Interim Results

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC 03 August 2007 Interim Results 2007 Interim Results for the half year ended 30 June 2007 THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CONTENTS Page 2007 First half highlights 2 Results summary 3 Group Chief Executive's review 4 Summary consolidated income statement 7 Financial review 8 Description of business 10 Divisional performance 12 Corporate Markets 13 - Global Banking & Markets 14 - UK Corporate Banking 16 Retail Markets 17 - Retail 18 - Wealth Management 20 Ulster Bank 21 Citizens 22 RBS Insurance 24 Manufacturing 26 Central items 27 Average balance sheet 28 Average interest rates, yields, spreads and margins 29 Condensed consolidated income statement 30 Condensed consolidated balance sheet 31 Overview of condensed consolidated balance sheet 32 Condensed consolidated statement of recognised income and expense 34 Condensed consolidated cash flow statement 35 Notes 36 Analysis of income, expenses and impairment losses 43 Regulatory ratios 44 Asset quality Analysis of loans and advances to customers 45 Risk elements in lending 46 Market risk 47 Other information 48 Forward-looking statements 49 Independent review report by the auditors 50 Restatements 51 Financial calendar 52 Contacts 52 THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc 2007 FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS â€¢ *Group operating profit up 11% to Â£5,106 million. â€¢ Profit after tax up 20% to Â£3,736 million. â€¢ Adjusted earnings per ordinary share up 21% to 38.4p. â€¢ Interim dividend up 25% to 10.1p. â€¢ Income up 8% to Â£14,690 million (10% at constant exchange rates). â€¢ UK income up 10% to Â£10.9 billion. â€¢ International income Â£3.8 billion, up 10% at constant exchange rates. â€¢ Cost:income ratio down to 41.4% from 41.9%. â€¢ Impairment losses improved to 0.40% of loans and advances. â€¢ At constant exchange rates, Group operating profit up 13%. â€¢ Average loans and advances to customers up 9%. â€¢ Average customer deposits up 10%. â€¢ Adjusted return on equity 19.6%, up from 18.5%. â€¢ Tier 1 capital ratio 7.4%. â€¢ Total capital ratio 12.5%. *profit before tax, purchased intangibles amortisation and integration costs. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc RESULTS SUMMARY First half First half Full year 2007 2006 Increase 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Â£m Total income 14,690 13,642 1,048 28,002 _______ _______ _____ _______ Operating expenses (1) 6,298 5,948 350 12,252 _______ _______ _____ _______ Operating profit before impairment 5,977 5,490 487 11,292 losses (1) _______ _______ _____ _______ Group operating profit (2) 5,106 4,603 503 9,414 _______ _______ _____ _______ Purchased intangibles amortisation 43 49 (6) 94 _______ _______ _____ _______ Integration costs 55 43 12 134 _______ _______ _____ _______ Profit before tax 5,008 4,511 497 9,186 _______ _______ _____ _______ Cost:income ratio (3) 41.4% 41.9% 42.1% _______ _______ _______ Basic earnings per ordinary share 37.6p 31.0p 6.6p 64.9p _______ _______ _____ _______ Adjusted earnings per ordinary 38.4p 31.7p 6.7p 66.7p share (4) _______ _______ _____ _______ (1) excluding purchased intangibles amortisation and integration costs. (2) profit before tax, purchased intangibles amortisation and integration costs. (3) the cost:income ratio is based on total income and operating expenses as defined in (1) above, and after netting operating lease depreciation against rental income. (4) adjusted earnings per ordinary share is based on earnings adjusted for purchased intangibles amortisation and integration costs. Sir Fred Goodwin, Group Chief Executive, said: 'Diversification has enabled the Group to prosper consistently through a wide range of business, market and economic conditions. These results demonstrate the continuing value of our approach and give us confidence in our ability to deliver in the future for our customers, our people and our shareholders.' THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REVIEW Our Group has consistently demonstrated its ability to deliver organic growth in income, profit and earnings per share and we have done so once again in the first half of 2007, with a strong performance from our range of diversified businesses. Total income rose to Â£14,690 million, up 8%, operating profit increased by 11% to Â£5,106 million and adjusted earnings per share by 21% to 38.4p. Income growth has been built on increasing customer activity across our core franchises. Each of our divisions faces different market conditions, but across the Group as a whole we have grown average customer deposits by 10% and lending by 9%, demonstrating the resilience of our operating model. Adverse movements in exchange rates have affected not only Citizens but also Corporate Markets and Wealth Management. In constant currency terms, we grew income by 10% and operating profit by 13%. We have also expanded our product capabilities and broadened our geographical footprint, with excellent results from Corporate Markets, Wealth Management and Ulster Bank. We have made particularly good progress in Asia, where we more than doubled income, benefiting from the investments we are making in building our franchise. Income growth has been accompanied by good cost discipline. In the first half the Group cost:income ratio improved further to 41.4%. Our customer-facing divisions have directed investment towards faster-growth opportunities while tightly managing their direct costs. Our Manufacturing division held infrastructure and support cost growth to just 2% while supporting increased business volumes. Strong credit metrics highlight our conservative risk profile across the Group, and impairment losses fell 2% to Â£871 million. The quality of our corporate loan portfolio remains very strong, and we believe that we have passed the peak of bad debts in the UK unsecured personal credit market. Our early action to tighten lending criteria and reduce activity in the direct loan market is now reflected in falling arrears and a 7% reduction in Retail impairment losses. Our trading book risk remains modest. Many of our customers' homes have been damaged by the severe flooding the UK has experienced over the last two months, and we have been working hard to process their claims as quickly as possible and assist them at this difficult time. This has, naturally, affected RBS Insurance's results, with June flood claims estimated to have cost a net Â£125 million. Had it not been for this factor, our Group operating profit would have grown by 16% on a constant currency basis. Adjusted earnings per share increased by 21% to 38.4p, driven by our strong operating performance, a reduction in the number of shares in issue following last year's share buyback, and an effective tax rate of 25.4% in the first half of 2007. This tax rate includes the full impact on deferred tax of the change in the UK corporation tax rate from April 2008. Excluding this deferred tax reduction, adjusted earnings per share rose by 16%. Adjusted return on equity improved to 19.6%, or to 18.7% excluding the deferred tax reduction. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REVIEW (continued) Our businesses These very good results endorse the strength of our business model and emphasise the importance of diversity in our sources of income. They also reflect the measured investments we have made over recent years to take advantage of growth opportunities across our businesses. In each of our divisions we have achieved good growth in core customer numbers, underpinning these results and strengthening our franchise for the future. Our businesses have continued to balance volume growth against profitability, and we have maintained a more cautious approach towards a number of business segments in which we have not considered that the available returns matched the costs and risks entailed. We have, therefore, further reduced our business volumes in markets such as direct loans, intermediary mortgages and insurance partnerships, with a consequent improvement in profitability. Global Banking & Markets has produced another strong performance, as its expanding product set and broadening geographical footprint have yielded a 19% increase in operating profit, while UK Corporate Banking has maintained its consistently good pace of growth. Ulster Bank and Wealth Management, too, have kept up their momentum, and we are continuing to invest in these high-growth businesses. Retail Markets has continued to build its core current account franchise, providing the platform for strong growth in its savings and investments business. Lending growth has been more subdued but our cautious credit stance has produced a reduction in impairment losses, and this, together with flat underlying costs, drove a 10% increase in operating profit. Citizens has increased its customer numbers by 5% and made significant progress in its efforts to diversify its income streams away from its traditional deposit products, with good growth in credit cards and merchant acquiring. That diversification has emphatically not included the sub-prime credit markets, and we have no regrets over our decision to avoid this segment. Average corporate lending increased by 12%, demonstrating the momentum we are building towards our objective of developing a significant corporate and commercial banking presence in the US. Operating profit rose by 2% in US dollar terms. RBS Insurance has also performed well in the first half. Whilst its headline operating profit is lower, reflecting the Â£125 million net cost of the June floods, its underlying performance shows a meaningful improvement. In our own-brand businesses we have increased prices and improved risk selection while holding volumes steady, with the result that operating profit in this segment rose by 10%, excluding the flood effect. In our partnership operations, where we provide underwriting and processing services to third party distributors, we have put profitability ahead of volume, exiting some low-margin partnership contracts. Capital We have managed our balance sheet carefully, generating capital to fund a 9% increase in risk-weighted assets since 30 June 2006 while holding our Tier 1 ratio at 7.4%, in the middle of our target range of 7-8%. The Financial Services Authority has endorsed our Basel II programme and we will be among the small group of financial institutions permitted to use the advanced approach to credit risk management when the new capital adequacy framework comes into effect next year. In line with our established policy, we will be paying an interim dividend equivalent to one third of the previous year's total dividend. Allowing for the bonus share issue in May, that equates to 10.1p per share, up 25%. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REVIEW (continued) Outlook Some of the structural headwinds we have experienced in Retail Markets, Citizens and RBS Insurance have begun to abate. The strength of our franchise coupled with the diversity of our income streams means the Group is well placed to compete as the market evolves. We remain confident of the Group's ability to continue to deliver sustainable organic growth in income, profit and earnings per share. Sir Fred Goodwin Group Chief Executive THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE HALF YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2007 (unaudited) In the income statement set out below, amortisation of purchased intangible assets and integration costs are shown separately. In the statutory income statement on page 30, these items are included in operating expenses. First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Net interest income 5,383 5,194 10,596 _______ _______ _______ Non-interest income (excluding insurance net 6,259 5,468 11,433 premium income) Insurance net premium income 3,048 2,980 5,973 _______ _______ _______ Non-interest income 9,307 8,448 17,406 _______ _______ _______ Total income 14,690 13,642 28,002 Operating expenses 6,298 5,948 12,252 _______ _______ _______ Profit before other operating charges 8,392 7,694 15,750 Insurance net claims 2,415 2,204 4,458 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit before impairment losses 5,977 5,490 11,292 Impairment losses 871 887 1,878 _______ _______ _______ Profit before tax, purchased intangibles 5,106 4,603 9,414 amortisation and integration costs Amortisation of purchased intangible assets 43 49 94 Integration costs 55 43 134 _______ _______ _______ Profit before tax 5,008 4,511 9,186 Tax 1,272 1,387 2,689 _______ _______ _______ Profit for the period 3,736 3,124 6,497 Minority interests 75 55 104 Preference dividends 106 91 191 _______ _______ _______ Profit attributable to ordinary shareholders 3,555 2,978 6,202 _______ _______ _______ Basic earnings per ordinary share (Note 4) 37.6p 31.0p 64.9p _______ _______ _______ Adjusted earnings per ordinary share (Note 4) 38.4p 31.7p 66.7p _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc FINANCIAL REVIEW Profit Profit before tax was up 11%, from Â£4,511 million to Â£5,008 million, reflecting strong organic income growth in Corporate Markets, Wealth Management and Ulster Bank. Group operating profit increased by 11% or Â£503 million, from Â£4,603 million to Â£5,106 million. Total income The Group achieved strong growth in income during the first half of 2007. Total income was up 8% or Â£1,048 million to Â£14,690 million. Net interest income increased by 4% to Â£5,383 million and represents 37% of total income (2006 - 38%). Average loans and advances to customers and average customer deposits grew by 9% and 10% respectively. Non-interest income increased by 10% to Â£9,307 million and represents 63% of total income (2006 - 62%). Net interest margin The Group's net interest margin at 2.42% was down from 2.45% in the first half of 2006. Operating expenses Operating expenses, excluding purchased intangibles amortisation and integration costs, rose by 6% to Â£6,298 million. Cost:income ratio The Group's cost:income ratio was 41.4% compared with 41.9% in 2006. Net insurance claims Bancassurance and general insurance claims, after reinsurance, increased by 10% to Â£2,415 million reflecting volume growth and adverse weather conditions in the first half of 2007. Excluding the impact of severe weather in June, net insurance claims increased by 3%. Impairment losses Impairment losses fell 2% to Â£871 million, compared with Â£887 million in 2006. Risk elements in lending and potential problem loans represented 1.51% of gross loans and advances to customers excluding reverse repos at 30 June 2007 (31 December 2006 - 1.57%). Provision coverage of risk elements in lending and potential problem loans was 63% (31 December 2006 - 62%). Integration Integration costs were Â£55 million compared with Â£43 million in 2006. