United Capital Pays N5.4bn Interim Dividend As H1 Pre-tax Profit Rises 80%

United Capital Plc has declared a payout of N5.4 billion interim dividend to shareholders, as the Company grew its profit before tax rose by 80 per cent year-on-year for the half year ended June 30, 2026.

The company’s unaudited results showed that this was driven by strong performance across its investment banking, asset management, and securities trading businesses.

According to the results, gross earnings grew by 58 per cent to N37.49 billion in H1 2026, compared to N23.76 billion in H1 2025. This impressive performance was majorly driven by growth in fee and commission income, net investment income, net trading income and Net gain on financial assets FVTPL

The company’s profit before tax grew by 80 per cent year-on-year to N24.78 billion, while profit after tax rose by 77 per cent year-on-year to N21.10 billion.

The board of directors approved an interim dividend of N5.4 billion, representing 30 kobo per share.

United Capital’s total assets decreased by seven per cent year-to-date to N1.64 trillion in June 2026 compared to N1.76 trillion in December 2025, largely driven by 20 per cent decline in investment securities while cash and cash equivalents grew by 40 per cent.

The company’s managed funds increased by four per cent year-to-date to N1.04 trillion in June 2026 from N993.64 billion in December 2025, while shareholders’ funds increased by 25 per cent year-to-date to N187.09 billion as of June 2026, up from N149.99 billion in December 2025, largely driven by 35 per cent growth in the fair value reserve and 13 per cent growth in retained earnings during the period.

Speaking on the Group’s performance, the Group chief executive officer, United Capital, Peter Ashade said, “this impressive performance is a result of the disciplined execution of our strategic priorities, resilience of our robust and diversified business model, prudent risk management, and our unwavering commitment to consistently create sustainable value despite the dynamic operating environment.”

He stated that “during the period under review, United Capital recorded gross earnings of N37.49 billion, representing a 58 per cent year-on-year increase. Profit before tax grew by 80 per cent to N24.78 billion, while profit after tax rose by 77 per cent to N21.10 billion.

“Shareholders’ funds also increased by 25 per cent year-to-date to N187.09 billion, underscoring the strength of our balance sheet and our ability to consistently deliver superior returns.”

He added that “in line with our commitment to rewarding our shareholders, the Board has approved an interim dividend of 30 kobo per share.”

He noted that “as we prepare for the second half of the year, we remain focused on sustaining this momentum by solidifying our market leadership position, strengthening our retail play, expanding our presence across Africa, enhancing our customer value propositions, and delivering superior long-term value to our stakeholders.”