Chapter 1 · Part 1 — Statement of Financial Position
Reserves, retained earnings and total equity
Where the profit actually goes, why most of it cannot be paid out, and the minority stake that is not yours.
Share premium
Simple definition. The amount shareholders paid above the face value of their shares.
Technical definition. The excess of consideration received on issue of shares over their nominal value, presented as a separate, generally non-distributable component of equity.
Formula.
Share premium = (Issue price per share − Par value per share) × Number of shares
Illustrative: 10,000,000 shares issued at NPR 250 with par of NPR 100 → (250 − 100) × 10,000,000 = NPR 1,500,000,000 to share premium.
Distribution restriction. Share premium is contributed capital, not earned profit. Its use is restricted under the Companies Act 2063 and NRB rules [R] — typically it may be used for bonus issues or writing off preliminary expenses, but not paid out as an ordinary cash dividend.
*(NMB, Asar 2083: Group NPR 37,216 thousand; Bank nil. The premium arose in a subsidiary and appears only on consolidation. Small, and unchanged year on year.)*
Related terms. Share capital · Part 5 · Part 12 CET 1
Retained earnings
Simple definition. Accumulated profits the bank has earned over its life and not yet paid out or moved into a named reserve.
Technical definition. The cumulative balance of profit or loss attributable to equity holders, less dividends declared, less transfers to statutory and regulatory reserves, plus transfers back from reserves, adjusted for prior-period restatements and certain items recycled within equity.
The bridge between the P&L and the balance sheet.
STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS
│
│ Profit for the period
▼
┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RETAINED EARNINGS │
│ │
│ Opening balance │
│ + Profit for the period │
│ + Transfers FROM reserves │
│ − Transfers TO reserves (statutory, │
│ regulatory, exchange, CSR, training, │
│ debenture redemption) │
│ − Cash dividend │
│ − Bonus shares capitalised │
│ ± Restatements / adjustments │
│ ± Recycling from fair value reserve on │
│ disposal of FVOCI-equity │
│ = Closing balance │
└───────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
▼
BALANCE SHEET — EQUITYWorked reconciliation from the source report. (Bank standalone, NPR thousand.)
Retained earning at Asar end 2082 1,901,381
+ Profit for the period 4,013,671
− Transfer to Reserves (2,205,386)
− Bonus shares capitalized (918,335)
− Cash dividend paid (918,335)
──────────
Retained earning at Asar End 2083 1,872,996 OKThis ties exactly to the balance sheet. Trace this reconciliation every time you read a bank's accounts — it is the fastest way to confirm you have understood the equity section.
Note what it reveals. The bank earned NPR 4.01 billion but retained earnings rose only NPR (28) million — actually fell slightly. Why? Because NPR 2.21 billion went to reserves (mandated by NRB and the Companies Act) and NPR 1.84 billion went out as dividends. Very little of a Nepali bank's profit is genuinely free.
Why retained earnings ≠ distributable profit. This is the most consequential misunderstanding in reading a Nepali bank:
RETAINED EARNINGS (balance sheet) NPR 1,872,996 thousand
≠
DISTRIBUTABLE PROFIT (NRB statement) NPR 1,872,996 thousand ← in this case equal,
but NOT by definitionThey coincide here because the report's distributable-profit statement ends at Total Distributable profit (or loss) as on quarter ended Asar End, 2083 = 1,872,996, matching the balance-sheet retained earnings. But conceptually the regulatory adjustments in Part 7 — accrued interest receivable, DTA, goodwill, NBA short provision, actuarial loss — must be stripped out before profit becomes distributable. In a year where those adjustments are large and not already reflected, the two figures diverge. Always read Part 7's statement; never assume retained earnings can be paid out.
Effect on regulatory capital. Retained earnings are a core component of CET1, subject to the regulatory adjustments and to NRB's rules on what is eligible [R].
Analyst interpretation.
- Compare profit to the change in retained earnings. A large gap means heavy reserve transfers or dividends.
- A bank whose retained earnings are flat or falling despite profitability is either paying out heavily or being forced into regulatory reserves — the latter signals asset-quality or recognition issues.
- Retained earnings are the cheapest source of growth capital. A bank that retains little must raise equity to grow, diluting shareholders.
Related terms. Reserves · Part 2 Profit for the period · Part 5 (entire) · Part 7 (entire) · Part 12 CET 1
Reserves
Simple definition. Parts of accumulated profit that have been set aside for specific purposes and generally cannot be paid out as dividend.
Technical definition. Components of equity other than share capital, share premium and retained earnings, created by appropriation of profit under statute, NRB directives or accounting standards, or by the accumulation of items recognised in OCI.