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc FINANCIAL REVIEW (continued) Taxation The effective tax rate for the first half of 2007 was 25.4% (first half 2006 - 30.7%). The tax rate benefited from a reduction of Â£157 million in deferred tax liability following the change in the rate of UK Corporation Tax from 30% to 28% from 1 April 2008. The change in the rate of taxation also reduced net interest income by Â£19 million to reflect lower rentals on leases with tax variation clauses. Earnings and dividends Basic earnings per ordinary share increased by 21%, from 31.0p to 37.6p. Earnings per ordinary share adjusted for purchased intangibles amortisation and integration costs also increased by 21%, from 31.7p to 38.4p. An interim dividend of 10.1p per ordinary share, representing one third of last year's total dividend will be paid on 5 October 2007 to shareholders registered on 17 August 2007. The interim dividend is covered 3.8 times by earnings before purchased intangibles amortisation and integration costs. Balance sheet Total assets were Â£1,011.3 billion at 30 June 2007, 16% higher than total assets of Â£871.4 billion at 31 December 2006. Lending to customers, excluding repurchase agreements and stock borrowing ('reverse repos'), increased in the first half of 2007 by 5% or Â£19.7 billion to Â£423.7 billion. Customer deposits, excluding repurchase agreements and stock lending ('repos'), grew by 5% or Â£17.4 billion to Â£337.6 billion. Capital ratios at 30 June 2007 were 7.4% (Tier 1) and 12.5% (Total). Profitability The adjusted after-tax return on ordinary equity, which is based on profit attributable to ordinary shareholders before purchased intangibles amortisation and integration costs, and average ordinary equity, was 19.6% compared with 18.5% in the first half of 2006. Bonus issue In May 2007, the Group capitalised Â£1,576 million of its share premium account by way of a bonus issue of two new ordinary shares of 25p each for every one held. RESTATEMENTS Divisional results for 2006 have been restated to reflect transfers of businesses between divisions in the second half of 2006 and the first half of 2007. These changes do not affect the Group's results. A divisional analysis of these restatements is set out on page 51. The number of ordinary shares in issue and per share data for prior periods have been restated to reflect the bonus issue in May 2007. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS Corporate Markets is focused on the provision of debt and risk management services to medium and large businesses and financial institutions in the UK and around the world. Its activities are organised into two businesses, Global Banking & Markets and UK Corporate Banking, in order to enhance our focus on the distinct needs of these two customer segments. Global Banking & Markets is a leading banking partner to major corporations and financial institutions around the world, providing an extensive range of debt financing, risk management and investment services to its customers. UK Corporate Banking is the largest provider of banking, finance and risk management services to UK corporate customers. Through its network of relationship managers across the country it distributes the full range of Corporate Markets' products and services to companies. Retail Markets leads the co-ordination and delivery of our multi-brand retail strategy across our product range and comprises Retail and Wealth Management. Retail comprises both The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest retail brands. It offers a full range of banking products and related financial services to the personal, premium and small business markets (SMEs) through the largest network of branches and ATMs in the UK, as well as through telephone and internet banking. Retail is the UK market leader in small business banking. Retail issues a comprehensive range of credit and charge cards and other financial products through The Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest and other brands, including MINT, First Active UK and Tesco Personal Finance. It is the leading merchant acquirer in Europe and ranks 4th globally. Wealth Management provides private banking and investment services to its global clients through Coutts Group, Adam & Company, The Royal Bank of Scotland International and NatWest Offshore. Ulster Bank, including First Active, provides a comprehensive range of retail and wholesale financial services in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Retail Banking has a network of branches throughout Ireland and operates in the personal, commercial and wealth management sectors. Corporate Markets provides a wide range of services in the corporate and institutional markets. RBS's European Consumer Finance ('ECF') activities, previously part of RBS Retail Markets, are now managed within Ulster Bank. ECF provides consumer finance products, particularly card-based revolving credits and fixed-term loans, in Germany and the Benelux countries. Citizens is engaged in retail and corporate banking activities through its branch network in 13 states in the United States and through non-branch offices in other states. Citizens was ranked the 9th largest commercial banking organisation in the US based on deposits as at 31 March 2007. Citizens Financial Group includes the seven Citizens Banks, Charter One, RBS National Bank, our US credit card business, RBS Lynk, our US merchant acquiring business, and Kroger Personal Finance, our credit card joint venture with the second largest US supermarket group. RBS Insurance sells and underwrites retail and SME insurance over the telephone and internet, as well as through brokers and partnerships. Direct Line, Churchill and Privilege sell general insurance products direct to the customer. Through its International Division, RBS Insurance sells general insurance, mainly motor, in Spain, Germany and Italy. The Intermediary and Broker Division sells general insurance products through 2,500 independent brokers. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS (continued) Manufacturing supports the customer-facing businesses and provides operational technology, customer support in telephony, account management, lending and money transmission, global purchasing, property and other services. Manufacturing drives efficiencies and supports income growth across multiple brands and channels by using a single, scalable platform and common processes wherever possible. It also leverages the Group's purchasing power and has become the centre of excellence for managing large-scale and complex change. The expenditure incurred by Manufacturing relates to costs principally in respect of the Group's banking and insurance operations in the UK and Ireland. These costs reflect activities that are shared between the various customer-facing divisions and consequently cannot be directly attributed to individual divisions. Instead, the Group monitors and controls each of its customer-facing divisions on revenue generation and direct costs whilst in Manufacturing such control is exercised through appropriate efficiency measures and targets. For financial reporting purposes the Manufacturing costs have been allocated to the relevant customer-facing divisions on a basis management considers to be reasonable. The Centre comprises group and corporate functions, such as capital raising, finance, risk management, legal, communications and human resources. The Centre manages the Group's capital requirements and Group-wide regulatory projects and provides services to the operating divisions. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc DIVISIONAL PERFORMANCE The profit before amortisation of purchased intangible assets and integration costs and after allocation of Manufacturing costs where appropriate, of each division is detailed below, and is described as 'operating profit' in the divisional analyses that follow. The allocations of Manufacturing costs are shown separately in the results for each division. First half First half Full year 2007 2006 Increase 2006 Â£m Â£m % Â£m Corporate Markets - Global Banking & 2,170 1,829 19 3,816 Markets - UK Corporate Banking 981 878 12 1,758 Total Corporate Markets 3,151 2,707 16 5,574 Retail Markets - Retail 1,160 1,085 7 2,258 - Wealth Management 202 158 28 318 Total Retail Markets 1,362 1,243 10 2,576 Ulster Bank 238 198 20 421 Citizens 752 812 (7) 1,582 RBS Insurance 255 351 (27) 749 Manufacturing - - - - Central items (652) (708) 8 (1,488) _______ _______ _______ _______ Group operating profit 5,106 4,603 11 9,414 _______ _______ _______ _______ Risk-weighted assets of each division were as follows: 30 June 31 December 30 June 2007 2006 2006 Â£bn Â£bn Â£bn Corporate Markets - Global Banking & Markets 144.0 138.1 127.8 - UK Corporate Banking 99.9 93.1 88.0 Total Corporate Markets 243.9 231.2 215.8 Retail Markets - Retail 69.9 70.6 71.9 - Wealth Management 7.0 6.4 6.5 Total Retail Markets 76.9 77.0 78.4 Ulster Bank 32.3 29.7 27.7 Citizens 57.0 57.6 60.3 Other 9.6 4.8 3.3 _______ _______ _______ 419.7 400.3 385.5 _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CORPORATE MARKETS First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Net interest income from banking 1,981 1,842 3,802 activities Non-interest income 3,750 3,114 6,518 _______ _______ _______ Total income 5,731 4,956 10,320 _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff costs 1,476 1,220 2,539 - other 345 278 622 - operating lease depreciation 354 374 736 _______ _______ _______ 2,175 1,872 3,897 _______ _______ _______ Contribution before impairment losses 3,556 3,084 6,423 Impairment losses 120 97 274 _______ _______ _______ Contribution 3,436 2,987 6,149 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 285 280 575 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit 3,151 2,707 5,574 _______ _______ _______ Â£bn Â£bn Â£bn Total assets* 579.9 470.0 472.4 Loans and advances to customers-gross* - banking book 195.7 172.0 181.1 - trading book 16.0 11.5 15.4 Rental assets 13.6 13.6 13.9 Customer deposits* 143.1 122.7 132.5 Risk-weighted assets 243.9 215.8 231.2 _______ _______ _______ * excluding reverse repos and repos Corporate Markets achieved a strong performance in the first half of 2007, with excellent results across our businesses. Total income rose by 16% to Â£5,731 million. Contribution grew by 15% to Â£3,436 million and operating profit by 16% to Â£3,151 million. Average loans and advances to customers, excluding reverse repos, grew by 14% and average customer deposits (excluding repos) by 17%. The portfolio remains well diversified by counterparty, sector and geography, while our average credit grade continues to improve. Assets grew strongly outside the UK, particularly in Western Europe and Asia. Overall credit conditions remained benign, and annualised impairment losses represented 0.11% of loans and advances to customers. Average risk-weighted assets rose by 12%, with disciplined capital management. The annualised ratio of operating profit to average risk-weighted assets improved from 2.5% to 2.6%. