The Hidden Nasty In Royal Bank Of Scotland Group plc’s Latest Results

Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (LON:RBS) looks anything but cheap, as Roland Head explains.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in.

Read More

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice. Investments in a currency other than sterling are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in sterling terms. You could lose money in sterling even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland Group (LSE: RBS) (NYSE: RBS.US) have climbed 9% so far this year, and are 15% higher than they were six months ago.

Despite these gains, the bank trades at around 89% of its tangible book value — which seems to be an attractive discount, until you look a little more closely at the company’s plans, as I did recently.

Bad, bad bank

In its third-quarter results, RBS confirmed the creation of an internal bad bank, which will manage £38bn of the bank’s bad loans. RBS says that its ambition is to accelerate the run-down of these high risk assets, and to dispose of between 55% and 70% of them over the next two years.

Should you invest £1,000 in British American Tobacco right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets. And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if British American Tobacco made the list?

See the 6 stocks

According to RBS, this strategy is likely to mean ‘a significant increase in impairments in Q4 2013’, which will lead to a ‘substantial loss for the full year’. It could also lead to further falls in the bank’s book value, as dodgy loans are taken off the balance sheet.

I reckon this trend could continue into next year, as it’s hard to sell bad loans quickly unless you are willing to mark them down. By way of comparison, Lloyds Banking Group sold £1.8bn of bad loans for an average loss of 35%, late last year.

As a result of RBS’s strategy of accelerating the disposal of its bad debts, I suspect that next year’s consensus forecasts for earnings per share of 24.1p are somewhat optimistic, and expect to see further downgrades as the year progresses.

How to value RBS?

In fairness, RBS is not an easy bank to value. Not only does the government own 80% of its shares, but it’s also failed to make a profit since 2007, and is not allowed to pay dividends.

To make matters worse, if the bad bank is successful in disposing of non-core assets, then RBS’s book value could fall significantly, unless new lending accelerates at a dramatic rate.

Given this situation, you might think that investors would be cautious in their valuation of RBS. Surprisingly, that’s not the case — based on 2014 forecast earnings, RBS is currently valued more richly than any other UK bank:

Bank 2014 forecast P/E
Barclays 9.7
Standard Chartered 9.7
HSBC Holdings 11.0
Lloyds 12.4
RBS 15.6

I can’t understand why RBS shares trade on a higher P/E rating than any other UK bank — but I am sure that better value exists elsewhere in the banking sector.

But there may be an even bigger investment opportunity that’s caught my eye:

Investing in AI: 3 Stocks with Huge Potential!

🤖 Are you fascinated by the potential of AI? 🤖

Imagine investing in cutting-edge technology just once, then watching as it evolves and grows, transforming industries and potentially even yielding substantial returns.

If the idea of being part of the AI revolution excites you, along with the prospect of significant potential gains on your initial investment…

Then you won't want to miss this special report inside Motley Fool Share Advisor – 'AI Front Runners: 3 Surprising Stocks Riding The AI Wave’!

And today, we're giving you exclusive access to ONE of these top AI stock picks, absolutely free!

Get your free AI stock pick

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

> Roland owns shares in HSBC Holdings but does not own shares in any of the other companies mentioned in this article.

More on Investing Articles

Young female business analyst looking at a graph chart while working from home
Investing Articles

After collapsing 28% today, are Bunzl shares too cheap to ignore?

A poor trading statement has sent Bunzl shares to multi-year lows. Could now be a good time to consider investing…

Read more »

Investing Articles

These 5 stocks could earn £1,600 of annual passive income in a £20,000 ISA

Harvey Jones shows how to generate a high and rising passive income by buying a balanced mix of high-yielding FTSE…

Read more »

Young woman holding up three fingers
Investing Articles

3 things I like about Greggs shares

Greggs shares have tumbled by more than a third over the past year. But this writer has no plan to…

Read more »

artificial intelligence investing algorithms
Investing Articles

Nvidia stock: beware the bear market rally

Andrew Mackie argues that investors should tread carefully before investing in Nvidia stock, as the worst of the sell-off could…

Read more »

Young black colleagues high-fiving each other at work
Investing Articles

Up 73% in one year, is this the best value stock in the FTSE 100?

A brilliant run of form suggests this FTSE 100 giant should no longer make the cut as a value stock.…

Read more »

Investing Articles

The best could yet be to come for UK shares! I’m buying these ones

Amid ongoing stock market turbulence, this writer's been adding selected UK shares to his portfolio. Here's why and what he…

Read more »

Top Stocks

4 UK stocks trading well below book value to consider buying

Sometimes, it pays to be contrarian: who says the UK market has priced a stock precisely right, anyway?

Read more »

Investing Articles

The S&P 500’s 12% off its highs. Is now a good time to buy US shares for an ISA?

Right now, a lot of British investors are wondering whether it’s a good time to buy US shares. Here, Edward…

Read more »