Public Financial Holdings Ltd. (Public Financial) posted a profit attributable to shareholders of HK$25.19 million for the six months ended 30 June 2026, a sharp rebound from HK$2.57 million a year earlier.

Net interest income rose 7.7% year-on-year to HK$571.19 million, driven mainly by lower funding costs, while operating income edged up 1.0% to HK$692.22 million. Net fees and commission income fell 21.9% to HK$108.34 million, reflecting muted securities trading and wealth-management activity.

Operating expenses increased 6.6% to HK$495.71 million, but credit-loss expenses dropped 10.9% to HK$138.84 million. Together with a smaller revaluation loss on investment properties (HK$19.67 million versus HK$46.15 million), profit before tax more than doubled to HK$38.00 million. Earnings per share climbed to HK$0.023 from HK$0.002.

The Board declared an interim dividend of HK$0.02 per share and a special dividend of HK$0.02 per share, both payable on 5 August 2026 to shareholders on record as of 22 July 2026.

Total assets expanded 3.6% since year-end to HK$44.67 billion. Gross loans and advances grew 3.2% to HK$26.07 billion, while customer deposits increased 5.2% to HK$34.45 billion. The impaired-loan ratio improved to 2.68% (31 December 2025: 2.75%).

Capital buffers remained strong; Public Bank (Hong Kong) Group reported a consolidated Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 27.0% and a total capital ratio of 27.9%, well above regulatory minimums.

By segment, retail and commercial banking contributed 93.4% of group operating income and generated HK$53.69 million profit before tax. Wealth-management, stockbroking and securities management recorded HK$0.35 million profit before tax amid lower market turnover, while other businesses posted a HK$16.04 million loss.

Management highlighted continued emphasis on secured lending at reasonable yields, cautious cost control, and further digitalisation to drive long-term growth while maintaining conservative credit and liquidity profiles.