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CORPORATE MARKETS - GLOBAL BANKING & MARKETS First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Net interest income from banking 842 796 1,632 activities _______ _______ _______ Net fees and commissions receivable 627 503 1,032 Trading activities 1,426 1,210 2,242 Income from rental assets (net of related 348 350 677 funding costs) Other operating income (net of related 630 412 1,279 funding costs) _______ _______ _______ Non-interest income 3,031 2,475 5,230 _______ _______ _______ Total income 3,873 3,271 6,862 _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff costs 1,173 951 1,975 - other 245 195 436 - operating lease depreciation 193 207 406 _______ _______ _______ 1,611 1,353 2,817 _______ _______ _______ Contribution before impairment losses 2,262 1,918 4,045 Impairment losses 21 19 85 _______ _______ _______ Contribution 2,241 1,899 3,960 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 71 70 144 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit 2,170 1,829 3,816 _______ _______ _______ Â£bn Â£bn Â£bn Total assets* 484.9 384.3 383.7 Loans and advances to customers - gross* - banking book 102.4 87.9 94.3 - trading book 16.0 11.5 15.4 Rental assets 11.9 12.0 12.2 Customer deposits* 59.4 48.5 54.1 Risk-weighted assets 144.0 127.8 138.1 _______ _______ _______ * excluding reverse repos and repos Global Banking & Markets ('GBM') delivered another strong performance in the first half of 2007, achieving excellent growth in income while continuing to expand our strong international franchise. Total income rose by 18% to Â£3,873 million, with contribution up by 18% to Â£2,241 million and operating profit by 19% to Â£2,170 million. In the first half of 2007 GBM invested in further extending its capabilities as a leading provider of debt financing and risk management solutions covering the origination, structuring and distribution of a wide range of assets. Our recently announced joint venture with Sempra Energy will enable us to extend the range of energy and commodities products we offer to our corporate and financial institution clients. GBM has also broadened its worldwide reach. In Europe, income increased by 33% in local currency as a result of good performances in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the Nordic region. We have grown the activities of our primary dealerships in government debt in France and Italy and added new dealerships in Austria and the Netherlands. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CORPORATE MARKETS - GLOBAL BANKING & MARKETS (continued) In Asia-Pacific we made marked progress, with income more than doubling in US dollar terms. We have established a good platform, developing both our product capability and client relationships across the region. In North America GBM continues to diversify its income streams, building its customer base and business across a broad range of activities. It achieved good results in corporate bond origination and in treasury and investor products, but its traditional asset-backed and related businesses experienced reduced origination volumes and unfavourable market conditions. Total income in North America declined by 6%, in local currency. Net interest income from banking activities rose by 6% to Â£842 million, representing 22% of GBM's total income. Average loans and advances to customers, excluding reverse repos, increased by 15% as we further expanded our customer base outside the UK. Net fee income rose by 25% to Â£627 million, reflecting our top tier position in arranging, structuring and distributing large scale financings, with excellent progress in international bond underwritings. Income from trading activities grew by 18% to Â£1,426 million, with a particularly strong performance in our European businesses helping to offset lower revenues in US asset-backed and related markets. Good performances in foreign exchange and interest rate derivatives were supplemented by growth in our broadening product range, including equity derivatives and retail investor products. Average trading book value at risk remained modest at Â£16.1 million. Our rental and other asset-based activities have achieved continuing success in originating, structuring, financing and managing physical assets such as aircraft, trains, ships and real estate for our customers. Income from rental assets, net of related funding costs and operating lease depreciation, increased by 8% to Â£155 million. These businesses also generated value through the ownership and active management of our portfolio of assets. Good results from these activities, as well as from principal investments arising from our financing activities with corporate customers and financial sponsors, were reflected in other operating income, which increased to Â£630 million (net of related funding costs). We have maintained good cost discipline while continuing to invest in extending our geographical footprint, our infrastructure and our product range. Total expenses grew by 18% to Â£1,682 million. Variable performance-related compensation increased and now accounts for 45% of total costs. Net of operating lease depreciation our cost:income ratio was 40.5%. Portfolio risk remained stable and the corporate credit environment remained benign. Impairment losses of Â£21 million were in line with the first half of 2006, a period which included significant recoveries. Average risk-weighted assets grew by 12% and the annualised ratio of operating profit to average risk-weighted assets improved from 2.8% to 3.0%. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CORPORATE MARKETS - UK CORPORATE BANKING First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Net interest income from banking 1,139 1,046 2,170 activities Non-interest income 719 639 1,288 _______ _______ _______ Total income 1,858 1,685 3,458 _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff costs 303 269 564 - other 100 83 186 - operating lease depreciation 161 167 330 _______ _______ _______ 564 519 1,080 _______ _______ _______ Contribution before impairment losses 1,294 1,166 2,378 Impairment losses 99 78 189 _______ _______ _______ Contribution 1,195 1,088 2,189 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 214 210 431 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit 981 878 1,758 _______ _______ _______ Â£bn Â£bn Â£bn Total assets* 95.0 85.7 88.7 Loans and advances to customers-gross* 93.3 84.1 86.8 Customer deposits* 83.7 74.2 78.4 Risk-weighted assets 99.9 88.0 93.1 _______ _______ _______ * excluding reverse repos and repos UK Corporate Banking has had a strong start to the year across its businesses, building further on our market-leading positions. Total income rose by 10% to Â£1,858 million and contribution by 10% to Â£1,195 million. Operating profit rose by 12% to Â£981 million. There has been good growth in customer volumes, with average loans and advances up 12% and average deposits up 18%. This led to an increase in net interest income from banking activities of 9% to Â£1,139 million. Although the corporate marketplace remains an area of intense competition, the rate of margin decline has eased in the first half of 2007. Non-interest income rose by 13% to Â£719 million, as a result of growth in fees and good progress in the distribution of trade and invoice finance as well as of interest rate and foreign exchange products. Total expenses rose by 7% to Â£778 million. We have continued to extend 'Another Way of Banking', improving our service quality and product capabilities through the addition of 600 front-line staff. We have made good progress in the rollout of Bankline, our enhanced web-based electronic banking platform, adding advanced payments functionality. Impairment losses totalled Â£99 million, which as a percentage of average loans and advances to customers is in line with the full year 2006, reflecting the stable credit quality of the portfolio as well as a benign economic environment. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc RETAIL MARKETS First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Net interest income 2,339 2,243 4,607 Non-interest income 1,965 1,900 3,852 _______ _______ _______ Total income 4,304 4,143 8,459 _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff costs 828 774 1,615 - other 360 386 745 _______ _______ _______ 1,188 1,160 2,360 _______ _______ _______ Insurance net claims 285 242 488 _______ _______ _______ Contribution before impairment losses 2,831 2,741 5,611 Impairment losses 612 659 1,311 _______ _______ _______ Contribution 2,219 2,082 4,300 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 857 839 1,724 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit 1,362 1,243 2,576 _______ _______ _______ Â£bn Â£bn Â£bn Total banking assets 120.4 114.9 118.4 Loans and advances to customers - gross - mortgages 70.4 66.0 69.7 - personal 20.5 20.8 20.5 - cards 7.8 8.4 8.2 - business 19.5 17.7 18.1 Customer deposits* 122.0 109.6 115.5 Investment management assets - excluding 38.2 32.3 34.9 deposits Risk-weighted assets 76.9 78.4 77.0 _______ _______ _______ * customer deposits exclude bancassurance. Retail Markets achieved a good performance in the first half of 2007, with income ahead 4% to Â£4,304 million, contribution up by 7% to Â£2,219 million and operating profit up by 10% to Â£1,362 million. Retail Markets has continued to focus on savings and investment products and has seen strong growth in these areas, with average customer deposits up 10%. Our Wealth Management businesses have performed strongly, benefiting from the significant investment made in the UK and Asia in recent years. Lending growth in the personal sector remains subdued as a result of the slowdown in demand for consumer credit. We have maintained our cautious approach to this sector, reducing lending in a number of segments where we have not viewed returns as commensurate with the risks and acquisition costs involved. Expenses have been kept under tight control, with continued efficiency gains allowing us to continue to invest and grow the business. The first half of 2007 marked the turning point in UK unsecured credit, and impairment losses fell by 7%, with the resultant increase in profitability. Average risk-weighted assets fell by 2%, reflecting a change in business mix towards mortgage lending as well as careful balance sheet management, including increased use of securitisations. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc RETAIL MARKETS - RETAIL First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Net interest income 2,067 2,006 4,111 Non-interest income 1,740 1,701 3,459 _______ _______ _______ Total income 3,807 3,707 7,570 _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff costs 670 631 1,316 - other 295 323 618 _______ _______ _______ 965 954 1,934 _______ _______ _______ Insurance net claims 285 242 488 _______ _______ _______ Contribution before impairment losses 2,557 2,511 5,148 Impairment losses 611 657 1,310 _______ _______ _______ Contribution 1,946 1,854 3,838 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 786 769 1,580 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit 1,160 1,085 2,258 _______ _______ _______ Â£bn Â£bn Â£bn Total banking assets 107.8 103.9 107.4 Loans and advances to customers - gross - Mortgages 66.2 62.1 65.6 - Personal 16.5 17.4 17.1 - Cards 7.7 8.3 8.1 - Business 18.2 16.6 16.9 Customer deposits* 91.3 83.2 87.1 Risk-weighted assets 69.9 71.9 70.6 _______ _______ _______ * customer deposits exclude bancassurance. Retail has delivered a good performance in the first half of 2007, growing contribution by 5% to Â£1,946 million, and operating profit by 7% to Â£1,160 million. This good result reflects 3% growth in income to Â£3,807 million, strong cost control and reduced impairment losses, while maintaining a cautious approach to unsecured lending. In consumer banking we have achieved strong growth in savings balances and a significant uplift in sales of cards, bancassurance and loans through our branches. We have again expanded our customer franchise, growing our personal current account base by 2%. We continue to perform well in the switcher market, reinforcing our leading position in current accounts. RBS and NatWest are now ranked first and joint second respectively among major high street banks in Great Britain for the percentage of main current account customers that are 'extremely satisfied' and 'extremely or very satisfied' overall. In business banking the implementation of a new operating model has produced good results, enabling us to increase our market share. NatWest leads the SME banking market in England and Wales while RBS remains leader in the Scottish market. We have gained ground in the start-up market and have recently launched a new market-leading account to target this segment. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc RETAIL MARKETS - RETAIL (continued) Results for our cards and direct finance business reflected our strategy of focusing unsecured personal lending on lower risk segments, as well as the market-wide decline in credit card borrowing. Income was 5% lower as a result of declining card and direct loan balances and the impact of the Office of Fair Trading's ruling on credit card fees. Effective cost control and reducing credit losses contributed to a 4% increase in operating profit. Net interest income increased by 3% to Â£2,067 million, with faster growth in deposits helping to mitigate lower unsecured lending volumes and declining card balances. Average customer deposit balances were 8% higher, driven by very strong growth in personal savings balances, up 12%, and accelerating growth in business deposits, up 10%. Net interest margin was stable. Average loans and advances to customers increased by 4%, with average mortgage lending up 7% and average business loans up 8%. Mortgage activity focused on the more profitable branch channels, where gross lending was 13% higher, whilst we have continued to take a selective approach to the intermediary channel, where our gross lending was 10% lower than in the first half of 2006. We have further reduced our presence in the direct loans market, whilst focusing on quality business with existing customers, resulting in continued growth in lending through the branch channel. Average credit card balances fell by 10% as customers repaid debt, but we have achieved excellent growth in the recruitment of new card accounts through our branches. Non-interest income was Â£1,740 million, 2% ahead of the first half of 2006, with strong income growth in investment and private banking businesses offset by lower credit card late payment fees and lower fee income as a result of reduced direct lending volumes. Bancassurance continued its excellent progress with sales increasing by 24% to Â£171 million annual premium equivalent. The continuing increase in our sales force has resulted in an increase in market share to more than 10%. Despite investments for future growth, total expenses rose by just 2% to Â£1,751 million, whilst direct expenses were up just 1% to Â£965 million. Excluding redundancy costs associated with the division's reorganisation, direct costs were 2% lower. These redundancy costs resulted in a 5% reduction in headcount and made up most of a 6% increase in staff costs to Â£670 million. We sustained investment in customer-facing staff in branches and in our bancassurance and investment businesses. Other costs were reduced by 9% to Â£295 million. Impairment losses decreased by 7% to Â£611 million, reflecting the improvement in arrears trends on both credit cards and unsecured personal loans. Mortgage arrears remain very low - the average loan-to-value ratio of Retail's mortgages was 47% overall and 64% on new mortgages written in the first half of 2007. Small business credit quality remains good. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc RETAIL MARKETS - WEALTH MANAGEMENT First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Net interest income 272 237 496 Non-interest income 225 199 393 _______ _______ _______ Total income 497 436 889 _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff costs 158 143 299 - other 65 63 127 _______ _______ _______ 223 206 426 _______ _______ _______ Contribution before impairment losses 274 230 463 Impairment losses 1 2 1 _______ _______ _______ Contribution 273 228 462 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 71 70 144 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit 202 158 318 _______ _______ _______ Â£bn Â£bn Â£bn Loans and advances to customers - gross 9.6 8.5 8.8 Investment management assets - excluding 31.2 26.0 28.2 deposits Customer deposits 30.7 26.4 28.4 Risk-weighted assets 7.0 6.5 6.4 _______ _______ _______ Wealth Management delivered strong growth, with total income rising by 14% to Â£497 million. Contribution grew by 20% to Â£273 million and operating profit by 28% to Â£202 million. Wealth Management's offering of private banking and investment services continued to deliver robust organic income growth in the first half of 2007. We have continued Coutts UK's regional expansion programme, and this has helped us to grow customer numbers in the UK by 7%. Outside the UK, Coutts International has maintained its momentum in the Asia-Pacific region, where we have succeeded in growing customer numbers by 20% and income by 46% in US dollar terms. Growth in banking volumes contributed to a 15% rise in net interest income to Â£272 million. Average loans and advances to customers rose by 12% and average deposits by 15%. Non-interest income grew by 13% to Â£225 million, reflecting higher investment management fees and new product sales, as well as continued growth in underlying new business volumes, particularly in the UK and Asia. Assets under management rose to Â£31.2 billion at 30 June 2007, up 20% from a year earlier. Total expenses rose by 7% to Â£294 million, reflecting our continued investment in the UK along with further recruitment of private bankers, particularly in Asia. Total headcount increased by 10%. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc ULSTER BANK First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Net interest income 467 415 873 Non-interest income 146 128 252 _______ _______ _______ Total income 613 543 1,125 _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff costs 137 121 254 - other 78 62 131 _______ _______ _______ 215 183 385 _______ _______ _______ Contribution before impairment losses 398 360 740 Impairment losses 53 57 104 _______ _______ _______ Contribution 345 303 636 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 107 105 215 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit 238 198 421 _______ _______ _______ Average exchange rate - â‚¬/Â£ 1.482 1.456 1.467 _______ _______ _______ Â£bn Â£bn Â£bn Total assets 49.4 41.8 44.5 Loans and advances to customers - gross - mortgages 16.2 14.2 15.0 - corporate 21.7 16.8 19.6 - other 3.2 2.9 3.6 Customer deposits 20.1 17.6 18.1 Risk-weighted assets 32.3 27.7 29.7 Spot exchange rate - â‚¬/Â£ 1.485 1.446 1.490 _______ _______ _______ Ulster Bank continued to perform strongly in both personal and corporate banking across the island of Ireland, with total income rising by 13% to Â£613 million. Contribution increased by 14% to Â£345 million and operating profit by 20% to Â£238 million. We achieved a particularly strong performance in commercial banking and have made good progress in Capital Markets, working closely with Global Banking & Markets. We launched a new Wealth business in May to serve Ireland's growing population of high net worth individuals, and this is already proving successful, with strong take-up of new product offerings. Net interest income increased by 13% to Â£467 million, reflecting strong growth in both lending and deposit gathering. Average loans and advances to customers increased by 27%, with particularly strong balance growth in business lending, up 37% across a wide range of sectors. We have seen healthy growth in the mortgage book, although the pace of market growth has moderated. Average customer deposits rose by 16%, while our switcher campaign has been successful in winning 47,000 new current account customers in the first half of 2007. Net interest margin tightened in line with previous trends in lending margins. Non-interest income rose by 14% to Â£146 million, driven by the success of our Capital Markets and Wealth activities. Total expenses increased by 12% to Â£322 million, as we continued our investment programme to support the future growth of the business. We continued to expand our branch and business centre footprint and recruited additional customer-facing staff, particularly in our Corporate Markets division. The credit environment remains benign, despite recent rises in interest rates, and impairment losses fell by Â£4 million to Â£53 million. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CITIZENS First half First half Full year First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m $m $m $m Net interest 980 1,075 2,085 1,931 1,924 3,844 income Non-interest 585 611 1,232 1,153 1,094 2,271 income _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Total income 1,565 1,686 3,317 3,084 3,018 6,115 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff 378 424 803 746 759 1,480 costs - other 352 379 751 693 677 1,385 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ 730 803 1,554 1,439 1,436 2,865 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Contribution before impairment 835 883 1,763 1,645 1,582 3,250 losses Impairment 83 71 181 163 128 333 losses _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Operating 752 812 1,582 1,482 1,454 2,917 profit _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Average 1.970 1.790 1.844 exchange rate - US$/Â£ _______ _______ _______ $bn $bn $bn Total assets 160.3 164.2 162.2 Loans and advances to customers - gross - mortgages 18.5 19.4 18.6 - home equity 36.2 33.1 34.5 - other consumer 22.7 24.5 23.2 - corporate and commercial 34.6 32.2 32.7 Customer deposits 106.1 111.8 106.8 Customer deposits (excluding wholesale funding) 104.0 105.2 103.6 Risk-weighted assets 114.4 111.5 113.1 Spot exchange rate - US$/Â£ 2.006 1.849 1.965 _______ _______ _______ The franchise, particularly corporate and commercial banking, made good progress in the first half of 2007 as the headwinds showed signs of abating. Stable margins and growth in fees lifted income by 2% to $3,084 million which, coupled with tight cost control and strong credit quality, resulted in operating profit growth of 2% to $1,482 million. In sterling terms, total income decreased by 7% to Â£1,565 million and operating profit also fell by 7% to Â£752 million. Net interest income was $1,931 million. Average loans and advances to customers increased by 4%, with strong growth in corporate and commercial lending offsetting weaker demand for mortgage and auto loans. Average corporate and commercial loans excluding finance leases increased by 12%, reflecting Citizens' success in adding new mid-corporate customers and increasing its total number of business customers by 3% to 473,000, with particularly good growth in the Midwest. Average customer deposits increased by 1%. There has been further migration from low-cost checking accounts and liquid savings to higher-cost term and time deposits. Notwithstanding this migration, Citizens stabilised its net interest margin at 2.75% in the first half of 2007, the same level recorded in the first half of 2006 but six basis points higher than in the second half of 2006. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CITIZENS (continued) Non-interest income rose by 5% to $1,153 million. Business and corporate fees rose strongly, with good results especially in leasing, interest rate derivatives and cash management where enhanced cooperation with Corporate Markets has resulted in increased activity. Good progress was also made in credit card issuing, where we increased our customer base by 21%, and in merchant acquiring, where RBS Lynk achieved significant growth, processing 30% more transactions than in 2006 and expanding its merchant base by 8%. Tight cost control and a 4% reduction in headcount kept total expenses flat, despite continued investment in growth opportunities including mid-corporate banking, contactless debit cards and merchant acquiring. Citizens has also continued to develop its branch network. Our partnership with Stop & Shop Supermarkets has helped us to expand our supermarket banking franchise into downstate New York, while in February we completed the acquisition of GreatBanc, Inc., strengthening our position in the Chicago market and making us the 5th largest bank in the Chicago area, based on deposits. The increasing proportion of commercial lending in our portfolio has contributed to an increase in impairment losses to $163 million. This reflects the growth in the portfolio over the recent past and still represents just 0.29% of loans and advances to customers, on an annualised basis, illustrating the quality of our portfolio. Risk elements in lending and problem loans represent 0.35% of loans and advances, up slightly from 0.32% in 2006. Citizens is not active in sub-prime lending, and consumer lending is to prime customers, with average FICO scores on our portfolios, including home equity lines of credit, in excess of 700 with 96% of lending secured. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc RBS INSURANCE First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Earned premiums 2,815 2,834 5,713 Reinsurers' share (110) (105) (212) _______ _______ _______ Insurance premium income 2,705 2,729 5,501 Net fees and commissions (201) (248) (486) Other income 339 280 664 _______ _______ _______ Total income 2,843 2,761 5,679 _______ _______ _______ Direct expenses - staff costs 147 155 319 - other 204 188 426 _______ _______ _______ 351 343 745 _______ _______ _______ Gross claims 2,164 1,995 4,030 Reinsurers' share (34) (33) (60) _______ _______ _______ Net claims 2,130 1,962 3,970 _______ _______ _______ Contribution 362 456 964 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 107 105 215 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit 255* 351 749 _______ _______ _______ * The impact of the June 2007 floods was to reduce operating profit by Â£125 million. In-force policies (thousands) - Own-brand motor 6,829 6,724 6,790 - Own-brand non-motor (home, rescue, pet, 3,493 3,500 3,505 HR24) - Partnerships & broker (motor, home, 9,852 11,501 11,496 rescue, SMEs, pet, HR24) General insurance reserves - total (Â£m) 8,223 7,942 8,068 _______ _______ _______ RBS Insurance has made good progress in the first half of 2007. Total income increased by 3% to Â£2,843 million, driven by good growth in our own-brand businesses partially offset by a decline in partnerships. Results in the first half were held back by the Â£125 million impact of June's floods, and operating profit fell by 27% to Â£255 million. Excluding the June impact, operating profit grew by 8%. Our own-brand businesses have performed well, with income rising by 7%. Operating profit declined by 13%, but excluding the June impact grew by 10%. In the UK motor market we have pursued a strategy of increasing premium rates to offset claims inflation, and have improved profitability by implementing heavier increases in higher risk categories. Total in-force motor policies were up slightly at 6.8 million. In own-brand non-motor insurance we have achieved good sales through the RBS and NatWest branch channel which has allowed in-force policies to be maintained at 2006 levels of around 3.5 million. Our international businesses also showed strong growth in the first half, with particularly good performances in Spain and Italy. The number of in-force motor policies in Europe rose by 11%. In our partnership and broker business, providing underwriting and processing services to third parties, we have not renewed a number of large rescue contracts, and in-force policies have reduced by 14% to just under 10 million. Partnerships and broker income, however, has fallen by only 1%. Excluding the June impact, operating profit from partnerships and brokers increased by 4%. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc RBS INSURANCE (continued) For RBS Insurance as a whole, insurance premium income, net of fees and commissions, was 1% higher at Â£2,504 million, reflecting 3% growth in our own brands offset by a 1% decline in partnerships. Other income rose by 21% to Â£339 million, reflecting increased investment income. Total expenses rose by 2% to Â£458 million. Within this, staff costs reduced by 5%, reflecting our continued focus on improving efficiency whilst maintaining service standards. A 9% rise in non-staff costs reflects increased marketing investment in our own motor brands. Net claims rose by 9% to Â£2,130 million. Gross claims relating to the severe weather in June are estimated to have cost more than Â£150 million, with a net impact after allowing for profit sharing and reinsurance of Â£125 million. Excluding the June impact, net claims costs rose by just 1%. In the motor book, while average claims costs have continued to rise, this has been mitigated by continuing efficiencies and improvements in risk selection and management. The UK combined operating ratio for the first half of 2007, including Manufacturing costs, increased to 101.3%, reflecting a higher loss ratio and the discontinuation of some partnerships. Excluding the effect of June's severe weather, the UK combined operating ratio was 95.8%. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc MANUFACTURING First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Staff costs 370 370 763 Other costs 1,058 1,029 2,110 _______ _______ _______ Total Manufacturing costs 1,428 1,399 2,873 Allocated to divisions (1,428) (1,399) (2,873) _______ _______ _______ - - - _______ _______ _______ Analysis of Manufacturing costs: Group Technology 472 470 974 Group Property 464 448 932 Customer Support and other operations 492 481 967 _______ _______ _______ Total Manufacturing costs 1,428 1,399 2,873 _______ _______ _______ Manufacturing costs increased by 2% to Â£1,428 million, as improvements in productivity enabled us to support growth in business volumes and to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction while continuing to invest in the further development of our business. Staff costs were flat, as salary inflation was offset by reduced headcount in Operations, resulting from process efficiencies. Other costs increased by 3%, reflecting property investment and continued growth in the volumes of transactions handled. Group Technology costs were broadly flat at Â£472 million, as we achieved significant improvements in productivity balanced by investment in software development. Group Property costs increased by 4% to Â£464 million, reflecting the continuation of our branch improvement programme and ongoing investment in our property portfolio, including our city centre portfolio in the UK and new offices to support the strong growth of our business in Singapore and Paris. Customer Support and other operations costs increased by only 2% to Â£492 million and, like Group Technology, achieved significant improvements in productivity. This enabled us to absorb significant increases in service volumes, such as a 6% increase in transactions at our ATMs. At the same time we maintained our focus on service quality, and our UK-based telephony centres continued to record market-leading customer satisfaction scores. Our investment in 'lean manufacturing' approaches across our operational centres is expected to deliver further improvements in efficiency. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CENTRAL ITEMS First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Funding and corporate costs 370 424 893 Departmental and other costs 210 214 451 _______ _______ _______ 580 638 1,344 Allocation of Manufacturing costs 72 70 144 _______ _______ _______ Total central items 652 708 1,488 _______ _______ _______ Funding and corporate costs were down Â£54 million reflecting lower pension costs, volatility attributable to derivatives that do not meet the hedge accounting criteria, the effect of exchange rate movements on interest on dollar denominated funding instruments and the benefit from new issues of equity preference shares replacing preference shares classified as debt. These were offset by goodwill payments amounting to Â£81 million in respect of current account administration fees. Departmental and other costs were flat. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET First half 2007 First half 2006 Average Average balance Interest Rate balance Interest Rate Â£m Â£m % Â£m Â£m % Assets Treasury and other 687 16 4.66 2,644 56 4.24 eligible bills Loans and advances 24,295 637 5.24 24,861 469 3.77 to banks Loans and advances 382,890 12,185 6.36 352,464 10,654 6.05 to customers Debt securities 31,293 808 5.16 36,595 863 4.72 _______ ______ _______ ______ Interest-earning 439,165 13,646 6.21 416,564 12,042 5.78 assets - banking business ______ ______ Trading business 261,200 190,356 Non-interest-earning 241,667 201,145 assets _______ _______ Total assets 942,032 808,065 _______ _______ Liabilities Deposits by banks 59,010 1,329 4.50 66,242 1,250 3.77 Customer accounts 277,263 5,461 3.94 251,274 4,184 3.33 Debt securities in 82,806 2,047 4.94 79,460 1,774 4.47 issue Subordinated 26,042 725 5.57 26,243 651 4.96 liabilities Internal funding of (52,857) (1,238) 4.68 (47,355) (917) 3.87 trading business _______ ______ _______ ______ Interest-bearing 392,264 8,324 4.24 375,864 6,942 3.69 liabilities - banking business ______ ______ Trading business 263,086 191,913 Non-interest-bearing liabilities - demand deposits 30,145 29,370 - other 215,860 174,963 liabilities Shareholders' equity 40,677 35,955 _______ _______ Total liabilities 942,032 808,065 _______ _______ Notes: 1. Interest receivable and interest payable on trading assets and liabilities are included in income from trading activities. 2. Interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities exclude the Retail bancassurance assets and liabilities, in view of their distinct nature. As a result, interest income has been adjusted by Â£37 million (2006 - Â£30 million). 3. Changes in the fair value of interest-bearing financial instruments designated as at fair value through profit or loss are recorded in other operating income in the consolidated income statement. In the average balance sheet shown above, interest includes interest income and interest expense related to these instruments of Â£151 million (2006 - Â£107 million) and Â£249 million (2006 - Â£231 million) respectively and the average balances have been adjusted accordingly. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc AVERAGE INTEREST RATES, YIELDS, SPREADS AND MARGINS First half First half 2007 2006 Average rate % % The Group's base rate 5.31 4.50 London inter-bank three month offered rates: - Sterling 5.65 4.64 - Eurodollar 5.36 4.99 - Euro 3.94 2.75 First half First half 2007 2006 Yields, spreads and margins of the banking business: % % Gross yield on interest-earning assets of banking 6.21 5.78 business Cost of interest-bearing liabilities of banking (4.24) (3.69) business _______ _______ Interest spread of banking business 1.97 2.09 Benefit from interest-free funds 0.45 0.36 _______ _______ Net interest margin of banking business 2.42 2.45 _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE HALF YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2007 (unaudited) In the income statement below, amortisation of purchased intangible assets and integration costs are included in operating expenses. First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Interest receivable 13,458 11,905 24,688 Interest payable 8,075 6,711 14,092 _______ _______ _______ Net interest income 5,383 5,194 10,596 _______ _______ _______ Fees and commissions receivable 3,588 3,543 7,116 Fees and commissions payable (916) (985) (1,922) Income from trading activities 1,875 1,453 2,675 Other operating income (excluding 1,712 1,457 3,564 insurance premium income) Insurance premium income 3,193 3,112 6,243 Reinsurers' share (145) (132) (270) _______ _______ _______ Non-interest income 9,307 8,448 17,406 _______ _______ _______ Total income 14,690 13,642 28,002 _______ _______ _______ Staff costs 3,494 3,233 6,723 Premises and equipment 748 668 1,421 Other administrative expenses 1,319 1,286 2,658 Depreciation and amortisation 835 853 1,678 _______ _______ _______ Operating expenses* 6,396 6,040 12,480 _______ _______ _______ Profit before other operating charges 8,294 7,602 15,522 and impairment losses Insurance claims 2,468 2,244 4,550 Reinsurers' share (53) (40) (92) Impairment losses 871 887 1,878 _______ _______ _______ Operating profit before tax 5,008 4,511 9,186 Tax 1,272 1,387 2,689 _______ _______ _______ Profit for the period 3,736 3,124 6,497 Minority interests 75 55 104 Preference dividends 106 91 191 _______ _______ _______ Profit attributable to ordinary 3,555 2,978 6,202 shareholders _______ _______ _______ Basic earnings per ordinary share 37.6p 31.0p 64.9p (Note 4) _______ _______ _______ Diluted earnings per ordinary share 37.3p 30.8p 64.4p (Note 4) _______ _______ _______ Adjusted earnings per ordinary share 38.4p 31.7p 66.7p (Note 4) _______ _______ _______ *Operating expenses include: Â£m Â£m Â£m Integration costs: - Administrative expenses 26 41 118 - Depreciation and amortisation 29 2 16 _______ _______ _______ 55 43 134 Amortisation of purchased intangible 43 49 94 assets _______ _______ _______ 98 92 228 _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AT 30 JUNE 2007 (unaudited) 30 June 31 December 30 June 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Assets Cash and balances at central banks 4,080 6,121 3,760 Treasury and other eligible bills 8,014 5,491 6,499 Loans and advances to banks 92,037 82,606 74,887 Loans and advances to customers 503,197 466,893 431,296 Debt securities 142,324 127,251 129,389 Equity shares 13,193 13,504 12,919 Settlement balances 21,372 7,425 14,789 Derivatives 183,313 116,681 117,897 Intangible assets 18,868 18,904 19,380 Property, plant and equipment 18,185 18,420 18,311 Prepayments, accrued income and other 6,683 8,136 10,212 assets ______ _______ _______ Total assets 1,011,266 871,432 839,339 _______ _______ _______ Liabilities Deposits by banks 139,415 132,143 118,617 Customer accounts 419,317 384,222 368,601 Debt securities in issue 95,519 85,963 85,823 Settlement balances and short positions 71,969 49,476 48,832 Derivatives 183,461 118,112 119,757 Accruals, deferred income and other 15,711 15,660 14,818 liabilities Retirement benefit liabilities 1,987 1,992 3,742 Deferred taxation 2,721 3,264 2,294 Insurance liabilities 7,629 7,456 7,442 Subordinated liabilities 27,079 27,654 27,852 _______ _______ _______ Total liabilities 964,808 825,942 797,778 Equity: Minority interests 4,914 5,263 4,186 Shareholders' equity* Called up share capital 2,391 815 825 Reserves 39,153 39,412 36,550 Total equity 46,458 45,490 41,561 ______ _______ _______ Total liabilities and equity 1,011,266 871,432 839,339 ______ _______ _______ *Shareholders' equity attributable to: Ordinary shareholders 37,403 36,546 34,016 Preference shareholders 4,141 3,681 3,359 _______ _______ _______ 41,544 40,227 37,375 _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc OVERVIEW OF CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET Total assets of Â£1,011.3 billion at 30 June 2007 were up Â£139.8 billion, 16%, compared with 31 December 2006. Treasury and other eligible bills increased by Â£2.5 billion, 46% to Â£8.0 billion, due to higher trading activity. Loans and advances to banks increased by Â£9.4 billion, 11%, to Â£92.0 billion. Reverse repurchase agreements and stock borrowing ('reverse repos') increased by Â£10.5 billion, 19% to Â£64.7 billion, but were offset by a reduction in bank placings of Â£1.1 billion, 4%, to Â£27.3 billion. Loans and advances to customers were up Â£36.3 billion, 8%, to Â£503.2 billion. Within this, reverse repos increased by 26%, Â£16.6 billion to Â£79.5 billion. Excluding reverse repos, lending rose by Â£19.7 billion, 5% to Â£423.7 billion reflecting organic growth across all divisions. Debt securities increased by Â£15.1 billion, 12%, to Â£142.3 billion, principally due to increased holdings in Global Banking & Markets. Equity shares decreased by Â£0.3 billion, 2%, to Â£13.2 billion, primarily reflecting a decrease in the market value of the investment in Bank of China. Settlement balances rose by Â£13.9 billion to Â£21.4 billion as a result of increased customer activity in Global Banking & Markets. Movements in the value of derivatives, assets and liabilities, primarily reflect significant changes in interest rates since the year end and growth in trading volumes. Prepayments, accrued income and other assets were down Â£1.5 billion, 18% to Â£6.7 billion. Deposits by banks rose by Â£7.3 billion, 6% to Â£139.4 billion to fund business growth. This reflected increased repurchase agreements and stock lending ('repos'), up Â£5.0 billion, 6% to Â£81.3 billion combined with higher inter-bank deposits, up Â£2.3 billion, 4% at Â£58.1 billion. Customer accounts were up Â£35.1 billion, 9% to Â£419.3 billion. Within this, repos increased Â£17.7 billion, 28% to Â£81.7 billion. Excluding repos, deposits rose by Â£17.4 billion, 5%, to Â£337.6 billion reflecting organic growth in all divisions. Debt securities in issue increased by Â£9.6 billion, 11%, to Â£95.5 billion. The increase in settlement balances and short positions, up Â£22.5 billion, 45%, to Â£72.0 billion, reflected growth in customer activity. Deferred taxation liabilities decreased by Â£0.5 billion, 17% to Â£2.7 billion, due in part to the change in the rate of UK corporation tax from 30% to 28% from 1 April 2008. Subordinated liabilities were down Â£0.6 billion, 2% to Â£27.1 billion. The issue of Â£1.0 billion dated loan capital was more than offset by the redemption of Â£0.3 billion dated and undated loan capital and Â£0.6 billion non-cumulative preferences shares and the effect of exchange rate and other adjustments, Â£0.7 billion. Equity minority interests decreased by Â£0.3 billion, 7% to Â£4.9 billion, primarily reflecting a reduction in the market value of the investment in Bank of China attributable to minority shareholders. