Within a span of less than four years, UCB Investment (UCBIL) has accomplished a lot in Bangladesh, keeping rivals at arm’s length and winning Euromoney’s best securities house award in the country this year.
First, the numbers. As a full-service investment bank, UCBIL made revenues of Tk128.5 million ($1.1 million) in 2023, 4.25% higher year-on-year, while net profits after tax soared 48.79% to Tk60.4 million.
Tanzim Alamgir, founding managing director and CEO of UCBIL, says the firm’s success is not only down to its focus on sustainable growth, but also its strategy of closely scrutinising the balance sheets of clients and identifying the financing solution that best meets their needs.
For example, when a client was struggling to push through a bond for nearly two years with the help of another investment bank, the company ended up turning to UCBIL, which suggested it do a rights issue instead. The bank’s ability to understand market conditions and a client’s liquidity position means it is generally able to close 90% to 95% of the deals it is mandated on.
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