Pablo Firvida
Analyst · events related to the macroeconomic scenario, the financial industry and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the respective forward-looking statements. Now I will turn the conference over to Mr. Pablo Firvida, Head of Investor Relations. You may begin your conference
Thank you. Good morning, everyone. I will make a short introduction, and then Gonzalo Fernández Covaro, our CFO, will have some words. Latest figures indicate that Argentina's economy grew by 4.4% on average during 2025 and the primary surplus stood at 1.4% of GDP with an overall fiscal result of 0.2% of GDP. The National Consumer Price Index recorded a 7.9% increase during the fourth quarter of 2025. Inflation for the year stood at 31.5%, significantly decelerating from the 117.8% recorded in 2024 and reaching its lowest level in 8 years. However, monthly inflation accelerated during the second half of the year and displayed a 2.8% increase in December after having reached lows of 1.5% in May and 1.6% in June. In January 2026, monthly inflation rose to 2.9%, while the year-on-year rate accelerated to 32.4%. On the monetary side, the Central Bank expanded the monetary base by ARS 0.7 trillion in the fourth quarter and by ARS 13.2 trillion over the year, bringing the year-on-year increase to 44.5% as of the end of 2025. In December 2025, the exchange rate averaged ARS 1,448 per dollar, reflecting a 29.5% year-on-year depreciation. As of January 1, 2026, both the floor and the ceiling of the exchange rate band began to adjust monthly in line with the latest available monthly inflation data. In December 2025, the average rate on peso-denominated private sector time deposits for up to 59 days stood at 26.6%, 6.4 percentage points below the December 2024 average. Private sector deposits in pesos averaged ARS 104.1 trillion in December, increasing by 10.6% during the quarter and 40.1% in the last 12 months. Time deposits rose 4.3% during the quarter and 44.8% in the year. Peso-denominated transactional deposits increased 18.3% during the fourth quarter and 35.2% in year-over-year terms. Private sector dollar-denominated deposits amounted to $36.4 billion in December 2025, increasing 11.7% during the quarter and 14.6% in the last 12 months. Peso-denominated loans to the private sector averaged ARS 87.6 trillion in December, showing a 10.4% quarterly increase and a 73% year-over-year rise. Private sector dollar-denominated loans amounted to $18.2 billion, recording a 0.5% quarterly decrease and an 83.6% annual increase. Turning now to Grupo Galicia. Net income for 2025 amounted to ARS 196 billion, 91% lower than in the previous year, which represented a 0.4% return on average assets and a 2.5% return on average shareholders' equity. Excluding integration expenses, the result would have been ARS 333 billion and the ROE 4.2%. The result was mainly due to profits from Galicia Asset Management for ARS 127 billion from Naranja X for ARS 59 billion and from Galicia Seguros for ARS 40 billion, partially offset by ARS 70 billion loss from Banco Galicia. Going to the fourth quarter, net loss amounted to ARS 84 billion as the improvement of the financial margin was more than offset by the impact of asset quality deterioration. In the quarter, Banco Galicia recorded ARS 104 billion loss, Naranja X, ARS 49 billion loss, while Galicia Asset Management and Galicia Seguros posted profits for ARS 36 billion and ARS 27 billion, respectively. This loss represented a minus 0.7% annualized return on average assets and a minus 4.3% return on average shareholders' equity. The net result from Banco Galicia for the fiscal year was negatively affected by the non-recurring expenses related to the merger with HSBC, without which it would have reported ARS 60 billion profit. In addition, during the year, the financial margin was negatively affected by changes in reserve requirement regulations and by a significant increase in interest rate, which had an impact on the cost of funding. At the same time, loan loss provisions increased significantly compared to 2024, mainly due to the increase in the retail-loan-portfolio-delinquency rates. The most relevant factors for the deterioration of asset quality were the abrupt increase in interest rate in real terms, the loss of purchasing power of customers and the disappearance of the dilution effect on the installments related to a lower level of inflation. During the quarter, the bank reported ARS 105 billion loss, decreasing 6% as compared to the loss of the third quarter. Operating income increased, reaching ARS 164 billion, up from the ARS 6 billion recorded in the previous quarter due to higher net operating income driven by an improvement of financial margin, offset by higher loan loss provisions, which still showed an upward trend. Average interest-earning assets reached ARS 25 trillion, 3% higher than in the previous quarter, primarily due to the increase of the average volume of dollar-denominated loans, which grew 9%. In the same period, its yield increased 130 basis points, reaching 31.4%, 39.7% in the Peso Portfolio and 8% in the Dollar Portfolio. Interest-bearing liabilities increased 4% from September 2025, amounting to ARS 22 trillion, primarily due to an increase of the dollar-denominated deposits. During this period, its cost decreased 220 basis points to 14.3%. Net interest income increased 23% when compared to the third quarter because of a 7% increase in interest income and of a 9% decrease of interest expenses. Net fee income increased 4% from the previous quarter, mainly stood out the fees related with bundles of products and the ones of deposit accounts. Net income from financial instruments decreased 3%. Gains from FX quotation difference were 29% higher from the previous quarter, including the results from foreign currency trading and other operating income decreased 8% in the quarter. Provision for loan losses increased 42% in the quarter and 220% when compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Deterioration that was mainly focused in the retail portfolio in which NPLs rose to 14.3%, up from 3.2% recorded at the end of the previous year, particularly affecting personal loans and credit card financing. Personnel expenses reached ARS 178 billion and were 50% lower than in the previous quarter as during that period, losses for ARS 181 billion were recorded due to the restructuring plan following the acquisition of HSBC business in Argentina. Administrative expenses were 12% higher than in the previous quarter due to a 13% increase of taxes and to a 23% increase in expenses for maintenance and repairment of goods and IT. Other operating expenses increased 10%, mainly due to a 68% higher charge for other provisions. The income tax charge was positive as the pretax net income was a loss. The bank's financing to the private sector reached ARS 21 trillion at the end of the quarter, down 2% in the quarter with peso financing decreasing 1% and dollar-denominated financing down 5%. Deposits reached ARS 26 trillion, 4% higher than the quarter before, mainly due to a 6% increase in dollar-denominated deposits. The bank's estimated market share of loans to the private sector was 14.3%, 50 basis points lower than at the end of the previous quarter, and the market share of deposits from the private sector was 16.2%, 20 basis points lower than in the third quarter of 2025. The bank's liquid assets represented 93.2% of transactional deposits and 59.4% of total deposits, similar levels to those of the previous quarter. As regards to asset quality, the ratio of non-performing loans to total financing ended the quarter at 6.9%, recording a 110 basis points deterioration as compared to the 5.8% of the third quarter. As I mentioned before, the deterioration is mainly related to the personal loans and credit card financing portfolios. At the same time, the coverage with allowances reached 97.4%, down from the 101.5% recorded a quarter ago. As of the end of December 2025, the bank's total regulatory capital ratio reached 25.2%, increasing 310 basis points from the end of the third quarter, while the Tier 1 ratio was 25.1%, up 330 basis points during the same period. In summary, during the fourth quarter, financial margin partially recovered and efficiency improved, but still asset quality and the monetary loss due to inflation had a significant impact on profitability. Despite this, Grupo Financiero Galicia was able to keep liquidity and solvency metrics at healthy levels, and we expect an improvement in profitability during 2026. Now Gonzalo Fernández Covaro will make some additional remarks. Thank you.