ING Groep NV (NYSE:ING) shares are soaring 5.71% in pre-market trading on Thursday following the release of its impressive third-quarter 2025 financial results. The Dutch banking giant reported earnings that surpassed analyst expectations and announced a significant distribution to shareholders, boosting investor confidence.

ING posted quarterly earnings of $0.70 per share, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $0.64 by 9.69%. This represents an 8% increase from the $0.65 per share reported in the same period last year. The company's quarterly sales reached $6.896 billion, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $6.550 billion by 5.28% and marking a 6.17% year-over-year growth. The bank reported a net result of EUR1,787 million for Q3 2025, with profit before tax increasing to EUR2,560 million.

The strong performance was driven by several factors, including continued growth in Retail Banking and Wholesale Banking. ING's CEO, Steven van Rijswijk, highlighted that the bank gained almost 200,000 mobile primary customers during the quarter, bringing the year-on-year growth to 1.1 million. Additionally, the company increased its sustainable volume mobilized by 29% year-on-year to EUR110 billion, demonstrating its commitment to supporting clients in their sustainable transitions. In a move likely to please investors, ING announced a distribution of EUR1.6 billion to shareholders, consisting of a share buyback program for up to EUR1.1 billion and a cash payment of EUR500 million. The company's CET1 ratio also rose to 13.4%, further underlining its financial strength and stability.