ANZ Group Holdings Limited (ASX: ANZ) today announced a robust financial performance for the half-year ended 31 March 2026. ANZ, one of Australia’s largest banks, provides a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate, and institutional customers across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia Pacific. The company reported a Statutory Profit of $3,650 million and a Cash Profit of $3,780 million for the period. The Cash Profit marked a substantial 70% increase compared to the second half of the financial year ended 30 September 2025. Excluding the impact of significant items from the prior half, Cash Profit still saw a healthy 14% uplift.
Improvements were evident across several key metrics. Cash Return on Tangible Equity (RoTE) increased by 161 basis points to 11.6%, when excluding prior period significant items. Operating expenses reduced by 9% and the cost-to-income ratio improved by 519 basis points to 49.4%, both also on a comparable basis. ANZ’s Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) Ratio strengthened to 12.39% at 31 March 2026, up 36 basis points from 30 September 2025. In conjunction with these results, the Board proposed a 2026 Interim Dividend of 83 cents per share, with franking rising from 70% to 75%, driven by improved performance in the Australian geography. The Dividend Reinvestment Plan will now be neutralised through an on-market purchase of shares, with no discount applied.
ANZ Chief Executive Officer Nuno Matos commented that the results demonstrate the pace of the bank’s transformation, progress in executing immediate priorities, and improved shareholder returns. Mr Matos highlighted the bank’s efforts to simplify its business, reduce duplication, and settle long-standing regulatory matters, contributing to enhanced metrics. He acknowledged the increasingly complex global environment, leading to an increase in collective provisions, including a $175 million charge for potential impacts of the Middle East conflict. Despite this, customer loan losses remained low, reflecting strong overall credit quality, with no material increase in hardship cases observed among households or businesses.
