NAB's wealth management pushes group revenue up to $1.4B

NAB posted unaudited cash earnings of $1.4 billion in the first quarter of the 2012 financial year.

This is partly ascribed to NAB's Wholesale banking and MLC & NAB Wealth.

The wealth management increase was driven by an improvement in the financial markets and the acquisition of Aviva Investors Australia by nabInvest. The business did suffer net outflows, however, as investors remained cautious, NAB stated.

The improvement in wholesale banking was due to improved sales in the customer business and better trading opportunities in the risk businesses, according to NAB.

However, the revenue in business and personal was flat, with volume growth offset by higher funding costs, which also contributed to a decline in UK banking, the group stated.

"National Australia Bank has recorded a solid performance for the first quarter of the 2012 financial year in what has been a more challenging environment," said group chief executive Cameroin Clyne.

"Higher deposit and wholesale funding costs, softening credit growth and fragile economic conditions continued to be key characteristics of the operating environment in most of the regions in which NAB operates."

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