The reserve columns in a Nepali bank's SoCE — from the source report:
| Reserve | Created by | Purpose | Distributable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| **General reserve** | Statutory appropriation of profit each year [R] | Build permanent capital | No |
| **Exchange equalisation reserve** | Appropriation of FX revaluation gain [R] | Cushion FX volatility | Restricted |
| **Regulatory reserve** | NRB-mandated appropriation of specified items | Block non-cash/uncertain profit from distribution | **No — this is its entire purpose** |
| **Fair value reserve** | OCI — FVOCI fair value movements | Hold unrealised gains/losses | No (unrealised) |
| **Revaluation Reserve** | OCI — revaluation model on PPE | Hold revaluation surplus | No |
| **Other reserve** | CSR fund, employee training fund, debenture redemption reserve, etc. | Earmarked obligations | No |
The regulatory reserve — the most distinctively Nepali item in the equity section.
PROBLEM NRB IS SOLVING:
A bank can report profit that is not backed by cash or certainty —
accrued but uncollected interest, a deferred tax asset, goodwill,
a bargain purchase gain, an actuarial gain, property taken over
from a defaulter.
│
▼
If that profit is paid out as a dividend, the bank has
distributed money it never actually earned in cash.
│
▼
SOLUTION: force an appropriation of exactly those amounts
from retained earnings into a REGULATORY RESERVE,
which cannot be distributed.
│
▼
Dr Retained earnings
Cr Regulatory reserve
(no P&L effect — a movement WITHIN equity)You can see the exact items in the source report's distributable profit statement — accrued interest receivable, short loan-loss provision, short provision on investments, short provision on Non Banking Assets, deferred tax assets recognised, goodwill, bargain purchase gain, actuarial loss, interest capitalised term loan. Every one of them is a "profit-on-paper" item. Full treatment in Part 7.
Movement in the source report. (Bank standalone, Asar 2082 → Asar 2083, NPR thousand.)
Asar 2082 Transfers Asar 2083
General reserve 5,981,038 +802,734 6,783,772
Exchange equalisation reserve 215,637 +41,202 256,839
Regulatory reserve 2,998,136 +709,748 3,707,883
Fair value reserve 819,054 −173,367 645,687
Other reserve 1,892,656 +651,702 2,507,552
────────── ──────────
Total reserves 11,906,521 13,901,734Read the general reserve transfer: NPR 802,734 thousand out of profit of NPR 4,013,671 thousand ≈ 20%. That is consistent with a statutory 20% general-reserve appropriation requirement — but treat the rate as [R] regulation-dependent and verify it.
Journal-entry logic — all appropriations are within equity.
Dr Retained earnings 802,734,000
Cr General reserve 802,734,000
Dr Retained earnings 709,748,000
Cr Regulatory reserve 709,748,000No P&L effect. No cash effect. Total equity unchanged. Only the composition of equity shifts from "free" to "blocked."
Effect on regulatory capital. General reserve, and typically the regulatory reserve, form part of CET1 [R] — so appropriation does not reduce capital. It reduces only what can be distributed. That is the elegance of the mechanism: the money stays in the bank as capital, it simply cannot leave as dividend.
Analyst interpretation.
- A large jump in the regulatory reserve is a warning. It means the bank recognised a large amount of non-cash or uncertain profit. Read Part 7's statement to find out which item drove it.
- The fair value reserve falling (as here, −NPR 173,367 thousand) means unrealised losses on FVOCI investments — usually a weak equity market, since Nepali banks hold listed shares.
- Dividend capacity is constrained by reserves, not by profit. A bank can be highly profitable and still have limited distributable profit.
Related terms. Retained earnings · Part 3 Fair value reserve · Part 5 (all reserve columns) · Part 7 (entire) · Part 12 Regulatory reserve, CET 1
Total equity attributable to equity holders
Simple definition. The portion of the bank's net worth that belongs to the parent bank's own shareholders.
Technical definition. Share capital + share premium + retained earnings + reserves, being the residual interest in the Group's assets after deducting liabilities, excluding the share belonging to minority shareholders of partly-owned subsidiaries.
Formula.
Total equity attributable Share Share Retained to equity holders of the = capital + premium + earnings + Reserves parent
(NMB, Asar 2083, NPR thousand.)
Group Bank
Share capital 22,285,041 22,285,041
Share premium 37,216 −
Retained earnings 2,469,225 1,872,996
Reserves 14,102,652 13,901,734
────────── ──────────
Attributable to
equity holders 38,894,134 38,059,771Why this is the right base for shareholder ratios. ROE, net worth per share and book value per share must be computed on this figure, not on total equity, because NCI belongs to someone else.
Profit attributable to equity holders of the parent
ROE = ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── × 100
Average equity attributable to equity holders
(less PNCPS, per the report's method)Related terms. Non-controlling interest · Total equity · Part 6 Return on Equity, Net-Worth per share
Non-controlling interest
Simple definition. The part of a subsidiary that the bank does not own, but which still appears in the Group accounts because the bank controls the subsidiary.
