AIB chief executive Colin Hunt
New AIB results suggest Irish consumers and businesses have shrugged off the impact of the Iran war, so far – with the bank trading in line with guidance and growth in lending through the first three months of the year.
AIB’s first-quarter results show new lending is up 11pc to €3.6bn and the bank said its mortgage market share was 30pc at the end of March.
Growth in total lending was more modest, up 1.7pc to €73.5bn.
Customer deposits of €117bn were unchanged since the end of December.
“Notwithstanding the geopolitical uncertainty, the Irish economy continues to perform well and we remain confident in our outlook for 2026,” AIB CEO Colin Hunt said.
The bank remains on course to “deliver strong, sustainable returns to our shareholders as we progress through the final year of our current strategic cycle,” he said.
The results show total income broadly in line with the same three months of 2025, despite a bigger loan book, reflecting the softer interest rate environment.
Net interest income (NII) was €920m, with an interest margin of 2.65pc.
Fees and other income was up 8pc.
Costs continue to rise, up 2pc in line with guidance and resulting in a cost-income ratio (CIR) of 44pc.
The results indicate little or no evidence of rising financial distress among customers as a result of the war and its impact on prices.
“Overall credit quality remained robust with a small net credit impairment charge recorded in Q1. Our approach remains conservative, comprehensive and forward-looking,” the bank said.