ING lifts 2026 and 2027 guidance after profit beat

ING lifted its 2026 total income target to more than €24.5 billion and raised its 2027 outlook after second-quarter profit topped expectations, a move that points to firmer lending and fee momentum across European banking even as interest rates normalize.

The Amsterdam-based lender posted a net result of €1,947 million in the second quarter and profit before tax of €2,919 million, up 23% from a year earlier and 29% from the previous quarter. ING also said its mobile primary customer base expanded by 377,000 in the quarter, a sign that retail growth remains broad-based while the bank continues to deepen day-to-day relationships with clients.

The stronger guidance matters because banks are now being judged less on the immediate lift from higher rates and more on whether they can sustain earnings through lending growth, deposits, fees and tight credit discipline. ING’s fixed-income presentation showed €86.5 billion in lending growth in the first half of 2026, with sustainable financing mobilized up 28% year to date. Annualized net core lending growth came in at 8.1% in the second quarter, above the bank’s 5% outlook, suggesting demand has held up better than expected.

ING had already been signaling that parts of the business were improving. Its first-quarter 2026 release said commercial net interest income increased, supported by growth in customer balances and a higher liability margin, while fee income in Retail and Wholesale Banking rose 13% year on year. That builds on full-year 2025 results that showed total income of €23.0 billion, fee income of €4.6 billion, net core lending growth of €57 billion, net core deposits growth of €38 billion and a CET1 ratio of 13.1%.

The new outlook also extends a more confident stance on profitability. ING had earlier said it expected revenue to exceed €25 billion in 2027 and return on tangible equity to top 15% that year. For European banking, that combination of stronger income, solid lending growth and contained capital pressure suggests the sector still has room to absorb a softer rate backdrop without losing earnings power. For U.S. investors watching global banks, ING’s upgrade is another sign that credit quality and loan demand may keep bank sentiment supported even as the easy gains from higher rates fade.