Zenith Bank H1 2026 results: outlets report conflicting profit figures
Nigerian outlets report differing profit figures for Zenith Bank's half-year results, with one source citing a profit increase and another a decline; two of the three outlets also note a higher dividend payout.
What happened
Zenith Bank Plc released its half-year 2026 financial results, with outlets reporting different figures for profit performance.123
BusinessDay reported Zenith Bank's profit before tax (PBT) rose to N637.6 billion, a 1.9 percent increase, while gross earnings fell 25% and trading income swung to a loss.3
Premium Times reported that Zenith Bank's half-year profit fell 19% amid shrinking revenue.2
Zenith Bank's non-banking subsidiaries, Zenith Pensions Custodian Limited and Zenith Nominees Limited, recorded a combined profit before tax of N9.11 billion in H1 2026, equivalent to 60.85% of their full-year 2025 earnings.1
Where accounts differ
Each account is attributed to who makes it. We do not judge between them.
Direction and scale of Zenith Bank's half-year profit change
Whether the two reported dividend figures reflect the same comparison
Premium Times and BusinessDay
Both report an interim dividend of N1.50 per share, up from N1.25 for the same period last year, but neither outlet's snippet clarifies whether the profit figures they cite (a 1.9% PBT rise vs. a 19% profit fall) refer to the same profit metric or basis, so the apparent conflict may reflect different definitions (e.g., PBT vs. net/after-tax profit) rather than a direct contradiction.23
What the coverage leaves out
- None of the outlets reviewed explained the discrepancy between the reported profit increase and profit decline figures, such as differences in the specific profit metric or period compared.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported commentary from Zenith Bank executives on the results.
Why it matters
Zenith Bank's gross earnings fell 25% and its trading income swung to a loss, according to BusinessDay, even as profit before tax rose.3
Sources (3)
Every outlet we drew on, grouped by where it is based. Read the originals for the full reporting.
Africa
- 1NairametricsNGPrivate
Zenith Bank’s non-banking subsidiaries post N9.11 billion pre-tax profit in H1 2026
- 2Premium TimesNGIndependent
Zenith Bank’s half-year profit falls 19% amid shrinking revenue
- 3BusinessDayNGPrivate
Zenith Bank’s PBT rises to N637.6bn, pays N1.50 interim dividend