Access Holdings’ 9 Months 2026 Results: Building Stronger Foundation for Sustainable Shareholder Returns

Access Holdings Plc reported a 8.3% increase in profit before tax to N667.4 billion and a 5.9% rise in profit after tax to N474.2 billion for the nine months ending September 30, 2026. However, the most significant improvement came after impairment charges, which declined by 73.5% to N92.9 billion, resulting in a 32.1% increase in net interest income to approximately N1.2 trillion.

Fee and commission income grew by 8.4% to N650.9 billion, while expense declined by 6.9% to N115.9 billion, contributing to a 12.4% increase in net fee and commission income to N534.9 billion. This led to a 5.4% growth in core operating income to N1.83 trillion, up from N1.73 trillion in the same period last year. However, the operating picture remains mixed, with operating expenses increasing by 11.8% to N1.3 trillion and total other operating income declining by 40.8% to N234.5 billion, causing a 3.2% decline in total operating income to N2.06 trillion.

Despite this, the balance sheet remains substantial, with total assets at N52.6 trillion, an increase of 1.7% from N51.7 trillion in 2025. Customer deposits grew by 6.6% to N36.9 trillion, and loans and advances to customers increased by 7.4% to N14.3 trillion. Shareholders' funds remained stable at N4.5 trillion. The Group's geographic earnings distribution is also noteworthy, with international banking subsidiaries contributing 43.7% to profit before tax, significantly higher than the previous period.

The Group's Scale-to-Value strategy aims to transform the existing scale into sustainable shareholder returns through improved quality, productivity, and efficiency.