BNP Paribas' revenue and profit exceeded expectations, raising dividend level
Special topic: Focus on the second quarter financial report of US stocks in 2026 Revenue increased by 12% year-on-year, driving net profit higher, with corporate and institutional banking leading the way BNP Paribas reiterated various financial targets until 2028, including annual net profit growth of more than 10% and steady improvement in profitability. Second-quarter net profit amounted to 4.345 billion euros, higher than analysts' expectations of 4.21 billion euros. BNP Paribas (ticker: BNP, down 2.21%) reported second-quarter results that were better than market expectations and announced an increase in its interim dividend. The French bank, Europe's largest by assets, disclosed that in the three months ended June 30, its net profit rose by one-third year-on-year to 4.345 billion euros (equivalent to 4.96 billion U.S. dollars); multiple analysts compiled by the bank had unanimously expected 4.21 billion euros, and the actual performance was better than expected. Total revenue for the period rose 12% to 14.09 billion euros, boosting final profits, with corporate and institutional banking revenue recording the highest growth. Analysts had previously forecast revenue of 13.545 billion euros for the current quarter. The core indicator CET1 Tier 1 core capital adequacy ratio, which measures the sound level of capital, rose to 13.0% at the end of June. Relying on its outstanding performance this quarter, BNP Paribas announced that it will pay an interim dividend of 3.23 euros per share in September, an increase of nearly 25% from last year’s interim dividend. The dividend includes a special capital gain derived from a two-way transaction implemented this year: the bank increased its stake in Belgian insurance company Ageas and sold part of its shares in Allianz Insurance to Ageas for 1.9 billion euros. CEO Jean-Laurent Bonafet said: "The strong growth momentum of each business segment of the group has driven the overall performance to be outstanding." The bank reiterated that it will adhere to all financial planning goals before 2028, requiring net profit to grow at an annual rate of more than 10% and profitability to continue to rise steadily.