ABN AMRO posts net profit of € 781 million in Q2 2026
- Investor Relations
Jarco de Swart
Head Media relations
Key messages
Net profit increased by 29% year-on-year to € 781 million, with return on equity improving to 12.1%
Continued business momentum with growth in both lending and deposits
Strong net interest income (NII) growth; full-year 2026 commercial NII guidance increased to € 6.8 billion including NIBC
High fees reflecting an increase in client assets and continued strong Clearing results
Cost discipline remained strong; full-year 2026 guidance lowered to € 5.5 billion including NIBC
Credit quality remains robust, with cost of risk at 4 basis points
CET1 ratio improved to 15.9%, supported by growth in capital-light businesses; interim dividend set at € 0.68 per share
Marguerite Bérard, CEO:
‘ABN AMRO delivered another strong quarter, supported by continued client demand and high fees. The bank also made further progress on improving cost efficiency as well as on RWA and portfolio optimisation.
The Dutch economy remained resilient, supported by healthy household spending and more positive consumer confidence, although inflation remained elevated. As expected, the ECB raised its deposit rate by 25 basis points in June. With uncertainty remaining high and the full inflationary impact of the energy shock yet to play out, we expect another rate hike in September. The housing market cooled, following years of significant price increases. However, the persistent supply shortage will continue to support house prices. Overall, resilient domestic demand and solid economic fundamentals provided a solid backdrop amid geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty. In this environment we remain focused on supporting our clients.
Our financial performance in the second quarter showed a clear step-up, with operating income increasing by 6% quarter-on-quarter, supported by high commercial net interest income and fees. This reflected strong client activity, including growth of € 1.7 billion in mortgages and € 2.7 billion in corporate loans. We increased our guidance for commercial NII for full-year 2026 to € 6.8 billion. This includes NIBC, following the closing of the acquisition on 1 August.
Our continued focus on cost discipline contributed to broadly stable underlying costs in Q2. We have therefore lowered our full-year 2026 cost guidance to € 5.5 billion, including the impact of NIBC. Costs in the second half of the year may be influenced by the outcome of the collective labour agreement negotiations, which will resume in September.
These Q2 results show continued progress on our strategic priorities: right-sizing our cost base, delivering profitable growth and optimising our capital allocation.
Right-size costs base
We continued to simplify our organisation and improve our efficiency. The number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) decreased by 253 in the second quarter, mainly driven by a reduction in internal FTEs. The total reduction since the end of 2024 now stands at approximately 45% of our 2028 target.
We continued to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into daily work across the bank, with almost 50 use cases in production. In the second quarter, we launched our first GenAI-powered client voice bot to answer client questions and provide guidance on selected topics. We also introduced a GenAI knowledge assistant for Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) analysts, helping them access relevant policies, procedures and work instructions more easily.
Grow profitably
Personal & Business Banking increased net interest income, driven by growth in client deposits and improved margins. The recent completion of the NIBC acquisition will further consolidate our position in the Dutch mortgage and savings markets. The announced partnership between Worldline and our credit card business International Card Services (ICS) will strengthen our services by increasing agility, accelerating innovation, improving efficiency and enhancing customer experience, while enabling us to focus on developing distinctive products and services for our clients.
The launch of our new mortgage proposition ‘ZekerStarten’, which provides first-time homebuyers with certainty about their mortgage options within three days, is a further example of how we are improving our customer experience. One of the highlights of the first half of the year was the success of the Beter Wonen pilot. This can become a meaningful differentiator for ABN AMRO.
We also launched BUUT Pay, allowing under-16s to make mobile payments responsibly. We are proud to have been named The Netherlands’ Best Retail Bank by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2026, highlighting our commercial performance, our ability to respond to changing client needs and our success in attracting new client groups through digital platforms such as BUUT and BUX.
Wealth Management gained commercial momentum in the second quarter, with € 2.3 billion of core net new assets. This reflects growing traction in our priority segments, particularly among entrepreneurs and business owners through our dual-client approach. With the legal merger of Hauck Aufhäuser Lampe (HAL) into ABN AMRO completed in June, the focus will now shift to the IT integration and synergy delivery.
Corporate Banking delivered a strong increase in profitability, supported by solid Clearing results, higher corporate lending and limited loan impairments. Our M&A advisory activities also performed well, supported by our robust client franchise, trusted adviser role and in-depth sector knowledge. Family-owned businesses in particular value our ability to combine strategic advice with a clear understanding of their ownership priorities and long-term ambitions. As a founding partner of The Stack, a new AI hub in Amsterdam, we contribute our European network and expertise to help Dutch AI scale-ups develop and grow internationally.
The Dutch Ministry of Finance reappointed ABN AMRO as financial adviser for State participations for a further four-year period.
The European Commission recently highlighted in its report on the competitiveness of the EU banking sector that a strong and resilient banking sector is essential to supporting a competitive and resilient Europe. At ABN AMRO, we are focused on strengthening our position as a leading European bank and on supporting clients in the transitions that matter for Europe’s future competitiveness. A recent example is the financing of one of the largest battery storage projects in Europe, developed by GIGA Storage in Belgium.
Optimise capital allocation
We continued to improve the allocation of our capital. Risk-weighted assets (RWA) were slightly lower, with business growth largely offset by further RWA and portfolio optimisations. Our CET1 ratio remained strong at 15.9%, enabling continued investment in profitable growth while maintaining a robust capital buffer.
Our second-quarter results demonstrate that we are executing our strategy with discipline and that we are delivering on the commitments we have made. We enter the second half of the year with confidence. I would like to sincerely thank our colleagues for their commitment and hard work, and our clients and investors for their continued trust in ABN AMRO.’
This press release is published by ABN AMRO Bank N.V. and contains inside information within the meaning of article 7 (1) to (4) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (Market Abuse Regulation).