Citigroup Inc. yesterday reported net loss for the fourth quarter 2023 of $(1.8) billion, or $(1.16) per diluted share, on revenues of $17.4 billion. This compares to net income of $2.5 billion, or $1.16 per diluted share, on revenues of $18.0 billion for the fourth quarter 2022.
As previously disclosed5, fourth quarter results included several notable items consisting of: expenses associated with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) special assessment of approximately $1.7 billion pre-tax; a reserve build of $1.3 billion associated with transfer risk in Russia and Argentina; the pre-tax revenue impact from the fourth quarter of 2023 devaluation of the Argentine peso of approximately $880 million6; and a restructuring charge of approximately $780 million related to actions taken as part of Citi’s organizational simplification. The combination of these items negatively impacted diluted earnings per share by approximately $2.00. Excluding these items5, diluted earnings per share would have been $0.84 for the quarter.
Revenues decreased 3% from the prior-year period on a reported basis. Excluding divestiture-related impacts7 and the pre-tax impact of the Argentina devaluation, revenues increased 2%, driven by strength across Services, US Personal Banking (USPB) and Investment Banking, partially offset by lower revenues in Markets and Wealth and the revenue reduction from the closed exits and wind-downs.
Net loss of $(1.8) billion decreased from $2.5 billion of net income in the prior-year period, primarily driven by higher expenses, higher cost of credit and the lower revenues.
Earnings per share of $(1.16) decreased from $1.16 per diluted share in the prior-year period, reflecting the net loss.
For the full year 2023, Citigroup reported net income of $9.2 billion, on revenues of $78.5 billion, compared to net income of $14.8 billion on revenues of $75.3 billion for the full year 2022.
Percentage comparisons throughout this press release are calculated for the fourth quarter 2023 versus the fourth quarter 2022, unless otherwise specified.
Citi CEO Jane Fraser said, “While the fourth quarter was very disappointing due to the impact of notable items, we made substantial progress simplifying Citi and executing our strategy in 2023. We restructured around five core, interconnected businesses to align our organization with our strategy and to provide greater transparency into their performance. Revenues ex-divestitures grew by 4%7 and we met our full-year expense guidance. We increased our CET1 ratio to 13.3%, grew our Tangible Book Value per share by 6% to $86.19, and returned $6 billion in capital to our shareholders in the form of common dividends and share buybacks.
“Services revenues were up 16% for the year driven by share gains and client wins. In Markets, our fourth quarter Fixed Income results were disappointing as we saw a significant slowdown in December. We had a decent quarter in Equities, particularly in Derivatives, and saw growth in Prime balances. Investment Banking revenue continued to be impacted by a weak wallet globally while activity picked up in the fourth quarter with revenues up 27%. While investment activity in Asia rebounded during the quarter, up 21%, Wealth revenues were down in 2023 and we fully recognize that this business isn’t where it needs to be. USPB was a bright spot with every product up double-digits in the quarter and up 14% overall for the year.
“Given how far we are down the path of our simplification and divestures, 2024 will be a turning point as we’ll be able to completely focus on the performance of our five businesses and our Transformation. We remain confident in our ability to adapt to evolving capital and macro environments to reach our medium-term targets and return capital to our shareholders, whilst continuing the investments needed for our Transformation,” Ms. Fraser concluded.
Fourth Quarter Financial Results
