BCR Group, H1 2026: A partner of trust and stability for people and economy
BCR Group recorded a net profit of RON 1,205 million (EUR 234 million) in H1 2026. BCR’s impact on economy and society In the retail banking business, BCR granted new loans to individuals and microenterprises totaling 7. 3 billion lei in H1 2026. The mortgage loan portfolio grew by 18. 2% year. . .
BCR Grouprecorded a net profit of RON 1,205 million (EUR 234 million) in H1 2026. BCR’simpact on economy and societyIn the retail banking business,BCRgranted new loans to individuals and microenterprises totaling 7. 3 billion lei in H1 2026. The mortgage loan portfolio grew by 18. 2% year on year, of which standard mortgage loans (Casa Mea) recorded a 37. 7% year on year increase, partly offset by repayments of Prima Casă loans. At the same time, the stock of unsecured consumer loans (including credit cards and overdrafts) registered a slight decline by 2. 3% year on year, reflecting a high comparison base driven by the exceptionally strong level of new loan production in the same period of last year. Sergiu Manea, CEO Banca Comercială Română:“The first half of the year has shown us how much it matters, both individually and as a society, to understand what is happening with our finances and with the economy. We have seen how much BCR’s financial education and planning programmes help, such as Școala de Bani and Financial Coaching. That is why we continue to invest in education and are taking the next step with Naționala de EduFin, an initiative through which we aim to move Romania off the bottom of the EU ranking for financial literacy. The invitation to be part of this team is open to everyone, as it’s the only competition in which the whole country plays and where, if we climb to the top, we all win. Looking ahead, we are financing the sectors that can take Romania from an economy that competes on price to one that wins on value. And we continue to support responsible lending: in lei, at fixed rates and with life and income protection insurance, as we have done consistently over the past ten years. Because our message starts from the fact that we are here, alongside people, the business community and local communities, fully convinced that together we can make Romania a trusted destination for investment and long-term development. ”Sergiu Manea, CEO of Banca Comerciala Romana. Open for people, open for impactful businessThestock of net customer loansgranted by Banca Comercială Română (BCR Group)advanced by 9. 9% year on year as of 30 June 2026. BCR grantednew retail loans to individuals and microenterprises totaling 7. 3 billion lei in H1 2026. The mortgage loan portfolio grew by 18. 2% year on year, of whichstandard mortgage loans (Casa Mea) recorded a 37. 7% year on year increase, partly offset by repayments of Prima Casă loans. At the same time,the stock of unsecured consumer loans(including credit cards and overdrafts)registered a slight decline by 2. 3% year on year, reflecting a high comparison base driven by the exceptionally strong level of new loan production in the same period of last year. BCR approvednew corporate loans worth approximately 6. 5 billion lei in 2026,nearly half of which are allocated to investments. The corporate loan portfolio grew by 11. 7% year on year. Out of total financing granted,2 billion lei was directed towards strategic sectors of the economy, supporting the development of projects in energy, agriculture, real estate, infrastructure and construction. Over40 billion lei in new sustainable financing, retail and corporate, of which approximately890 million lei for renewable energy investmentsand over1. 28 billion lei for the purchase of energy-efficient homesthrough theCasa Mea Naturamortgage product. Investor confidence in BCR was reaffirmed by the issue ofsenior non-preferred bonds worth 1 billion lei, the largest corporate issue on the Bucharest Stock Exchangeso far this year, oversubscribed in under 24 hours, with an order book twice the size of the announced minimum offer. In H1 2026, BCR Group made asignificant contribution to the state budget, of over484 million lei, comprising the profit tax (284 million lei) and the additional turnover tax on banks (200 million lei). In the corporate banking business, BCR approved new loans worth approximately 6. 5 billion lei in H1 2026, nearly half of which are allocated to investments. The corporate loan portfolio grew by 11. 7% year on year. Out of total financing granted, 3. 2 billion lei was directed towards strategic sectors of the economy (energy, agriculture, real estate, infrastructure and construction), reaffirming BCR’s role in supporting the real economy and projects with long-term structural impact. BCR consolidated its leading position in the syndicated finance market, with total participation of approximately 1. 25 billion lei (240 million euro) in H1 2026. The bank also allocated approximately 900 million lei in the first half of the year for public and local infrastructure projects, contributing to better-connected communities and a more competitive economy. George Business, the smart banking platform for SMEs and large companies, currently has over 11,000 customers and processes monthly transactions worth 12 billion euro, the equivalent of approximately 3% of Romania’s annual GDP. Since Q2 2026, over 8,800 customers have had access to FX Pro, the currency exchange feature offering a rate negotiated directly in the platform across 66 currency pairs. In June, 85% of the FX volumes placed in George Business were executed through FX Pro. BCR Leasingfinanced 37% more customers in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with growth driven primarily by the micro-enterprise and SME segments. At the same time, financing for heavy commercial vehicles recorded a 45% increase, confirming strong demand from the transport and logistics sectors. BCR Leasing customers are making increasing use of digital channels, both during the sales process and in the post-sales stage. The number of interactions with the virtual assistant LEA increased by 35% compared to the first half of 2025, while the Self-Service platform surpassed the threshold of 13,100 active users, reflecting the growing interest in fast, accessible, and self-managed solutions for interacting with the company. BCR Social Financehas supported more than 1,218 micro-enterprises, including 556 operating in the agribusiness sector, through financing worth EUR 23. 