Bankinter sticks to full-year guidance but warns of uncertain lending outlook
Spain's Bankinter kept its 2026 guidance unchanged today despite an uncertain outlook for lending income owing to the economic impact of the war in Iran.
Bankinter, which owns Avant Money here, is Spain's fifth-biggest bank by market value.
Finance chief Jacobo Diaz said that the bank would consider changes to its guidance in its next results presentation, adding that current profitability is expected to be sustained in the coming quarters.
The bank expects quarter-on-quarter growth in net interest income (NII) this year and remains confident in its ability to deliver high-single-digit growth in fee income, he said.
In January, Bankinter said it expected margins to rise in 2026 alongside an expected mid-single-digit percentage rise in loan volumes.
The bank's NII, earnings on loans minus deposit costs, rose 5.5% to €571m, in line with forecasts. NII also rose slightly, by 0.1%, from the previous quarter, helped by lower deposit costs.
Shares in Bankinter were down 2% in morning trade, having climbed by more than 80% in 2025.
The bank beat forecasts with an 8% rise in first-quarter net profit to €291ms, helped by solid economic growth in its home market.
Bankinter said it manages a loan book of €5 billion in Ireland, up 23% over the period under review, with a "very low" non-performing loan ratio of 0.3%.
It said that within this portfolio, €4 billion relate to mortgages, which have grown by 27% thanks to what it called its "distinctive" offering it has brought to the Irish market, while the remainder comprises consumer lending, which has seen growth of 8%.
