Sterling Financial Holdings Records 141% Surge in Pre-Tax Profit, Hits ₦70.9bn in 9 Months of 2025

Sterling Financial Holdings has recorded 141% surge in Pre-Tax Profit, hits ₦70.9bn in 9 Months of 2025.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc has reported a stellar performance for the third quarter (Q3) of 2025, with profit before tax rising 110.5% year-on-year to ₦25.4 billion, up from ₦12.07 billion recorded in the same period last year. Profit after tax also jumped 83.5% to ₦20.5 billion, driven by strong interest income and improved operating efficiency.

For the nine-month period ending September 2025, the Group’s profit before tax surged 141% to ₦70.96 billion, while profit after tax rose to ₦62.2 billion, compared to ₦27.4 billion in 2024.

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Key Highlights (Q3 2025 vs Q3 2024)

• Interest Income: ₦95.26bn (+39.5%)

• Interest Expense: ₦49.63bn (+50.9%)

• Net Interest Income: ₦45.62bn (+28.9%)

• Fee & Commission Income: ₦13.81bn (+74.5%)

• Operating Income: ₦79.42bn (+52.6%)

• Profit Before Tax: ₦25.41bn (+110.5%)

• Profit After Tax: ₦20.52bn (+83.5%)

Interest and Non-Interest Income Growth

Sterling’s interest income rose to ₦95.3 billion in Q3 2025 from ₦68.2 billion in Q3 2024, reflecting strong loan growth and higher yields on investment securities. Despite a 50.9% rise in interest expenses, net interest income climbed to ₦45.6 billion, maintaining a solid margin.

Fee and commission income grew 74.5% to ₦13.8 billion, while trading income more than tripled to ₦9.76 billion, buoyed by gains in fixed-income and forex activities.

Cost Management and Efficiency

Although operating expenses increased due to personnel and infrastructure costs, Sterling maintained a strong cost-to-income ratio as revenue growth outpaced expenditure, resulting in a 110.5% rise in pre-tax profit.

Balance Sheet Strength

Sterling’s total assets expanded 15.5% year-to-date to ₦4.09 trillion, driven by higher customer loans (₦1.21 trillion) and robust deposit growth (₦2.8 trillion, +14.3%). Shareholders’ equity also increased 33% to ₦405.5 billion, reflecting retained earnings and improved capitalization.