Zenith Financial institution Plc has introduced its audited effects for the half-year ended June 30, 2026, reporting a 1.91% year-on-year building up in benefit earlier than tax from N625.6 billion to N637.6 billion.
The audited monetary statements submitted to the Nigerian Change (NGX) display that the expansion in benefit got here from more potent margins, a leaner investment charge base and a vital development in asset high quality.
At the energy of this efficiency, the Financial institution has proposed an intervening time dividend of N1.50 in keeping with proportion, representing a 20% building up from N1.25 in keeping with proportion in H1 2025.
The dividend is scheduled to be paid electronically on October 30, 2026, to shareholders whose names seem at the Sign up of Contributors as of October 23, 2026, and who’ve finished their e-dividend registration and authorized the Registrar to pay without delay into their financial institution accounts. World Depositary Receipt (GDR) holders will obtain their dividends after this date
Key Highlights (H1 2026 vs. H1 2025)
- Benefit earlier than tax: N637.60 billion (Up 1.91% YoY from N625.63 billion).
- Web rate and fee revenue: N178.77 billion (Up 39.60% YoY from N128.06 billion).
- Web passion margin: 12.4% (Up from 11.9%).
- Gross loans: N12.57 trillion (Up 14% from N11.06 trillion in December 2025).
- Buyer deposits: N26.35 trillion (Up 8% from December 2025).
- Overall belongings: N32.65 trillion (Up 4% from December 2025).
Using the numbers
Zenith Financial institution’s H1 2026 efficiency used to be pushed via progressed web passion margins, decrease investment prices, more potent transaction-related revenue and a vital relief in impairment fees.
- A big contributor to the expansion in benefit earlier than tax used to be the 13% year-on-year relief in passion expense to N421.8 billion, which control attributed to the continuing optimisation of the Financial institution’s legal responsibility combine and investment construction.
This supported an development in web passion margin (NIM) to twelve.4% from 11.9% in H1 2025, whilst web passion revenue stood at N1.25 trillion.
- The price of budget additionally declined to a few.3% from 4.0%, reflecting progressed investment potency.
The Financial institution’s transaction-led companies additionally contributed to income efficiency.
- Web rate and fee revenue higher via roughly 40% year-on-year to N178.77 billion, supported via upper transaction volumes throughout its virtual banking channels.
- Different running revenue additionally rose via 314% year-on-year, offering further toughen to the Team’s income.
Some other vital motive force used to be the development in asset high quality. Impairment fees declined via 81% year-on-year to N141.1 billion, following the Financial institution’s clean-up of forbearance-related amenities.
As a result, the price of possibility progressed considerably to two.2% from 14.3% in H1 2025, decreasing the affect of credit-related losses on profitability.
Stability sheet
At the steadiness sheet, gross loans higher via 14% to N12.57 trillion from N11.06 trillion in December 2025, reflecting persisted lending actions throughout productive sectors of the financial system.
The growth in lending used to be accompanied via an development within the non-performing mortgage (NPL) ratio to a few.78% from 3.82% on the finish of 2025, indicating more potent asset high quality regardless of the expansion within the mortgage portfolio.
- Buyer deposits additionally grew via 8% to N26.35 trillion, whilst general belongings higher via 4% to N32.65 trillion, reflecting persisted steadiness sheet growth around the Team’s operations.
- Past its monetary efficiency, Zenith Financial institution expanded its world operations right through the length, organising operations in Côte d’Ivoire and finishing the purchase of Paramount Financial institution in Kenya.
The Financial institution additionally opened six further branches in Nigeria, additional increasing its home banking community.
In relation to monetary energy, Zenith Financial institution maintained a capital adequacy ratio of 25.1% and a liquidity ratio of 60.5%, each above regulatory necessities.
- The Team reported go back on reasonable fairness (ROAE) of 17.6% and go back on reasonable belongings (ROAA) of two.7%, whilst its cost-to-income ratio stood at 49.9%.
In the meantime, the adoption of the brand new tax framework beneath the Nigerian Tax Act 2025 affected bottom-line income.
- Tax expense higher to N206.84 billion from N93.45 billion in H1 2025, leading to benefit after tax of N430.76 billion, in comparison with N532.18 billion within the corresponding length.
General, progressed investment potency, more potent transaction-related revenue and decrease impairment fees supported Zenith Financial institution’s benefit earlier than tax expansion to N637.6 billion in H1 2026, along persisted growth in its mortgage portfolio, buyer deposits and banking operations.
Marketplace efficiency
Zenith Financial institution stocks have received roughly 118% year-to-date, emerging from N61.80 initially of 2026 to N134.70 as of October 9, 2026.
The inventory has additionally recorded a marginal month-to-date acquire of 0.52%, in comparison with its September remaining value of ₦134.00.