Technical definition. Equity in a subsidiary not attributable, directly or indirectly, to the parent. The source report defines it plainly: "Non-Controlling Interest (NCI) refers to ownership of a company, which does not give the shareholder the control of the company."
Why it exists — the consolidation logic.
NMB Bank owns 51% of NMB Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha.
│
▼
51% > 50% → NMB CONTROLS it → must CONSOLIDATE it (NFRS 10)
│
▼
Consolidation means adding 100% of the subsidiary's
assets, liabilities, income and expenses — line by line —
NOT 51%.
│
▼
But NMB's shareholders do not own 100% of it.
The other 49% belongs to outside shareholders.
│
▼
So a separate line — NON-CONTROLLING INTEREST — is shown
in equity and in profit, representing that 49%.┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET │ │ │ │ Assets: 100% of the subsidiary's assets │ │ Liabilities: 100% of the subsidiary's liabilities │ │ │ │ Equity: │ │ Attributable to equity holders of the Bank 38,894 │ ← 51% share │ Non-controlling interest 531 │ ← 49% share │ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── │ │ Total equity 39,425 │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
(NMB, Asar 2083, NPR thousand. NCI = 530,872; prior year 489,124.)
NCI in the profit statement. The source report allocates total comprehensive income:
Equity holders of the Bank 3,997,320
Non-controlling interest 71,248
─────────
Total 4,068,568The NPR 71,248 thousand is the minority's 49% share of the microfinance subsidiary's comprehensive income.
Why NCI is nil in the Bank column. The standalone accounts do not consolidate anything — they show an Investment in subsidiaries of NPR 772,488 thousand instead. NCI is purely a consolidation artefact.
Effect on EPS. Critical: EPS uses profit attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent — NCI is excluded. The report states this: "For Group basic earnings per share profit or loss attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent entity has been considered."
Effect on regulatory capital. NCI recognition in consolidated regulatory capital is subject to limits under capital adequacy frameworks [R] — a minority stake in a subsidiary cannot generally be used in full to support the parent's own risks.
Analyst interpretation. A large and growing NCI means the Group's reported profit is increasingly not the shareholders'. Always check whether you are looking at total profit or profit attributable to the parent. In this case NCI is small (~1.3% of equity), so the distinction barely matters — but in a group with a large partly-owned subsidiary it matters a great deal.
Related terms. Investment in subsidiaries · Total equity attributable to equity holders · Part 3 Total comprehensive income attributable to · Part 8 NFRS 10, Basis of Consolidation, NCI
Total equity
Simple definition. The bank's total net worth — everything it owns minus everything it owes — including the minority's share.
Technical definition. The residual interest in the assets of the Group after deducting all liabilities, comprising equity attributable to the parent's equity holders plus non-controlling interest.
Formula.
Total equity = Total assets − Total liabilities
= Equity attributable to equity holders + Non-controlling interest(NMB, Asar 2083, Group, NPR thousand.)
405,921,893 − 366,496,887 = 39,425,006 OK 38,894,134 + 530,872 = 39,425,006 OK
Growth analysis.
Total equity Asar 2083 39,425,006
Total equity Asar 2082 33,385,433
──────────
Increase 6,039,573 = 18.1%
Composition of the increase:
Profit for the period 4,280,765
Other comprehensive income (212,197)
PNCPS issue 3,000,000
Bonus shares (no net effect — within equity) −
Cash dividend paid (982,734)
Other movements (46,261)
──────────
6,039,573 OKNote that half the equity growth came from issuing AT1 preference shares, not from earnings. An analyst reporting "equity grew 18%" without that breakdown would mislead.
Effect on regulatory ratios. Total equity is related to but not equal to regulatory capital. Regulatory capital starts from equity then applies deductions (goodwill, DTA, investments in financial institutions) and adds eligible instruments (Tier 2 debentures) [R]. Never substitute one for the other.
ACCOUNTING EQUITY REGULATORY CAPITAL FUND
───────────────── ───────────────────────
Share capital CET1: ordinary capital + premium
Share premium + eligible reserves
Retained earnings + eligible retained earnings
Reserves − goodwill [R]
Fair value reserve − DTA [R]
NCI − other deductions [R]
AT1: + PNCPS
Tier 2: + eligible debentures
+ general loan-loss provision [R]
= Total equity 39,425 = Capital fund (a DIFFERENT number)Related terms. Total Assets · Total liabilities · Part 6 Capital fund to RWA, Return on Equity, Net-Worth per share · Part 12 Total regulatory capital
Total liabilities and equity
Simple definition. The bottom line of the balance sheet, which must equal total assets.
Technical definition. The sum of total liabilities and total equity, equal by the accounting identity to total assets.
