However, signs emerged that customers may be leaving the bank as the merger draws closer although commentators told the Otago Daily Times the full extent of the client shift would be more apparent in the next quarterly report.
The bank's operating profit was $2.04 billion, up from $1.94 billion in the previous corresponding period.
Figures supplied by the bank showed its profit for the six months ended September was down 2% to $1.01 billion.
While revenue for the year was up 4% to $3.6 billion, revenue for the six months ended September was down 2% to $1.8 billion.
Helped by paying lower tax in both the full- and half-year periods, along with lower expenses for bad loans in the second half, ANZ New Zealand's reported profit for the 12 months was up 17% to $1.3 billion and up 6% to $650 million for the six months.
Chief executive David Hisco said the result built on the bank's strengthened business performance and reflected both the breadth of its activities and the popularity of its products and services.
ANZ Banking Group, New Zealand's biggest bank, increased gross loans and advances by more than any of its main banking rivals in the three months to June 30, according to the KPMG Financial Institutions Performance Survey for the June quarter.
The 1.26% growth in its gross loans and advances was bettered only by minnow The Cooperative Bank, the former PSIS.
Mr Hisco said the ANZ brand had strengthened, as reflected by growth in its market share in mortgages - particularly in the commercially important Auckland market.
"The rising average cost of our funding portfolio has had some impact on our net interest margin and this is expected to continue unless offshore conditions change significantly."
Credit quality had strengthened across the book, reflecting the ongoing recovery of the New Zealand economy from the impacts of the global financial crisis, he said.
Delinquency rates had declined and there had been an overall reduction in the individual provision charge.
In what could be seen as a pre-emptive move against the inevitable political criticism about excessive profits, Mr Hisco's announcement included a panel of ANZ's annual contribution to New Zealand.
That included:
• 8000 staff volunteering hours.
• $12 million in sponsorships and charitable donations.
• $450 million in taxes to the Government.
• $600 million to local contractors and supplies.
• $800 million in staff wages and salaries.
About 13,000 New Zealand shareholders and superannuation funds owned about $33 million ANZ shares worth more than $1 billion. ANZ NZ's parent company had increased its capital in New Zealand by nearly $2 billion since 2009, taking total investment in the business to more than $9 billion in the past financial year.
The ongoing focus would be to progressively bring the ANZ and National Bank brands together as ANZ, Mr Hisco said.
"We have a compelling proposition for customers. We will support this by investing $100 million over two years to ensure ANZ has a well-positioned and attractive branch network in current and new communities," he said.
