BNP Paribas Sees US$15.39bn in Revenue for Q3 2026

BNP Paribas saw net income up 13.5%, reaching €3.46bn (US$3.85bn) in Q3 2026, surpassing the €3.04bn recorded in the same period last year, beating analyst predictions.

The growth was largely helped by strong performance in BNP Paribas's investment banking segment. In this segment, pre-tax income amounted to €1bn (US$1.11bn), up 26.4% compared with Q3 2025.

In its wealth management segment, the bank achieved solid net inflows, driven by positive momentum across commercial and personal banking in its Europe and APAC regions.

Pre-tax income in the segment was significantly higher than last year, supported by a high level of transactional activity in Asia, strong recurring fees and solid deposit revenues.

The firm also announced a €1.3bn (US$1.46bn) share buyback programme, scheduled to launch in November 2026.

Overall, revenue was up 9.5% year-on-year to €13.76bn (US$15.39bn), slightly above analyst expectations.

Market outlook and CEO commentary

French banks currently face several challenges, particularly the impact of political and economic volatility, notably from the ongoing US-Iran war.

However, JPMorgan says that while the economic backdrop remains difficult, with fluctuations in bond markets pressuring banks, BNP remains its top pick among lenders in France.

Discussing the group's performance, Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, CEO of BNP Paribas, says: "The group achieved a very strong third quarter, driven by the operating performance across all three segments.

"These results reflect the strength of our global client franchises, our diversified business model and the commitment of our teams all over the world."

He adds that the results reinforce the bank's commitment to disciplined transformation and the execution of its strategic priorities.

Jean-Laurent says the bank's focus remains unchanged: "helping our clients successfully carry out their projects, whatever the environment."

"Our ambitions for this new development phase will be laid out in our 2030 Plan, which will be presented on 2 February [2027]," he adds.

Payout ratio could rise to 70%

Jean-Laurent Bonnafé told analysts this week that BNP Paribas could raise its payout ratio to 70% of annual earnings from 60%, as part of an upcoming board discussion.

"The bank... growing faster, being more competitive and profitable, will originate more free cash flow and free equity," Jean-Laurent said.

He added: "This is a good reason to increase the regular payout. One possibility is to... go from 60% to 70%."

European banks have seen record profits since 2024, boosted by higher interest rates, leaving many with excess capital available for shareholder distributions.

Jean-Laurent noted that the increase – which would likely be carried out via buybacks – is one of the options on the table, with the executive board expected to settle on a final decision in the coming weeks.

BNP Paribas’s key partners:

IBM: BNP Paribas collaborates with IBM to deploy hybrid cloud infrastructure, accelerate secure cloud-native modernisation, and scale enterprise artificial intelligence systems.
CEO: Arvind Krishna | Headquarters: Armonk, New York, US

Stellantis: BNP Paribas partners with Stellantis through financing joint ventures to deliver multi-brand automotive loans, retail leasing, and dealer mobility services.
CEO: Antonio Filosa | Headquarters: Hoofddorp, North Holland, Netherlands

Jaguar Land Rover: BNP Paribas teams with Jaguar Land Rover to provide competitive retail financing, corporate leasing options, and mobility insurance solutions.
CEO: PB Balaji | Headquarters: Whitley, Coventry, UK