Bper Banca

According to CEO Gianni Franco Papa, Bper Banca, thanks to a strong capital base, is in a position to pursue corporate acquisitions under favorable market conditions and to increase returns to shareholders. The bank intends to launch a share buyback program immediately after the summer. Papa described a potential alliance between Monte dei Paschi di Siena and Intesa as rather likely and is considering a stake in a full sale of BFF, whose payment services and custody bank business fit well with the business model. » Altro su de.investing.com

BPER reports an adjusted net profit of €1.3 billion for H1 2026 (+15%) on revenues of €3.9 billion, supported by a record net interest income, higher fee income and lower operating costs. RoTE stands at 20.6%, the cost‑income ratio improved to 41.4% and the CET1 ratio is 15% after the integration of BPSO. Management raises its outlook for net interest income and efficiency in 2026, plans a €750 million share buyback and targets a cost‑income ratio of around 40% by 2028. » Altro su de.investing.com

Bper Banca shares climbed about 4.3% today after Kepler Cheuvreux upgraded the stock from "Hold" to "Buy" and raised its 12-month price target to €13.80. Kepler sees significant value-creation potential from possible takeovers in the Italian banking sector, including €0.50 per share from a business unit of Monte dei Paschi di Siena and an expected EPS increase of around 10% by 2028. An update of the business plan on August 6 is cited as a further catalyst. The move comes against the backdrop of a broader M&A reshuffle around Intesa’s takeover offer for MPS and plans to merge the acquired bank with Bper, which could create a new institution as the second-largest bank in Italy. » Altro su de.investing.com