Solid top-line and earnings growth
Normalized earnings up 11% for the six months; NII up 8% and NIR up 12%; NIACC (net income after cost of capital) grew 26%; 5-year economic profit CAGR 14%; NAV up 7% (10% excluding stronger rand). Management reconfirmed full-year guidance (mid-teens earnings growth) and ability to grow dividends faster than earnings due to high ROE.
Strong franchise performance (FNB, RMB, WesBank)
FNB earnings +8% with FNB SA +10%; FNB Retail PBT +14% and FNB ROE at 41%; customer metrics improved (personal +3% pre-migration, private +8%, main bank clients +6%); RMB in-country CIB profits before tax rose 62%; WesBank VAF advances +14% with industry new car sales up 16%.
RMB and Global Markets recovery
RMB delivered strong top-line growth, portfolio margin improved ~20 basis points, lending NII +15%; Global Markets recovered materially (contributing to trading and fair value income recovery) and RMB completed HSBC transaction adding ~260 large corporate/multinational clients.
Deposit and ALM strength supporting NII and margin
Group deposits grew ~6%, enabling a 2% reduction in institutional/other funding needs; Group Treasury NII increased 61% and ALM strategies produced an additional ZAR 1.2bn of NII versus prior period; group margin up 8 basis points (15 bps excluding the U.K.).
Portfolio growth and selective origination
Commercial advances +9%, broader Africa advances +9% in constant currency; Zambia advances +35%; strategic origination and distribution actions (including distribution of low-return exposures) created balance sheet capacity and improved risk-return mix.
Capital and balance-sheet resilience
CET1 ratio strengthened to 14.4% (board target range 11.5–12.5%), RWA consumption up 70 basis points, provision stock ZAR 56bn with performing coverage 1.43%; management stated capital is sufficient to absorb potential U.K. redress outcomes and still pay dividends on normalized earnings.
Strong investment income and insurance momentum
Investment income rose ~65% (driven by private equity realizations and associate resilience); life insurance income +13% and short-term insurance income +17%; private equity unrealized value up 12% to ZAR 8.4bn.