5 million, contributing to the preservation of more than 2,300 jobs. In the first half of 2026, the institution financed 28 NGOs and social enterprises with EUR 3. 5 million, supporting the well-being of more than 67,000 beneficiaries and contributing to the preservation and creation of over 270 jobs. These initiatives contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). In addition, BCR Social Finance granted 164 StudyUP loans, worth more than EUR 300,000, to support lifelong learning through undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and specialization programmes, encouraging continuous education. Between January and June 2026, BCR Social Finance continued to develop and expand its programmes dedicated to strengthening Romania’s impact ecosystem. • Youth Agri Scaling (YAS), the initiative launched by BCR Social Finance in 2026 to support young agribusiness entrepreneurs through training, mentoring and access to financing, started with approximately 100 beneficiaries from the Central, South Muntenia and South Moldova regions. Participants took part in training sessions, practical management courses and study visits to high-performing farms. • The AmpliFY Network organized NGOs Night Out in 12 cities, bringing together more than 1,500 participants with events aimed at connecting non-governmental organizations, civic initiatives, companies and everyone interested in contributing to the development of local communities. • The Marc Impact Program brought together, in June, impact entrepreneurs from six countries in Budapest during the annual Re:Marc event. Romania was represented by Origin BCI and Rongo Design, with Origin BCI winning the Innovation Champion Award and a EUR 15,000 grant. A new edition of the Marc Impact Program will be launched in September 2026 for another 15 impact-driven businesses. The programme is an initiative of ERSTE Foundation, ERSTE Social Finance and Simpact IFUA, implemented in Romania by BCR Social Finance and Synerb. Financial highlights of BCR Group in H1 2026BCR delivered a resilient financial performance in H1 2026, reporting a net profit of RON 1,205 million (EUR 234 million). The result was underpinned by continued growth in customer business volumes across key segments, despite a challenging market environment. Operating result increased slightly by 1. 6% year on year to RON 2,116 million (EUR 412 million) in H1 2026, supported by higher operating income, partially offset by increased operating expenses. Net interest income amounted to RON 2,365 million (EUR 460 million) in H1 2026, marginally below the level recorded in H1 2025. This evolution reflects ongoing margin pressure in a highly competitive market. Net fee and commission income grew by 15. 5% year on year to RON 632 million (EUR 123 million) in H1 2026, driven by stronger transactional activity as well as intensified acquisition of insurance and investment products by the customers. This performance highlights the continued relevance of diversified income streams. Net trading & FV result increased by 8. 9% year on year to RON 300 million (EUR 58 million) in H1 2026. As a result, operating income rose by 3. 1% year on year to RON 3,315 million (EUR 645 million) in H1 2026, driven by the increase in fee and trading income. General administrative expenses increased by 6. 0% compared with H1 2025 to RON 1,199 million (EUR 233 million) in H1 2026, reflecting the impact of inflation, increased VAT and local currency depreciation, together with continued investments in strategic initiatives. These effects were partially offset by ongoing optimization measures and the absence of Deposit Insurance Fund contributions in 2026. Consequently, the cost-income ratio remained at a solid 36. 2% in H1 2026, underscoring sustained focus on operational efficiency. Risk Costs and Asset QualityThe net result from the impairment of financial instruments amounted to RON 352 million (EUR 68 million) in H1 2026, as compared to a provision allocation of RON 104 million (EUR 21 million) in H1 2025. The current result reflects the periodic recalibration of credit risk parameters amid a more challenging macroeconomic and geopolitical context. The loan portfolio quality remained fairly stable, with regular NPL formation, partially offset by recoveries, including proceeds from the sale of a selected unsecured portfolio. The NPL ratio for BCR Group, calculated according to Erste Group methodology, increased moderately to 2. 9% as of June 2026 against December 2025, albeit slightly down vs March 2026 due to targeted NPL management actions. NPL provisioning coverage stood comfortably at 133% as of June 2026. Capital position and fundingTotal (Tier 1+2) capital ratio of BCR Group stood at 24. 0% as of June 2026 (preliminary, own funds including profit), well above the regulatory requirements of the National Bank of Romania and clearly reflecting BCR’s strong capital and funding positions. Net loans and advances to customers remained fairly stable compared with 31 December 2025, reaching RON 73,015 million (EUR 13,924 million) as of 30 June 2026. While both the retail and corporate segments recorded growth, this was outweighed by the maturity of a large short-term loan previously booked under Other segments. Deposits from customers slightly increased by 0. 8% compared with 31 December 2025, reaching RON 93,806 million (EUR 17,889 million) as of 30 June 2026, driven by the increase in retail deposits. The diplomatic daily newspaper Nine O’Clock does not assume responsibility for the information received and published on the public website. The responsibility for the content lies solely with the issuer of the press release. The diplomatic daily newspaper Nine O’Clock cannot be held accountable for false information transmitted by the recipients of the press releases/announcements. The diplomatic daily newspaper Nine O’Clock reserves the right not to publish press releases that contain inappropriate expressions or accusations and violations of the rights of other individuals, guaranteed by the Constitution of Romania. 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