Lion Finance Group posts record 2025 profit and boosts shareholder payouts

The latest announcement is out from Bank of Georgia Group Plc ( (GB:BGEO) ).

Lion Finance Group PLC reported preliminary unaudited profit before one-off items of GEL 619.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2025 and GEL 2,192.8 million for the full year, reflecting strong double-digit growth and an adjusted return on average equity of 28.4%. The group’s loan book expanded 19.7% year-on-year in constant currency to GEL 40.1 billion, driven by robust lending growth in both Georgian and Armenian operations.

Client deposits and notes rose 17.3% year-on-year in constant currency to GEL 38.6 billion, with Ameriabank showing particularly strong deposit inflows despite a slight quarterly decline at the Georgian corporate center. Asset quality remained solid, with a cost of credit risk ratio of 0.3% and a stable NPL ratio of 2.1%, supporting the sustainability of the group’s rapid balance sheet expansion.

Non-interest income increased on the back of higher fee and commission income, helped by renegotiated payment system terms at Bank of Georgia and fee reclassifications plus advisory income at Ameriabank. Operating income grew 16.4% year-on-year in the quarter, while operating expenses rose at a slower pace, preserving strong profitability and keeping capital and liquidity comfortably above regulatory requirements.

The company declared a quarterly dividend of GEL 2.75 per share, taking total dividends for 2025 to GEL 10.50 per share, and announced an additional GEL 53.5 million share buyback that will lift total buybacks for the year to GEL 203 million. These shareholder returns underscore management’s confidence in earnings resilience and balance sheet strength after a year of record profit and a 21.6% increase in book value per share.

Management highlighted favourable macroeconomic conditions in Georgia and Armenia, including strong domestic demand, resilient external inflows and rising international reserves, as key tailwinds for performance. Bank of Georgia further strengthened its franchise as a leading digital bank, with retail digital monthly active users rising 15% to over 1.8 million and the bank again winning a major global digital banking award.

Ameriabank delivered rapid digital user growth of more than 45%, reinforcing the strategic rationale for the group’s expansion in Armenia. Overall, the results position Lion Finance Group as one of the most profitable and technologically advanced banking groups in its region, with sustained growth in both core markets and an ongoing focus on customer-centric digital innovation.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:BGEO) stock is a Buy with a £10700.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Bank of Georgia Group Plc stock, see the GB:BGEO Stock Forecast page.

More about Bank of Georgia Group Plc

Lion Finance Group PLC operates as a regional financial services holding company with core banking operations in Georgia and Armenia. Its main businesses include JSC Bank of Georgia, investment bank JSC Galt & Taggart, Ameriabank in Armenia, and ancillary digital and retail-focused financial services across the region, serving retail, SME and corporate clients.

Average Trading Volume: 92,678

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: £4.47B

For a thorough assessment of BGEO stock, go to TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.