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc OVERVIEW OF CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET (continued) Shareholders' equity increased by Â£1.3 billion, 3% to Â£41.5 billion. The profit for the six months of Â£3.7 billion and the issue of Â£0.4 billion non-cumulative fixed rate equity preference shares were partially offset by a Â£0.3 billion decrease in available-for-sale reserves, mainly reflecting the Group's share in the investment in Bank of China, the payment of the 2006 final ordinary dividend of Â£2.1 billion and preference dividends of Â£0.1 billion, together with movements in currency translation and cash flow hedging reserves of Â£0.2 billion and Â£0.1 billion respectively. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF RECOGNISED INCOME AND EXPENSE FOR THE HALF YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2007 (unaudited) First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Net movements in reserves: Available-for-sale (825) 3,106 4,479 Cash flow hedges (125) 145 (249) Currency translation (199) (869) (1,681) Actuarial gains on defined benefit plans - - 1,781 Tax on items recognised direct in equity 180 (454) (1,173) _______ _______ _______ Net (expense)/income recognised direct in (969) 1,928 3,157 equity Profit for the period 3,736 3,124 6,497 _______ _______ _______ Total recognised income and expense for the 2,767 5,052 9,654 period _______ _______ _______ Attributable to: Equity shareholders 3,020 3,462 7,707 Minority interests (253) 1,590 1,947 _______ _______ _______ 2,767 5,052 9,654 _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE HALF YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2007 (unaudited) First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Operating activities Operating profit before tax 5,008 4,511 9,186 Adjustments for: Depreciation and amortisation 835 853 1,678 Interest on subordinated liabilities 725 651 1,386 Charge for defined benefit pension schemes 234 267 580 Cash contribution to defined benefit (239) (257) (536) pension schemes Elimination of foreign exchange differences and other non-cash items (2,474) 1,188 3,396 _______ _______ _______ Net cash inflow from trading activities 4,089 7,213 15,690 Changes in operating assets and liabilities 3,627 (1,893) 3,980 _______ _______ _______ Net cash flows from operating activities 7,716 5,320 19,670 before tax Income taxes paid (1,022) (943) (2,229) _______ _______ _______ Net cash flows from operating activities 6,694 4,377 17,441 _______ _______ _______ Investing activities Sale and maturity of securities 9,410 14,729 27,126 Purchase of securities (8,210) (11,911) (19,126) Sale of property, plant and equipment 2,009 808 2,990 Purchase of property, plant and equipment (2,086) (1,936) (4,282) Net investment in business interests and (278) (108) (63) intangible assets _______ _______ _______ Net cash flows from investing activities 845 1,582 6,645 _______ _______ _______ Financing activities Issue of ordinary shares - 98 104 Issue of equity preference shares 460 350 671 Issue of subordinated liabilities 1,009 1,990 3,027 Proceeds of minority interests issued - 528 1,354 Redemption of minority interests (33) - (81) Repurchase of ordinary shares - (201) (991) Shares purchased by employee trusts (50) - (254) Shares issued under employee share schemes 52 - 108 Repayment of subordinated liabilities (877) (962) (1,318) Dividends paid (2,252) (1,831) (2,727) Interest paid on subordinated liabilities (684) (678) (1,409) _______ _______ _______ Net cash flows from financing activities (2,375) (706) (1,516) _______ _______ _______ Effects of exchange rate changes on cash (356) (1,354) (3,468) and cash equivalents _______ _______ _______ Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 4,808 3,899 19,102 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of 71,651 52,549 52,549 period _______ _______ _______ Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 76,459 56,448 71,651 _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc NOTES 1. Accounting policies There have been no changes to the Group's principal accounting policies as set out on pages 130 to 136 of the 2006 Report and Accounts. These interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 'Interim Financial Reporting'. 2. Loan impairment provisions Operating profit is stated after charging loan impairment losses of Â£851 million (2006 - Â£889 million). The balance sheet loan impairment provisions increased in the half year ended 30 June 2007 from Â£3,935 million to Â£4,062 million, and the movements thereon were: First half First half 2007 2006 Â£m Â£m At 1 January 3,935 3,887 Currency translation and other adjustments (6) (34) Acquisitions 7 - Amounts written-off (768) (737) Recoveries of amounts previously written-off 126 96 Charge to the income statement 851 889 Unwind of discount (83) (63) _______ _______ At 30 June 4,062 4,038 _______ _______ The provision at 30 June 2007 includes Â£2 million (31 December 2006 - Â£2 million; 30 June 2006 - Â£3 million) in respect of loans and advances to banks. 3. Taxation The charge for taxation comprises: First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Tax on profit before intangibles amortisation and integration costs 1,301 1,415 2,750 Tax relief on intangibles (29) (28) (61) amortisation and integration costs _______ _______ _______ 1,272 1,387 2,689 _______ _______ _______ Overseas tax included above 547 615 1,100 _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc NOTES (continued) 3. Taxation (continued) The charge for taxation represents 25.4% (first half 2006 - 30.7%; full year 2006 - 29.3%) of profit before tax. It differs from the tax charge computed by applying the standard UK corporation tax rate of 30% as follows: First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Profit before tax 5,008 4,511 9,186 _______ _______ _______ Expected tax charge at 30% 1,502 1,353 2,756 Non-deductible items 67 113 288 Non-taxable items (79) (44) (251) Foreign profits taxed at other rates 25 33 63 Reduction in deferred tax liability following change in the rate of UK Corporation Tax (157) - - Other (5) 2 19 Adjustments in respect of prior periods (81) (70) (186) _______ _______ _______ Actual tax charge 1,272 1,387 2,689 _______ _______ _______ 4. Earnings per share Earnings per share have been calculated based on the following: First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Earnings Profit attributable to ordinary 3,555 2,978 6,202 shareholders Add back finance cost on dilutive 31 33 64 convertible securities _______ _______ _______ Diluted earnings attributable to ordinary 3,586 3,011 6,266 shareholders _______ _______ _______ Number of shares - millions Weighted average number of ordinary shares* In issue during the period 9,443 9,591 9,555 Effect of dilutive share options and 162 174 174 convertible securities _______ _______ _______ Diluted weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the period 9,605 9,765 9,729 _______ _______ _______ Basic earnings per share* 37.6p 31.0p 64.9p Intangibles amortisation 0.3p 0.4p 0.7p Integration costs 0.5p 0.3p 1.1p _______ _______ _______ Adjusted earnings per share* 38.4p 31.7p 66.7p _______ _______ _______ Diluted earnings per share* 37.3p 30.8p 64.4p _______ _______ _______ Adjusted diluted earnings per share* 38.1p 31.5p 66.1p _______ _______ _______ *prior period data have been restated to reflect the two for one bonus issue of ordinary shares in May 2007. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc NOTES (continued) 5. Segmental analysis The revenues for each division in the table below are gross of intra-group transactions. First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Total revenue Â£m Â£m Â£m Corporate Markets - Global Banking & Markets 10,969 8,590 19,088 - UK Corporate Banking 3,470 2,784 5,980 Retail Markets - Retail 6,763 6,217 12,763 - Wealth Management 1,480 1,227 2,413 Ulster Bank 1,320 1,227 2,557 Citizens 2,824 2,897 5,874 RBS Insurance 3,195 3,150 6,447 Manufacturing 26 7 31 Central items 4,666 3,471 8,101 Elimination of intra-group (10,887) (8,100) (18,968) transactions _______ _______ _______ 23,826 21,470 44,286 _______ _______ _______ First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Operating profit before tax Â£m Â£m Â£m Corporate Markets - Global Banking & Markets 2,170 1,829 3,816 - UK Corporate Banking 981 878 1,758 Total Corporate Markets 3,151 2,707 5,574 Retail Markets - Retail 1,160 1,085 2,258 - Wealth Management 202 158 318 Total Retail Markets 1,362 1,243 2,576 Ulster Bank 238 198 421 Citizens 752 812 1,582 RBS Insurance 255 351 749 Manufacturing - - - Central items (652) (708) (1,488) _______ _______ _______ 5,106 4,603 9,414 Amortisation of purchased (43) (49) (94) intangible assets Integration costs (55) (43) (134) _______ _______ _______ 5,008 4,511 9,186 _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc NOTES (continued) 6. Dividend* During the period a dividend of 22.1p per ordinary share (2005 - 17.7p) in respect of the final dividend for 2006 was paid to ordinary shareholders, making 30.2p per ordinary share for the year as a whole. In line with our policy the directors have declared an interim dividend for 2007 representing one third of 2006's total dividend. The interim dividend of 10.1p per ordinary share will be paid on 5 October 2007 to shareholders registered on 17 August 2007. *prior period data have been restated to reflect the two for one bonus issue of ordinary shares in May 2007. 7. Analysis of repurchase agreements 30 June 31 December 30 June 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Reverse repurchase agreements and stock borrowing Loans and advances to banks 64,697 54,152 41,159 Loans and advances to customers 79,469 62,908 45,813 _______ _______ _______ Repurchase agreements and stock lending Deposits by banks 81,335 76,376 59,531 Customer accounts 81,703 63,984 56,915 _______ _______ _______ 8. Litigation Proceedings, including consolidated class actions on behalf of former Enron securities holders, have been brought in the United States against a large number of defendants, including the Group, following the collapse of Enron. The claims against the Group could be significant; the class plaintiff's position is that each defendant is responsible for an entire aggregate damage amount less settlements - they have not quantified claimed damages against the Group in particular. The Group considers that it has substantial and credible legal and factual defences to these claims and it continues to defend them vigorously. A number of other defendants have reached settlements in the principal class action. The Group is unable reliably to estimate the possible loss to it in relation to these matters or the effect that the possible loss might have on the Group's consolidated net assets or its operating results or cashflows in any particular period. In addition, pursuant to requests received from the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice, the Group has provided copies of Enron-related materials to these authorities and has co-operated fully with them. On 27 July 2007, following discussions between the Office of Fair Trading ('OFT'), the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Financial Services Authority and all the major UK banks (including the Group) in the first half of 2007, the OFT issued proceedings in a test case against the banks including the Group to determine the legal status and enforceability of certain charges relating to unauthorised overdrafts. The Group maintains that its charges are fair and enforceable and intends to defend its position vigorously. The Group cannot predict with any certainty the outcome of the test case and is unable reliably to estimate the liability, if any, that may arise or its effect on the Group's consolidated net assets, operating results or cash flows in any particular period. Members of the Group are engaged in other litigation in the United Kingdom and a number of overseas jurisdictions, including the United States, involving claims by and against them arising in the ordinary course of business. The Group has reviewed these other actual, threatened and known potential claims and proceedings and, after consulting with its legal advisers, is satisfied that the outcome of these other claims and proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on its consolidated net assets, operating results or cash flows in any particular period. