By Seun Ibiyemi
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has reported a profit before tax of ₦1.23 trillion for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, driven by sustained growth in its core earnings lines.
The Group disclosed this in its audited consolidated and separate financial statements released to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
The results showed that interest income rose by 23.2 per cent year-on-year, while fee income increased by 25.9 per cent, underscoring the strength of the Group’s core banking operations.
Despite a lower profit before tax compared to the ₦1.27 trillion recorded in 2024, when earnings were boosted by ₦517.5 billion in fair value gains the 2025 performance reflects GTCO’s continued ability to generate sustainable earnings.
Profit after tax stood at ₦865.75 billion, down from ₦1.02 trillion in the previous year.
The decline was attributed to recent fiscal policy changes, particularly the introduction of withholding tax on short-term investment securities.
However, the Group noted that its underlying earnings remained strong when adjusted for these impacts.
GTCO’s balance sheet remained robust, with total assets rising to ₦17.8 trillion and shareholders’ funds reaching ₦3.4 trillion. Its Capital Adequacy Ratio stood at 43.8 per cent, indicating strong capital buffers.
Asset quality also improved during the period, as IFRS 9 Stage 3 loans declined to 3.4 per cent at the bank level and 5.0 per cent at the Group level, compared to 3.5 per cent and 5.2 per cent, respectively, in 2024.
Similarly, the cost of risk dropped significantly to 2.2 per cent from 4.9 per cent.
The Group’s loan book expanded by 12.4 per cent to ₦3.13 trillion, while deposit liabilities grew by 23.8 per cent to ₦12.87 trillion, reflecting increased customer confidence and business growth.
Commenting on the performance, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje, said the results highlight the resilience of the Group’s earnings capacity.
“Our 2025 result underscores the resilience and depth of our earnings capacity. Following a record 2024, our focus has been on strengthening the sustainability of our earnings by driving growth across our core banking and ecosystem businesses,” he said.
Agbaje added that the Group remains committed to scaling its financial services ecosystem, driving innovation, and delivering consistent returns to shareholders.
GTCO also maintained strong performance metrics, including a post-tax return on equity of 28.3 per cent, return on assets of 5.3 per cent, and a cost-to-income ratio of 27.9 per cent—figures that place it among the top performers in Nigeria’s financial services industry.
The Group, which operates across Africa and the United Kingdom, continues to position itself as a leading financial services provider, leveraging innovation, strong corporate governance, and a diversified business model to drive long-term value for stakeholders.
