividend payout to shareholders of the bank to 15 kobo per share, compared to 10 kobo paid the previous year.

The bank said closure date of register of members is April 14, 2015, though the annual general meeting (AGM) is yet to be scheduled, but it said payment of the 15 kobo dividend will be three (3) days after the AGM to be held in Abuja, Nigeria.

The share price of the bank climbed up on the Nigerian equities market by 2.43 percent to N28.68 from N28.00 on Monday; gaining 0.68 kobo in today’s session.