However, to date, there are still large costs of financing and asset impairment, along with weak credit growth, and this will continue to deter any improvements. Such an opinion on Wednesday, December 6, experts of the International rating agency Fitch Rating.

At the same time, the agency notes that the profitability of Ukrainian banks is lower than in other CIS countries, Central and Eastern Europe.

However, the agency's report recalls that the last time the sector made a profit in 2013, but the return on average capital decreased to -2.7% for the nine months of 2017 from -132% in 2016. This was mainly due to a sharp drop in the cost of depreciation.

The result of the sector, with the exception of insolvent banks, was already positive for nine months, as banks returned to the build-up of portfolios after a period of declining share of borrowed funds. In 2018, profitability should improve due to lower financing costs and higher GDP levels, analysts say Fitch.

Nevertheless, according to the data, the growth of the loan portfolio next year is likely to be only in a few segments, and the share of problem loans was high - 57% at the end of the third quarter of 2017 with a coverage rate of about 80%.

At the same time, most of the new capital that entered the sector over the past four years is directed to state-owned banks and foreigners, and this support is likely to continue if necessary, the agency explained, adding that they believe that everything still a large number of small and weakly capitalized banks makes possible further consolidation.

Recall, as reported URA-Inform, the international rating agency Fitch Ratings confirmed the long-term rating of Ukraine's default in foreign and national currency at the level of "B-".