National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has announced that it had recorded a net profit attributable to shareholders of BD60.1 million ($159.4 million) for the first nine months compared to BD66.9 million ($177.5 million) last year despite a challenging operating environment.
Announcing the results for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2026, NBB said the reported profit was 10% lower than the prior year, which included a one-off gain of BD7.7 million (BD9.7 million before non-controlling interest deduction) from the sale of an investment property in NBB's subsidiary, Bahrain Islamic Bank, and lower merger-related expenses of BD1.3 million.
On a normalised basis, adjusting for significant one-off items, the attributable profit increased by 4% compared with BD57.9 million ($153.6 million) in the corresponding period of 2025, reflecting the strength of the Group's underlying operating performance. On a year-over-year basis, the net interest income is up 12%.
Earnings per share of 27 fils ($7 cents) for the period is lower than 30 fils ($8 cents) in the same period of 2025, or 1 fils higher than the normalised 2025 earnings per share, said the bank in its statement.
Total comprehensive income attributable to NBB’s shareholders for the nine-month period decreased by 46% to BD35.8 million ($95 million) compared with 66.0 million ($175.1 million) in 2025. The decrease is attributable to the negative mark-to-market movements of the debt portfolio resulting from the geopolitical situation.
On the Q3 results, NBB said the net profit stood at BD17 million ($45.1 million), down 12% from BD19.4 million ($51.5 million) reported in the third quarter of 2025. The decline was driven by lower gains from Treasury-related activities during the third quarter due to the prevailing market conditions.
The Bank’s core business performance remains strong, and its net interest income grew by 10% year-on-year, supported by lower funding costs.
Earnings per share decreased to 8 fils ($2 cents) for the third quarter of 2026, compared to 9 fils ($2 cents) in 2025.
During the quarter, the Group reported a total comprehensive income attributable to NBB’s shareholders of BD11.5 million ($30.5 million) compared to BD31.7 million ($84.1 million) in the same period of 2025, representing a decline of 64%. The decrease is attributable to negative mark-to-market movements in the bond portfolio arising from the geopolitical-related market volatility.
The Group's total equity attributable to shareholders stood at BD539.8 million ($1,431.8 million) as of 30 September 2026, a reduction of 8% compared to BD585.0 million ($1,551.7 million) as of December 31, 2025.
NBB said the movement primarily reflects the distribution of BD56.4 million in year-end cash dividends for 2025 as well as the distribution of interim dividends of BD22.6 million in 2026, underscoring the Group's continued commitment to delivering strong and sustainable shareholder returns while sustaining a solid capital position.
Equity was also impacted by temporary negative mark-to-market movements in the bond portfolio arising from geopolitical-related market volatility.
The Group’s total assets decreased by 2% during the period to BD6,148.4 million ($16,308.9 million) compared to BD6,276.6 million ($16,648.8 million) recorded on 31 December 2025. Loans and advances increased by 7%, while customer deposits grew by 10% compared to 31 December 2025.
Spekaing on the occasion, Hala Ali Husain Yateem, Chairperson of NBB, said: "NBB delivered a resilient performance during the first nine months of 2026, recording a 4% year-on-year increase in normalised attributable net profit despite a challenging operating environment characterised by market volatility and evolving macroeconomic conditions.”
“These results reflect the strength of our business model, disciplined execution of our strategy, and ability to create sustainable value for shareholders while continuing to support our customers and contribute to Bahrain’s economic development,” she added.-TradeArabia News Service
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