“We are happy with the results achieved in the first nine months of 2025. We have seen an uptrend in lending in both business segments, retail and corporate, client deposits are also recording stable growth rates, while the use of our digital channels continues to maintain a solid upward trajectory,” - said Christoph Schoefboeck, CEO of Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. (“the Bank”), commenting on the operations in the first nine months of 2025.
“Working on the strengthening of market mechanisms, raising the level of investment and legal certainty and applying clear and simple regulations to maintain the growth and development path of Croatia’s entire economy should remain in the focus for all the stakeholders involved. With a strong, very well capitalised and highly liquid banking system that is ready to follow all sound and quality projects in the real and public sectors, the building of the position of Croatia not only as a sort of a financial hub, but also as the overall economic leader of the region, is an achievable and realistic goal that should be pursued.”
According to the unaudited consolidated financial statement, the EBC Group’s1 net profit after minority interests in the first nine months of 2025 was EUR 200 million, down 2.0% from EUR 204 million in the same period in 2024. EBC Group’s net interest income was EUR 327 million, compared to EUR 326 million in the first nine months of 2024. Net fee and commission income was EUR 107 million, up 8.1% from EUR 99 million in the first nine months of 2024. Net trading and fair value result in the first nine months of 2025 was EUR 12.6 million, up 5% compared to EUR 12 million in the same period last year.
EBC Group's total assets as of 30 September 2025 were EUR 17.8 billion, up 8.1% from EUR 16.5 billion at YE2024. Total loans to customers as of 30 September 2025 were EUR 10.1 billion, up 5.1% from EUR 9.7 billion at YE2024. Total deposits of EBC Group's customers as of 30 September 2025 were EUR 13.7 billion, up 8.9% from EUR 12.6 billion at YE2024.
[1] The consolidated financial statement for the EBC Group includes, in addition to Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d., the following affiliates: Erste Nekretnine d.o.o., Erste&Steiermärkische S-Leasing d.o.o, Erste Bank a.d., Podgorica, Erste Card Club d.o.o. and Izbor Nekretnina d.o.o.
The result achieved in the first nine months of 2025 was driven by the increased volume of new lending and payment transactions. The growth in retail was mainly boosted by the increased demand for housing loans, which resulted in a 57% increase in the volume of new housing loans compared to the same period last year. In the corporate sector the new lending volume was increased by 54%, which was primarily driven by large corporate clients, real estate financing and SMEs, with lower new lending volumes in the public sector segment. At the same time, the operating costs also grew, particularly in personnel costs as the result of continued investments in employees and other administrative costs as the result of the unit cost increase. The highest increase was recorded in IT costs. Another factor that impacted the overall result was the slightly lower income from risk costs compared to the same period in 2024.
According to the unaudited unconsolidated financial report, which includes the results of the Bank excluding affiliated companies, net profit in the first nine months of 2025 was EUR 187 million, the same as in the same period in 2024. Net interest income was up 6.5%, from EUR 276 million in the first nine months of 2024 to EUR 294 million in the same period in 2025, while net fee and commission income was up 16.7%, from EUR 72 million in the first nine months of 2024 to EUR 84 million in the same period this year, mostly as a result of the integration of the card issuing segment from Erste Card Club in the Bank. It is important to note that the above integration had a positive impact on the Bank’s performance in the first nine months of 2025, while simultaneously affecting the increase of both segments, revenues and costs. Net trading and fair value result was EUR 12 million, up 6.2% from EUR 11.3 million in the same period last year.
EBC Group's total assets as of 30 September 2025 were EUR 16.3 billion, up 8.1% from EUR 15.1 billion at YE2024. Total loans to customers as of 30 September 2025 were EUR 9.0 billion, up 4.6% from EUR 8.6 billion at YE2024. Total deposits of the Bank’s customers as of 30 September 2025 were EUR 13.0 billion, up 8.6% from EUR 11.9 billion at YE2024.