Zenith Bank Plc has announced strong half-year results for the period ended June 30, 2025, posting a pre-tax profit of N625.63 billion and an after-tax profit of N532.18 billion.
According to the bank’s financials released on Thursday, gross earnings grew 19.96% year-on-year to N2.521 trillion, underscoring its resilience in an inflationary environment.
The board of directors also approved an interim dividend of N1.25 per share, up from N1.00 in H1 2024, a 25% increase. The dividend will be paid on October 10, 2025, to shareholders on record as of October 3, 2025.
Interest Income Drives Growth
The results showed that Zenith Bank’s performance was powered by interest income, which rose by 60% YoY to N1.839 trillion, accounting for 73% of gross earnings compared to 55% in H1 2024.
Interest from loans and advances grew 55% to N936 billion, now making up 37.2% of gross earnings.
Interest from government securities surged 72% to N781.5 billion, supported by increased treasury bill holdings, which expanded by over 84% in six months.
Expenses and Loan Impairments
While interest expenses rose modestly by 11% to N485.53 billion, net interest income jumped by 89% to N1.35 trillion. However, loan impairment charges weighed heavily, more than doubling to N791.2 billion, consuming over half of net interest income.
Despite this, net interest income after impairments still stood at N593.91 billion, a 98% YoY increase.
Non-Interest Income
Fee and commission income rose significantly, driven by:
Account maintenance fees: N43.22 billion (+32% YoY)
FX transaction fees: N25.22 billion (+267% YoY)
However, gains on other trading books fell to N482.22 billion, down from N871.64 billion in H1 2024.
Balance Sheet Strength
Total assets rose to N30.99 trillion (+3.46%).
Customer deposits reached N23.48 trillion (+6.94%).
Net loans stood at N9.60 trillion, slightly lower than N9.97 trillion in December 2024.
Cash and cash equivalents climbed to N6.66 trillion (+13.07%).
Zenith Bank also confirmed it has met the CBN recapitalization requirement, with share capital and premium at N614.65 billion, above the N500 billion threshold. Shareholders’ funds rose to N4.57 trillion.
Market Performance
As of market close on Thursday, September 18, 2025, Zenith Bank’s shares traded at N66 per unit, reflecting a 45.1% year-to-date gain.
The bank emphasized that its strong fundamentals, diversified income streams, and robust capital base position it for sustained growth in the second half of the year.
