CrediaBank reports 37.4m euro net profit; Optima Bank 165.1m in nine months

CrediaBank's nine-month results

CrediaBank, the bank that acquired HSBC Malta, reported net profit of 37.4 million euros for the first nine months of 2026, up 278% on a year earlier. Recurring net profit reached 49.5 million euros, up 56%, while recurring profit before provisions rose 56% to 87.3 million euros, a new high for the bank. The bank's announcement describes the period as the best nine months in its history. Net interest income climbed 32% to 158.1 million euros, and net fee income rose 34% to 35.1 million euros.

The cost-to-recurring-income ratio fell to 57.2% from 65.8% a year earlier, despite inflationary pressure and higher transformation costs. Group deposits reached nearly 8.8 billion euros, up 16% on the previous quarter, a pace the bank puts at almost double the 9% growth of the rest of the banking sector.

Recurring pre-provision profit87.3

Recurring net profit49.5

Net profit37.4

Recurring pre-provision profit

87.3 EUR m

Recurring net profit

49.5 EUR m

Net profit

37.4 EUR m

Data from the article text

Lending and capital

Loan disbursements reached 3.5 billion euros in the nine months, up 44% year on year, and third-quarter disbursements came to 1.46 billion euros, up 78%. The non-performing exposure ratio stood at 2.4% despite strong growth in lending. Net credit expansion has already passed 1.5 billion euros, meaning the bank has exceeded its annual target for that measure within nine months. On an adjusted basis, the CET1 ratio was 15.5% and the total capital adequacy ratio 20.1%, taking into account the transaction with Europe Holdings.

Chief executive Eleni Vrettou framed the result in the bank's own terms.

“The nine-month results are the best in CrediaBank's history.”

She added that the bank had already passed key targets it had set for the whole of 2026.

Optima Bank's profit and growth

Optima Bank reported net profit of 165.1 million euros for the nine months of 2026, up 34% year on year. That figure equals 79% of the bank's revised annual profit target of 210 million euros for 2026. Chairman Georgios Taniskidis said the bank had come close to its full-year 2025 profit within nine months.

“The fact that in nine months we have come close to the profitability of the whole of 2025 best captures Optima Bank's progress.”

Net profit, nine months 2026165.1

Revised 2026 annual target210

Net profit, nine months 2026

165.1 EUR m

Revised 2026 annual target

210 EUR m

Data from the article text

Chief executive Dimitris Kyparissis said the profit gives the bank room to keep growing without turning to shareholders, as organic capital generation supports balance sheet expansion. Return on tangible equity reached 27.8%, against the roughly 25% target set by management. New loan disbursements totalled 3.1 billion euros, 25% more than in the same period of 2025. Loan balances reached 6.1 billion euros, up 38% year on year, with business loans at 4.8 billion euros and retail loans at 1.3 billion euros.

Funding, costs and asset quality

Deposits rose 1.2 billion euros since the start of the year to 7.5 billion euros. The loan-to-deposit ratio stood at 81.6% at the end of September, while term deposits made up 59% of the total, up from 57% in June. Operating expenses rose 20% to 58.6 million euros, but the cost-to-core-income ratio improved to 22.1% from 25.2% a year earlier. Net interest income rose 33% to 203.5 million euros and net fee income climbed 55% to 62.4 million euros, supported by financing, asset management and investment banking. The non-performing exposure ratio stayed at 1.62%, and the CET1 and total capital adequacy ratios reached 12.02% and 17.29%.