Public Bank Berhad (PBBANK) Q1 2026 earnings summary

Executive summary

• Q1 2026 delivered resilient performance with profit before tax of RM2.32 billion, up 0.1% year-over-year, and net profit of RM1.75 billion, up 0.4%, driven by loan and deposit growth and non-interest income.

• Net interest and Islamic banking income increased by 1.0%, supported by healthy loans and financing growth.

• Non-interest income grew 2.7%–3.7%, mainly from higher unit trust fee income, general insurance, and other income.

• Operating expenses rose 2.8%, with credit cost at 0.05% and stable asset quality.

• Other comprehensive loss widened to RM243.2 million, mainly due to revaluation losses on financial investments.

Financial highlights

• Gross loans grew RM6.4 billion (annualised 5.7%) to RM452.1 billion; customer deposits increased RM6.0 billion (annualised 5.3%) to RM453.1 billion.

• Net interest/financing income rose 0.7%–1.0% year-over-year to RM2.82 billion.

• Non-interest income increased to RM825.9 million.

• Earnings per share reached 9.07 sen, up 0.3%, and net assets per share stood at RM3.06.

• Cost-to-income ratio improved to 35.5%, outperforming the industry average of 45.2%.

Outlook and guidance

• Strategic focus on sustainable shareholder returns, digital transformation, superior customer experience, and prudent capital management.

• Group expects moderate global growth in 2026 amid geopolitical and market uncertainties.

• Malaysian economy to be anchored by domestic demand, investments, and steady exports.

• Focus remains on core segments: residential property, passenger vehicles, SME financing, and expanding non-interest income.

• Commitment to sustainability, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero by 2050.