Lion Finance profit rises 21% to GEL 661.9 million in third quarter
Key Facts
Lion Finance Group said its third-quarter 2026 profit was GEL 661.9 million, up 21.0% year on year, according to results published on November 4. The results showed first-nine-month profit rising to GEL 1,865.7 million, an increase of 18.6% compared with the same period in 2025. The figures came as the group expanded its loan and deposit books, alongside an improvement in net interest margin. The group also announced a higher quarterly distribution and an expanded programme to buy back and cancel shares. BGEO.L shares closed at 12110 in the November 3 session, according to EL7 data.
The loan book stood at GEL 46,501.2 million in the third quarter, up 24.6% year on year at constant currency, according to the results statement. Customer deposits reached GEL 44,889.5 million, an increase of 21.1% on the same basis. Growth in both figures reflects a simultaneous expansion in the group’s lending and funding during the period. The results summary did not identify increased customer activity as a standalone reason for profit growth. The reported loan and deposit growth rates are also calculated at constant currency, allowing the year-on-year change to be assessed after excluding the effect of currency movements.
The group’s net interest margin was 6.5% in the third quarter, up 20 basis points, according to the results. The margin measures returns from lending activities after funding costs, and its rise coincided with expansion in the loan and deposit books. On asset quality, the cost of credit risk was 0.7%, while non-performing loans stood at 2.0%. These indicators provide a parallel view of profit growth, combining the expansion of banking operations with the credit-risk levels recorded during the quarter. The available figures did not include year-on-year comparisons for the cost of risk or non-performing loan ratios.
Book value per share rose to GEL 233.36, an increase of 26.5% year on year, the company said. On distributions, the board decided to pay GEL 3.25 per share for the third quarter, up 22.6% from the corresponding distribution a year earlier. In addition to the cash distribution, the group extended its programme to buy back and cancel shares, worth GEL 62 million. The two steps combine a cash return to shareholders with the use of the programme to buy back and cancel shares. This coincided with increases in profit and book value per share during the period, according to the figures released by the group.
The interim distribution will be payable in pounds sterling on December 18, 2026, to shareholders on the register at close of business on December 4, with the ex-dividend date on December 3, according to the distribution announcement. These dates set out the entitlement schedule for the cash payment announced by the board for the third quarter. The results announcement on November 4 is part of the company’s financial calendar, which lists the release of third-quarter and first-nine-month results on that date. The calendar also lists the group’s participation in the J.P. Morgan UK Corporate Leaders and European Financials Conference in London on November 18, 2026. BGEO.L closed at 12110 on November 3, according to EL7 data, the latest close listed in the available evidence before the results announcement.