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc NOTES (continued) 9. Analysis of consolidated equity First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Called-up share capital At beginning of period 815 826 826 Bonus issue of ordinary shares* 1,576 - - Shares issued during the period - 2 2 Shares repurchased during the period - (3) (13) _______ _______ _______ At end of period 2,391 825 815 _______ _______ _______ Share premium account At beginning of period 12,482 11,777 11,777 Bonus issue of ordinary shares* (1,576) - - Shares issued during the period 460 446 815 Shares repurchased during the period - - (381) Redemption of preference shares 159 271 271 classified as debt _______ _______ _______ At end of period 11,525 12,494 12,482 _______ _______ _______ Merger reserve At beginning and end of period 10,881 10,881 10,881 _______ _______ _______ Available-for-sale reserves At beginning of period 1,528 (73) (73) Currency translation adjustments 17 (6) (43) Unrealised (losses)/gains in the (376) 1,475 2,652 period Realised gains in the period (117) (81) (313) Taxation 204 (397) (695) _______ _______ _______ At end of period 1,256 918 1,528 _______ _______ _______ Cash flow hedging reserve At beginning of period (149) 59 59 Currency translation adjustments - (10) - Amount recognised in equity during the (26) 216 (109) period Amount transferred from equity to (99) (71) (140) earnings in the period Taxation 24 (57) 41 _______ _______ _______ At end of period (250) 137 (149) _______ _______ _______ Foreign exchange reserve At beginning of period (872) 469 469 Retranslation of net assets, net of (220) (676) (1,341) related hedges _______ _______ _______ At end of period (1,092) (207) (872) _______ _______ _______ *in May 2007, the Group capitalised Â£1,576 million of its share premium account by way of a two for one bonus issue of ordinary shares of 25p each. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc NOTES (continued) 9. Analysis of consolidated equity (continued) First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Capital redemption reserve At beginning of period 170 157 157 Shares repurchased during the period - 3 13 _______ _______ _______ At end of period 170 160 170 _______ _______ _______ Retained earnings At beginning of period 15,487 11,346 11,346 Profit attributable to ordinary and 3,661 3,069 6,393 equity preference shareholders Ordinary dividends paid (2,091) (1,699) (2,470) Equity preference dividends paid (106) (91) (191) Shares repurchased during the period - (201) (624) Redemption of preference shares (159) (271) (271) classified as debt Actuarial (losses)/gains recognised in retirement benefit schemes, net of tax (1) (48) - 1,262 Net cost of shares bought and used to satisfy share-based payments (38) - (38) Share-based payments, net of tax 32 20 80 _______ _______ _______ At end of period 16,738 12,173 15,487 _______ _______ _______ Own shares held At beginning of period (115) (7) (7) Shares purchased during the period (50) - (254) Shares issued under employee share 90 1 146 schemes _______ _______ _______ At end of period (75) (6) (115) _______ _______ _______ Shareholders' equity at end of period 41,544 37,375 40,227 _______ _______ _______ Minority interests At beginning of period 5,263 2,109 2,109 Currency translation adjustments and 4 (177) (297) other movements Profit attributable to minority 75 55 104 interests Dividends paid (55) (41) (66) Unrealised (losses)/gains on (332) 1,712 2,140 available-for-sale reserves Equity raised - 528 1,354 Equity withdrawn and disposals (41) - (81) _______ _______ _______ At end of period 4,914 4,186 5,263 _______ _______ _______ Total equity at end of period 46,458 41,561 45,490 _______ _______ _______ (1) The movement of Â£48 million in the first half of 2007 reflects the reduction in deferred tax asset on actuarial losses recognised in retirement benefit schemes following the change in the rate of UK Corporation Tax. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc NOTES (continued) 10. Analysis of contingent liabilities and commitments 30 June 31 December 30 June 2007 2006* 2006* (Audited) Â£m Â£m Â£m Contingent liabilities Guarantees and assets pledged as 10,996 10,725 11,733 collateral security Other contingent liabilities 9,633 9,121 8,075 _______ _______ _______ 20,629 19,846 19,808 _______ _______ _______ Commitments Undrawn formal standby facilities, credit lines and other commitments to lend 261,280 242,655 226,475 Other commitments 2,932 2,402 2,855 _______ _______ _______ 264,212 245,057 229,330 _______ _______ _______ Total contingent liabilities and 284,841 264,903 249,138 commitments _______ _______ _______ * restated 11. Filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) The Group's interim results will be filed with the SEC in a report on Form 6-K. 12. Statutory accounts Financial information contained in this document does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 240 of the Companies Act 1985 ('the Act'). The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2006 have been filed with the Registrar of Companies and have been reported on by the auditors under section 235 of the Act. The report of the auditors was unqualified and did not contain a statement under section 237(2) or (3) of the Act. 13. Auditor's review The interim results have been reviewed by the Group's auditors, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and their review report is set out on page 50. 14. Date of approval This announcement was approved by the Board of directors on 2 August 2007. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc ANALYSIS OF INCOME, EXPENSES AND IMPAIRMENT LOSSES First half First half Full year 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Fees and commissions receivable 3,588 3,543 7,116 Fees and commissions payable - banking (715) (733) (1,432) - insurance related (201) (252) (490) _______ _______ _______ Net fees and commissions 2,672 2,558 5,194 _______ _______ _______ Foreign exchange 424 258 738 Interest rate 922 634 973 Credit 421 496 841 Other 108 65 123 _______ _______ _______ Income from trading activities 1,875 1,453 2,675 _______ _______ _______ Rental income and other asset-based 1,184 1,039 2,149 activities Other income - principal investments 288 203 794 - net realised gains on 15 66 196 available-for-sale securities - dividend income 35 41 73 - profit on sale of property, plant 92 50 125 and equipment - other 98 58 227 _______ _______ _______ Other operating income 1,712 1,457 3,564 _______ _______ _______ Non-interest income (excluding insurance 6,259 5,468 11,433 premiums) _______ _______ _______ Insurance net premium income 3,048 2,980 5,973 _______ _______ _______ Total non-interest income 9,307 8,448 17,406 ______ ______ ______ Staff costs - wages, salaries and other staff 3,020 2,725 5,641 costs - social security costs 196 203 389 - pension costs 269 290 617 Premises and equipment 744 660 1,411 Other 1,306 1,268 2,626 _______ _______ _______ Administrative expenses 5,535 5,146 10,684 Operating lease depreciation 362 403 787 Other depreciation and amortisation 401 399 781 _______ _______ _______ Operating expenses 6,298 5,948 12,252 _______ _______ _______ General insurance 2,130 1,962 3,970 Bancassurance 285 242 488 _______ _______ _______ Insurance net claims 2,415 2,204 4,458 _______ _______ _______ Loan impairment losses 851 889 1,877 Impairment of available-for-sale 20 (2) 1 securities _______ _______ _______ Impairment losses 871 887 1,878 _______ _______ _______ Note: the data above exclude amortisation of purchased intangibles and integration costs. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc REGULATORY RATIOS 30 June 31 December 30 June 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Capital base Ordinary shareholders' funds and minority interests less intangibles 20,985 20,281 19,232 Preference shares and tax deductible 10,166 9,760 9,892 securities _______ _______ _______ Tier 1 capital 31,151 30,041 29,124 Tier 2 capital 26,955 27,491 26,674 _______ _______ _______ 58,106 57,532 55,798 Less: Supervisory deductions (5,803) (10,583) (10,111) _______ _______ _______ 52,303 46,949 45,687 _______ _______ _______ Risk-weighted assets Banking book - on-balance sheet 333,400 318,600 313,800 - off-balance sheet 62,700 59,400 52,800 Trading book 23,600 22,300 18,900 _______ _______ _______ 419,700 400,300 385,500 _______ _______ _______ Risk asset ratio Tier 1 7.4% 7.5% 7.6% Total 12.5% 11.7% 11.9% _______ _______ _______ Composition of capital Tier 1 Shareholders' equity and minority 43,110 41,700 38,455 interests Innovative tier 1 securities and 4,264 4,900 5,148 preference shares Goodwill and other intangible assets (18,868) (18,904) (19,380) Regulatory and other adjustments 2,645 2,345 4,901 _______ _______ _______ Total qualifying tier 1 capital 31,151 30,041 29,124 _______ _______ _______ Tier 2 Unrealised gains in available-for-sale equity securities in shareholders' equity and minority 3,348 3,790 3,106 interests Collective impairment losses, net of 2,374 2,267 2,361 taxes Qualifying subordinated liabilities 20,663 21,024 21,165 Minority and other interests in tier 2 570 410 42 capital _______ _______ _______ Total qualifying tier 2 capital 26,955 27,491 26,674 _______ _______ _______ Supervisory deductions Unconsolidated investments 4,147 3,870 3,617 Investments in other banks (1) 64 5,203 4,594 Other deductions 1,592 1,510 1,900 _______ _______ _______ 5,803 10,583 10,111 _______ _______ _______ Total regulatory capital 52,303 46,949 45,687 _______ _______ _______ (1) The reduction in supervisory deductions for investments in other banks reflects changes to the FSA rules following the implementation of certain provisions of the EU Capital Requirements Directive with effect from 1 January 2007. This affects the Group's investment in Bank of China which is now included in risk-weighted assets. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc ASSET QUALITY Analysis of loans and advances to customers The following table analyses loans and advances to customers (including reverse repurchase agreements and stock borrowing) by industry and geography. 30 June 31 December 30 June 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Central and local government 3,806 6,732 3,093 Finance 38,073 25,017 27,796 Individuals - home 71,148 70,884 66,800 Individuals - other 27,763 27,922 27,658 Other commercial and industrial comprising: - Manufacturing 11,410 11,051 10,966 - Construction 9,155 8,251 7,574 - Service industries and business 46,453 43,887 42,905 activities - Agriculture, forestry and fishing 2,472 2,767 2,638 - Property 42,933 39,296 35,994 Finance leases and instalment credit 14,529 14,218 14,139 Interest accruals 1,566 1,497 1,155 _______ _______ _______ Total domestic 269,308 251,522 240,718 Overseas residents 77,779 69,242 57,380 _______ _______ _______ Total UK offices 347,087 320,764 298,098 _______ _______ _______ Overseas US 93,808 92,166 86,769 Rest of the World 66,362 57,896 50,464 _______ _______ _______ Total Overseas offices 160,170 150,062 137,233 _______ _______ _______ Loans and advances to customers - gross 507,257 470,826 435,331 Loan impairment provisions (4,060) (3,933) (4,035) _______ _______ _______ Total loans and advances to customers 503,197 466,893 431,296 _______ _______ _______ Reverse repurchase agreements included in the analysis above: Central and local government - 3,677 - Finance 28,699 17,540 18,564 Accruals 185 220 153 _______ _______ _______ 28,884 21,437 18,717 Overseas residents 23,556 18,487 14,654 _______ _______ _______ Total UK offices 52,440 39,924 33,371 US 22,849 19,383 12,298 Rest of the World 4,180 3,601 144 _______ _______ _______ Total 79,469 62,908 45,813 _______ _______ _______ Loans and advances to customers excluding reverse repurchase agreements - net 423,728 403,985 385,483 _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc ASSET QUALITY (continued) Risk elements in lending The Group's loan control and review procedures do not include the classification of loans as non-accrual, accruing past due, restructured and potential problem loans, as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC') in the US. The following table shows the estimated amount of loans which would be reported using the SEC's classifications. The figures are stated before deducting the value of security held or related provisions. 