Unicaja Q3 2026 slides show 8% profit gain, 95% payout ratio

Unicaja Banco reported a 8% year-over-year increase in net income to €543 million for the first nine months of 2026. The bank's shares rose by 0.13% to $3.17 following the release, despite slightly missing earnings per share forecasts. The Spanish lender's business volume grew by 5% year-over-year, exceeding guidance targets. The bank's payout ratio increased to approximately 95% for 2026, with total interim dividends reaching €382 million, a 126% year-over-year increase.

Unicaja's asset quality showed improvement, with non-performing loans decreasing 15% year-over-year and NPL coverage improving to 85%. The bank's CET1 ratio declined 28 basis points quarter-over-quarter to 15.5%, but still maintained a comfortable buffer above regulatory requirements. Unicaja's performance outpaced sector averages in corporate and consumer loans, as well as mutual funds.

The bank's innovation agenda includes conversational banking powered by artificial intelligence and the development of an AI-powered software lifecycle accelerator. Customer-focused metrics showed meaningful improvement, with payroll accounts market share growing to 4.7% and the Global Net Promoter Score increasing by 9.4 percentage points year-to-date.