Total liabilities and equity = Total liabilities + Total equity = Total Assets
*(NMB, Asar 2083: Group 366,496,887 + 39,425,006 = 405,921,893 = Total Assets OK)*
Purpose. A control total. If it does not equal total assets, the statement does not balance and something is wrong. It carries no analytical information of its own.
Related terms. Total Assets
Part 1 — Revision table
| Term | Meaning | Measurement | Statement location | Key issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and cash equivalent | Immediately available money | Amortised cost | Asset 1 | Original ≤3m maturity; excludes restricted deposits |
| Due from Nepal Rastra Bank | Balance at central bank | Amortised cost | Asset 2 | Part is statutory CRR, not free liquidity [R] |
| Placement with BFIs | Interbank lending >3m | Amortised cost | Asset 3 | Large book + weak loans = margin pressure |
| Derivative financial instruments (asset) | Positive-value derivatives | FVTPL | Asset 4 | Trade-date recognition; gross presentation |
| Other trading assets | Held-for-trading securities | FVTPL | Asset 5 | Usually nil in Nepal |
| Loan and advances to B/FIs | Wholesale lending to BFIs | Amortised cost less ECL | Asset 6 | Group vs Bank gap = intra-group loans |
| Loans and advances to customers | Core lending book | Amortised cost less impairment | Asset 7 | Impairment = **higher of** NFRS 9 ECL and NRB provision |
| Investment securities | Bonds, bills, shares | AC / FVOCI / FVTPL | Asset 8 | FVOCI-equity gains never reach P&L |
| Current tax assets | Tax overpaid | Recoverable amount | Asset 9 | Offset only with legal right |
| Investment in subsidiaries | Cost of controlled entities | Cost | Asset 10 | Nil in Group — eliminated |
| Investment in associates | Significant influence | Equity method | Asset 11 | Nil here; format line retained |
| Investment property | Foreclosed land/buildings (NBA) | Fair value, no depreciation | Asset 12 | Rising NBA = credit warning |
| Property and equipment | Own premises and kit | Cost less depreciation | Asset 13 | Includes ROU assets; land not depreciated |
| Goodwill and Intangible assets | Merger premium + software | Goodwill: impairment only | Asset 14 | Deducted from CET1 [R]; ICAN carve-out history |
| Deferred tax assets | Future tax relief | Temp. difference × rate | Asset 15 | Non-cash; blocked from distribution; capital deduction [R] |
| Other assets | Residual | Mixed | Asset 16 | Holds NPR 3.07bn deferred employee expenditure |
| Total Assets | Scale | — | Asset total | Growth consumes capital |
| Due to BFIs | Interbank borrowing | Amortised cost | Liab 1 | Volatile funding |
| Due to Nepal Rastra Bank | Central-bank borrowing | Amortised cost | Liab 2 | Nil is the comfortable reading |
| Derivative financial instruments (liability) | Negative-value derivatives | FVTPL | Liab 3 | Read with the asset side |
| Deposits from customers | Public funding | Amortised cost | Liab 4 | Mix (CASA vs fixed) drives cost of funds |
| Borrowing | DFI and other borrowing | Amortised cost | Liab 5 | Often FX; check hedging |
| Current Tax Liabilities | Tax owed | Payable amount | Liab 6 | Cannot net across entities |
| Provisions | NAS 37 uncertain obligations | Best estimate | Liab 7 | Not loan-loss provisions |
| Deferred tax liabilities | Future tax payable | Temp. difference × rate | Liab 8 | No probability test |
| Other liabilities | Residual | Mixed | Liab 9 | Holds lease liabilities + actuarial obligations |
| Debt securities issued | Listed debentures | Amortised cost | Liab 10 | May qualify as Tier 2 [R]; recognition decays near maturity |
| Subordinated Liabilities | Loss-absorbing debt | Amortised cost | Liab 11 | Nil — NMB used PNCPS instead |
| Total liabilities | All obligations | — | Liab total | Deposit share = funding quality |
| Share capital | Par value + AT1 instruments | Par | Equity 1 | PNCPS is equity under NAS 32, AT1 for capital |
| Share premium | Paid above par | — | Equity 2 | Restricted from distribution |
| Retained earnings | Accumulated undistributed profit | — | Equity 3 | ≠ distributable profit |
| Reserves | Appropriated equity | — | Equity 4 | Regulatory reserve blocks non-cash profit |
| Total equity attributable to equity holders | Shareholders' slice | — | Equity 5 | Base for ROE and per-share ratios |
| Non-controlling interest | Minority's slice | — | Equity 6 | Consolidate 100%, carve out the minority |
| Total equity | Net worth | Assets − Liabilities | Equity total | ≠ regulatory capital |
| Total liabilities and equity | Control total | — | Bottom line | Must equal total assets |
Saved in this browser only — there is no account to create. Clearing your browser data clears your progress.
