CIMB Group reported a net profit of RM 1.94 billion for the second quarter of 2026 on revenue of RM 5.56 billion, delivering a return on equity of 11.2%, the Malaysian lender said in a statement published on its corporate website.
The board declared a first interim dividend of 19.65 sen per share, marking a cash return to shareholders alongside the quarterly earnings release and reinforcing the group's stated commitment to progressive shareholder distributions under its ongoing strategic plan.
OPERATING INCOME AND FEES UNDERPIN QUARTER
CIMB attributed the quarter's performance to growth in operating income, higher wealth management fees and disciplined cost management, a combination that supported the group's headline profitability and delivered the 11.2% return on equity for the period. The three-way combination of top-line growth, fee expansion and cost discipline has been at the centre of the group's messaging to investors.
The mix of top-line strength and cost discipline is consistent with the direction of travel that CIMB has communicated to investors under its multi-year strategic plan, which has emphasised profitability, capital efficiency and growth in fee-based income streams across its regional franchise. The delivery of an 11.2% ROE for the quarter represents progress against those stated ambitions.
CIMB is Malaysia's second-largest banking group by assets and operates across ASEAN, with meaningful franchises in Indonesia through CIMB Niaga, in Singapore, in Thailand and in other regional markets alongside its home operations. That regional footprint gives its quarterly numbers relevance beyond the domestic Malaysian banking sector and offers exposure to broader ASEAN credit cycles.
The RM 5.56 billion revenue print for the quarter reflects continued top-line momentum across the group's businesses, spanning consumer banking, commercial and enterprise banking, wholesale banking, and Islamic banking through CIMB Islamic, one of the largest Islamic banking franchises in the region.
SHAREHOLDER RETURNS UNDERPINNED BY DIVIDEND
The declared first interim dividend of 19.65 sen per share signals continued commitment to shareholder distributions, one of the pillars of the group's capital management framework that has featured prominently in engagements with investors throughout the current strategic cycle.
An 11.2% return on equity places CIMB comfortably within the range that Malaysian large-cap banks have targeted over the current strategic cycle, and reflects the incremental progress the group has made in improving the productivity of its capital base through a combination of business mix optimisation and cost discipline. The delivery of that return level in tandem with the higher wealth management fee contribution reinforces the strategic direction the group has communicated through recent investor engagements and forms part of a broader case around progressive profitability improvement.
The results were published in an announcement on CIMB's corporate website, with additional disclosures shared through the investor relations section. Further commentary from management on strategic priorities is expected at subsequent analyst briefings, with CIMB's next scheduled release covering the nine months to September. Analysts will focus on the trajectory of the group's regional franchises, in particular the contribution from CIMB Niaga in Indonesia and the group's operations in Singapore and Thailand, as well as on the pace of wealth management fee growth and the direction of asset quality across the corporate and consumer lending portfolios.