RESEND: ASB first-half cash profit rises 9%, as favourable funding conditions fatten interest margin

RESEND: ASB first-half cash profit rises 9%, as favourable funding conditions fatten interest margin
Feb. 11 (BusinessDesk) - ASB, the local unit of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, posted a 9 percent gain in first-half cash profit and said favourable funding conditions allowed it to fatten its net interest margin., Cash profit, which excludes accounting adjustments, rose to $429 million in the six months ended Dec. 31 from $393 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based lender said in a statement. Operating income rose almost 7 percent to $1.05 billion, driven by a 10 percent gain in net interest earnings to $850 million. Statutory profit c...