Johannesburg - Banking group FirstRand [JSE:FSR] reported a 13% rise in first-half earnings on Tuesday, underpinned by growth in advances and deposits.
Diluted headline earnings totalled 180.5 cents in the six months to end-December, from 159.1c a year earlier, FirstRand said.
"This was driven mainly by ongoing increases in advances, and solid growth from both retail and corporate deposits," it said of its net interest income, which increased 19% to R17.5bn.