BNP Paribas reported a 33% increase in second-quarter net profit to about €4.35 billion, helped by a strong trading performance and a broader rebound across parts of its banking franchise.
Revenue rose 12% year on year to €14.1 billion. The most visible driver was the corporate and institutional banking business, where equity and prime services revenue climbed 43% to around €1.4 billion, while the global markets unit benefited from stronger client activity.
The result underlined how trading desks have become a central earnings engine for large European banks during periods of active markets. Fixed-income activity was less dynamic, but the equities performance helped offset uneven conditions elsewhere in the group.
BNP Paribas also pointed to growth in retail banking and in wealth, insurance and asset management. The latter area was supported by the integration of AXA Investment Managers, although operating expenses also rose as the bank absorbed acquisition-related costs.
The French group said it had reached its 13% CET1 capital ratio target ahead of schedule. It also reaffirmed its 2026 and 2028 financial objectives, signalling that management views the quarter as consistent with its medium-term plan rather than as a one-off trading gain.
For investors, the results strengthen the comparison between European lenders and larger Wall Street peers, whose earnings have also been supported by equity trading, prime brokerage and capital markets activity. BNP Paribas remains one of the region's largest universal banks, with businesses spanning retail banking, investment banking, asset management and insurance.
The next test will be whether the bank can turn strong market conditions into durable efficiency gains. Chief executive Jean-Laurent Bonnafé has indicated that the group will outline its next strategic direction in February, with cost discipline, technology and business mix likely to remain central themes.