30 June 31 December 30 June 2007 2006 2006 Â£m Â£m Â£m Loans accounted for on a non-accrual basis(2): - Domestic 5,560 5,420 5,461 - Foreign 819 812 809 _______ _______ _______ 6,379 6,232 6,270 _______ _______ _______ Accruing loans which are contractually overdue 90 days or more as to principal or interest (3): - Domestic 32 81 7 - Foreign 38 24 30 _______ _______ _______ 70 105 37 _______ _______ _______ Loans not included above which are 'troubled debt restructurings' as defined by the SEC: - Domestic - - 1 - Foreign - - - _______ _______ _______ - - 1 _______ _______ _______ Total risk elements in lending 6,449 6,337 6,308 _______ _______ _______ Potential problem loans (4): - Domestic 29 47 86 - Foreign 1 5 1 _______ _______ _______ 30 52 87 _______ _______ _______ Closing provisions for impairment as a % of total risk elements in lending and 63% 62% 63% potential problem loans _______ _______ _______ Risk elements in lending as a % of gross lending to customers excluding reverse repos 1.51% 1.55% 1.62% _______ _______ _______ Risk elements in lending and potential problem loans as a % of gross lending to customers excluding reverse repos 1.51% 1.57% 1.64% _______ _______ _______ 1) For the analysis above, 'Domestic' consists of the United Kingdom domestic transactions of the Group. 'Foreign' comprises the Group's transactions conducted through offices outside the UK and through those offices in the UK specifically organised to service international banking transactions. 2) All loans against which an impairment provision is held are reported in the non-accrual category. 3) Loans where an impairment event has taken place but no impairment recognised. This category is used for fully collateralised non-revolving credit facilities. 4) Loans for which an impairment event has occurred but no impairment provision is necessary. This category is used for fully collateralised advances and revolving credit facilities where identification as 90 days overdue is not feasible. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc MARKET RISK The Group manages the market risk in its trading and treasury portfolios through its market risk management framework. This expresses limits based on, but not limited to: value-at-risk (VaR); stress testing and scenario analysis; and position and sensitivity analyses. VaR is a technique that produces estimates of the potential negative change in the market value of a portfolio over a specified time horizon at given confidence levels. The table below sets out the VaR, at a 95% confidence level and a one-day time horizon, for the Group's trading and treasury portfolios. The VaR for the Group's trading portfolios includes idiosyncratic risk and is segregated by type of market risk exposure. Average Period end Maximum Minimum Â£m Â£m Â£m Â£m Trading VaR Interest rate 11.7 11.4 15.9 9.0 Credit spread 14.6 13.9 15.9 13.0 Currency 2.1 1.8 5.2 1.1 Equity and commodity 2.3 2.6 3.8 1.6 Diversification effects (13.0) _______ 30 June 2007 16.1 16.7 19.0 13.2 _______ _______ _______ _______ 31 December 2006 14.2 15.6 18.9 10.4 _______ _______ _______ _______ 30 June 2006 13.1 14.5 16.2 10.4 _______ _______ _______ _______ Treasury VaR 30 June 2007 2.8 3.4 3.9 1.3 _______ _______ _______ _______ 31 December 2006 2.4 1.5 4.4 0.6 _______ _______ _______ _______ 30 June 2006 3.3 2.7 4.4 2.5 _______ _______ _______ _______ The Group's VaR should be interpreted in light of the limitations of the methodologies used. These limitations include: - Historical data may not provide the best estimate of the joint distribution of risk factor changes in the future and may fail to capture the risk of possible extreme adverse market movements which have not occurred in the historical window used in the calculations. - VaR using a one-day time horizon does not fully capture the market risk of positions that cannot be liquidated or hedged within one day. - VaR using a 95% confidence level does not reflect the extent of potential losses beyond that percentile. The Group largely computes the VaR of trading portfolios at the close of business and positions may change substantially during the course of the trading day. Controls are in place to limit the Group's intra-day exposure, such as the calculation of VaR for selected portfolios. These limitations and the nature of the VaR measure mean that the Group cannot guarantee that losses will not exceed the VaR amounts indicated. The Group undertakes stress testing to identify the potential for losses in excess of the VaR. The Group's treasury activities include its money market business and the management of internal funds flow within the Group's businesses. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc OTHER INFORMATION 30 June 31 December 30 June 2007 2006 2006 Ordinary share price* Â£6.33 Â£6.64 Â£5.93 Number of ordinary shares in issue* 9,456m 9,459m 9,576m Market capitalisation Â£59.9bn Â£62.8bn Â£56.8bn Net asset value per ordinary share* Â£3.96 Â£3.86 Â£3.55 Employee numbers (full time equivalents rounded to the nearest hundred) Global Banking & Markets 9,900 8,600 7,900 UK Corporate Banking 9,000 8,800 8,500 Retail 37,800 38,900 39,900 Wealth Management 4,700 4,500 4,300 Ulster Bank 6,100 5,600 5,700 Citizens 22,500 23,100 23,400 RBS Insurance 17,500 17,500 18,400 Manufacturing 25,100 25,400 25,200 Centre 2,800 2,600 2,500 _______ _______ _______ Group total 135,400 135,000 135,800 _______ _______ _______ *prior period data have been restated to reflect the two for one bonus issue of ordinary shares in May 2007. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain sections in this document contain 'forward-looking statements' as that term is defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements that include the words 'expect', 'estimate', 'project', 'anticipate', 'should', 'intend', 'plan', 'probability', 'risk', 'Value-at-Risk ('VaR')', 'target', 'goal', 'objective', 'will', 'endeavour', 'outlook', 'optimistic', 'prospects' and similar expressions or variations on such expressions and sections such as 'Group Chief Executive's review' and 'Financial review'. In particular, this document includes forward-looking statements relating, but not limited, to the Group's potential exposures to various types of market risks, such as interest rate risk, foreign exchange rate risk and commodity and equity price risk. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. For example, certain of the market risk disclosures are dependent on choices about key model characteristics and assumptions and are subject to various limitations. By their nature, certain of the market risk disclosures are only estimates and, as a result, actual future gains and losses could differ materially from those that have been estimated. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the forward-looking statements contained in this document include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in the UK and in other countries in which the Group has significant business activities or investments, including the United States; the monetary and interest rate policies of the Bank of England, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and other G-7 central banks; inflation; deflation; unanticipated turbulence in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices and equity prices; changes in UK and foreign laws, regulations and taxes; changes in competition and pricing environments; natural and other disasters; the inability to hedge certain risks economically; the adequacy of loss reserves; acquisitions or restructurings; technological changes; changes in consumer spending and saving habits; and the success of the Group in managing the risks involved in the foregoing. The forward-looking statements contained in this document speak only as of the date of this report, and the Group does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc INDEPENDENT REVIEW REPORT TO THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc Introduction We have been instructed by the company to review the financial information for the six months ended 30 June 2007 which comprises the condensed consolidated income statement, the condensed consolidated balance sheet, the condensed consolidated statement of recognised income and expense, the condensed consolidated cash flow statement and related notes 1 to 14 ('the financial information'). We have read the other information contained in the interim report and considered whether it contains any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the financial information. This report is made solely to the company in accordance with Bulletin 1999/4 issued by the Auditing Practices Board. Our work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company those matters we are required to state to them in an independent review report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company, for our review work, for this report, or for the conclusions we have formed. Directors' responsibilities The interim report, including the financial information, is the responsibility of, and has been approved by, the directors. The directors are responsible for preparing the interim report in accordance with the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority and the requirements of IAS 34 which require that the accounting policies and presentation applied to the interim figures are consistent with those applied in preparing the preceding annual accounts except where any changes, and the reasons for them, are disclosed. Review work performed We conducted our review in accordance with the guidance contained in Bulletin 1999/4 issued by the Auditing Practices Board for use in the United Kingdom. A review consists principally of making enquiries of Group management and applying analytical procedures to the financial information and underlying financial data and, based thereon, assessing whether the accounting policies and presentation have been consistently applied unless otherwise disclosed. A review excludes audit procedures such as tests of controls and verification of assets, liabilities and transactions. It is substantially less in scope than an audit performed in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) and therefore provides a lower level of assurance than an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion on the financial information. Review conclusion On the basis of our review we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the financial information as presented for the six months ended 30 June 2007. Deloitte & Touche LLP Chartered Accountants Edinburgh 2 August 2007 THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc RESTATEMENTS Divisional results for 2006 have been restated to reflect transfers of operations and businesses between divisions in the second half of 2006 and the first half of 2007, principally the transfer of our European Consumer Finance business from Retail to Ulster Bank. These changes do not affect the Group's results. First half 2006 Full year 2006 Previously Transfers Restated Previously Transfers Restated reported reported Â£m Â£m Â£m Â£m Â£m Â£m Global Banking & Markets - Net interest 796 - 796 1,629 3 1,632 income - Non-interest 2,452 23 2,475 5,197 33 5,230 income - Other costs 189 6 195 427 9 436 Contribution 1,882 17 1,899 3,933 27 3,960 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ UK Corporate Banking - Net interest 1,056 (10) 1,046 2,169 1 2,170 income - Non-interest 657 (18) 639 1,284 4 1,288 income - Staff costs 268 1 269 562 2 564 - Other costs 85 (2) 83 183 3 186 Contribution 1,115 (27) 1,088 2,189 - 2,189 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Retail - Net interest 2,057 (51) 2,006 4,211 (100) 4,111 income - Non-interest 1,703 (2) 1,701 3,492 (33) 3,459 income - Staff costs 648 (17) 631 1,349 (33) 1,316 - Other costs 346 (23) 323 656 (38) 618 - Impairment 678 (21) 657 1,343 (33) 1,310 losses Contribution 1,846 8 1,854 3,867 (29) 3,838 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Wealth Management - Net interest 239 (2) 237 500 (4) 496 income - Non-interest 222 (23) 199 434 (41) 393 income - Other costs 68 (5) 63 137 (10) 127 Contribution 248 (20) 228 497 (35) 462 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Ulster Bank - Net interest 363 52 415 773 100 873 income - Non-interest 108 20 128 215 37 252 income - Staff costs 107 14 121 224 30 254 - Other costs 41 21 62 91 40 131 - Impairment 37 20 57 71 33 104 losses Contribution 286 17 303 602 34 636 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ RBS Insurance - Staff costs 158 (3) 155 319 - 319 Contribution 453 3 456 964 - 964 _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Manufacturing - Staff costs 368 2 370 763 - 763 - Other costs 1,021 8 1,029 2,089 21 2,110 Contribution (1,389) (10) (1,399) (2,852) (21) (2,873) _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ Centre - Funding and corporate costs 445 (21) 424 917 (24) 893 - Departmental and other costs 205 9 214 451 - 451 Contribution (650) 12 (638) (1,368) 24 (1,344) _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP plc FINANCIAL CALENDAR 2007 interim dividend payment 5 October 2007 2007 annual results announcement 28 February 2008 2007 final dividend payment June 2008 2008 interim results announcement August 2008 CONTACTS Sir Fred Goodwin Group Chief Executive 020 7672 0008 0131 523 2203 Guy Whittaker Group Finance Director 020 7672 0003 0131 523 2028 Richard O'Connor Head of Investor Relations 020 7672 1758 For media enquiries: Howard Moody Group Director, Communications 020 7672 1923 07768 033562 Carolyn McAdam Head of Group Communications 020 7672 1914 07796 274968 2 August 2007 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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