Karachi: The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has reported a decline in its profit after taxation for the nine-month period ending September 30, 2026, according to its unconsolidated condensed interim statement of profit and loss account. The financial results, released on October 28, 2026, indicate a decrease in key financial metrics compared to the same period last year.

The bank's profit after taxation for the nine months fell to 48.89 billion rupees from 66.63 billion rupees, marking a notable downturn. The basic and diluted earnings per share similarly decreased to 22.98 rupees from the previous year's 31.32 rupees.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2026, NBP's profit after taxation stood at 16.48 billion rupees, down from 23.16 billion rupees in the third quarter of 2025. This reflects a significant contraction in quarterly earnings, mirroring the trend seen over the nine-month period.

According to information available from the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), the decline in profitability is attributed to a combination of factors, including reduced net mark-up/interest income and non-mark-up/interest income. The net mark-up/return/interest income for the nine months decreased to 156.06 billion rupees from 191.29 billion rupees in the prior year. Furthermore, total non-mark-up/interest income also saw a reduction to 37.53 billion rupees from 41.36 billion rupees.

Operating expenses for the nine-month period rose to 96.03 billion rupees, compared to 88.91 billion rupees in the previous year. Additionally, other charges increased to 804.04 million rupees from 56.52 million rupees, contributing to the overall rise in non-mark-up/interest expenses, which totaled 96.84 billion rupees against 88.99 billion rupees.

The financial results highlight a very large or significant move in the bank's profit before taxation, which fell to 102.79 billion rupees from 142.77 billion rupees for the nine months. Taxation expenses also decreased, standing at 53.89 billion rupees compared to 76.14 billion rupees last year. Despite the decline in tax expenses, the overall profit before and after taxation experienced a downward trajectory.

In summary, the National Bank of Pakistan's financial performance for the period ending September 30, 2026, reflects challenges in both interest and non-interest income streams, alongside increased operational expenses, impacting its profitability as reported in the latest financial statement.