UOB Q4 Results Overview:

- Profit Surge: UOB's Q4 net profit surged by 21.8% to S$1.4 billion, driven by higher net fee income and other non-interest income.

- One-Off Expenses: The earnings included S$94 million in one-off expenses from Citigroup integration costs after taxes, which was 35% higher than the previous year.

- Missed Forecast: Despite the strong performance, the earnings missed the S$1.5 billion consensus forecast due to the integration expenses.

- Revenue Streams: Net fee income rose by 17.3% to S$569 million, while other non-interest income climbed by 53.7% to S$438 million.

- Net Interest Income: However, net interest income dropped by 6.1% to S$2.4 billion, attributed to loan margin compression.

- Dividend Proposal: UOB's board proposed a final dividend of S$0.85 per share for the half-year period, bringing the full-year dividend to S$1.70 per share, representing a payout ratio of about 50%.

- Full-Year Performance: For the full year, net profit reached S$5.7 billion, a record high, but missed analyst forecasts. Excluding one-off integration costs, core net profit rose by 25.8% to S$6.1 billion.

- Future Outlook: UOB's deputy chairman and chief executive stated that the Citigroup integration is on track, with plans to incorporate portfolios in Malaysia and Indonesia.

- Employee Bonus: UOB announced a one-off extra month bonus for 6,000 junior employees, following recommendations from Singapore’s National Wages Council.

- Stock Performance: Shares of UOB closed 0.9% lower at S$29.24 on Wednesday.