30 July 2026
Press Releases, News
“We are pleased with the results achieved in the first half of 2026. The growth of new loans in both business segments, retail and corporate, top customer experience scores and the further development of digital solutions are the pillars of our strategy and long-term sustainable business success on the Croatian market. In addition, a strong capital position, a high liquidity level and partnership with clients guarantee our support in the realisation of their financial goals and needs,” said Christoph Schoefboeck, CEO of Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. (“the Bank”), commenting on performance in the first six months of 2026. “Owing to the entry into the euro area and deeper integration into the European market, Croatia is now in a much more stable and predictable position than it was ten years ago. The stability of the monetary environment, fiscal discipline and a more resilient private sector have enabled companies to operate more safely and plan their development in the longer term, which confirms that the foundations of the Croatian economy are today better than in previous cycles. This is particularly important in the context of a mild slowdown in economic growth, which can already be seen in current macroeconomic indicators. At the same time, it is crucial to create a business environment that will not further encumber the private sector but rather encourage investment and growth.”
According to the unaudited consolidated financial statement, EBC Group's1 net profit after minority interests in H1 2026 was EUR 234 million, compared to EUR 135 million in the same period in 2025. EBC Group’s net interest income was EUR 235 million, up 9.8% from EUR 214 million in H1 2025. Net fee and commission income was EUR 59 million, down 13.2% from EUR 68 million in H1 2025.
ECB Group's total assets as at 30 June 2026 were EUR 17.71 billion, up 0.5% from EUR 17.63 billion at YE 2025. Total loans to customers as at 30 June 2026 were EUR 11 billion, up 5% from EUR 10.5 billion at YE 2025. Total deposits of ECB Group's customers as at 30 June 2026 were EUR 13.4 billion, down 1.1% from EUR 13.6 billion at YE 2025.
1The 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, Izbor Nekretnina d.o.o. and Keks Pay d.o.o.
The most significant one-off impact on the net profit growth compared to the same period in 2025 arises from the completion of the transaction for the sale of a 100-percent ownership stake in Erste Card Club d.o.o. to Global Payments s.r.o from the Czech Republic in January this year. In addition to that, the result achieved in H1 2026 was positively impacted by the increased volume of new lending. A stronger increase in demand for housing loans was noticed in retail segment, while in corporate banking the most significant growth impulse in loans was recorded for small and medium-sized enterprises and in the real estate financing segment. There was a decline in total deposits of customers primarily in retail segment, where outflows of term deposits were recorded. In the legal entites business segment, volume of deposits remained on the similar level to previous year-end, in accordance with usual seasonal patterns. The sale of Erste Card Club impacted on the decrease of net commission and fee income, as well as on the decline of other administrative expenses, compared to previous year’s result. Risk costs have a positive contribution to the result, mainly due to collections and improved ratings in the corporate segment, although this contribution on an annual level is smaller than in 2025.
According to the unaudited unconsolidated financial report, which includes the results of the Bank excluding affiliated companies, net profit in H1 2026 was EUR 177 million, compared to EUR 128 million in the same period in 2025. Net interest income was up 8.3% from EUR 192 million in H1 2025 to EUR 208 million in H1 2026, while net fee and commission income was up 3.7% from EUR 54 million in H1 2025 to EUR 56 million in the same period in 2026.
The Bank's total assets as at 30 June 2026 were EUR 16.13 billion, up 0.5% from EUR 16.05 billion at YE 2025. Total loans to customers as at 30 June 2026 were EUR 9.8 billion, up 5.5% from EUR 9.3 billion at YE 2025. Total deposits of the Bank's clients as at 30 June 2026 were EUR 12.7 billion, down 1.5% from EUR 12.9 billion at YE 2025.