CBE Posts Record Profit Despite Substantial Loss on Foreign Exchange
The state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) recorded strong profit growth and capital expansion for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, according to its audited financial statement released this week. The audit report—conducted by the Audit Service Corporation under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)—was approved on August 10, 2026, and signed by Board Chairperson Ahmed Shide and CBE President Abie Sano.
The bank’s net profit after tax surged by 75.8 percent to reach ETB 38.71 billion, up from ETB 22 billion in 2024. Total interest income soared by 30.7 percent to ETB 132.06 billion, compared to ETB 101 billion in the previous year, while interest expenses grew by just 1.8 percent to ETB 45.31 billion. Non-interest income witnessed a staggering 77.5 percent increase to ETB 60.52 billion. However, staff and other operating expenses doubled to ETB 113.71 billion, reflecting significant operational cost pressures. Tax provisions stood unchanged at ETB 4 billion, and dividends paid dropped slightly from ETB 12.36 billion to ETB 11.55 billion.
A core driver of the bank’s bottom-line growth was a ETB 37.04 billion reversal of impairment losses on financial instruments, reversing a ETB 9.51 billion impairment provision maintained in 2024. London-based senior financial analyst Abdulmenan Mohammed (PhD), who closely follows Ethiopia’s banking sector, noted that “a closer look at the sources of this massive growth reveals mixed results,” highlighting that “the reversal of the provision for assets impairment is one of the most important factors for the Bank’s current year improved performance.” https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/52667/
The Reporter Ethiopia
CBE Posts Record Profit Despite Substantial Loss On Foreign Exchange | The Reporter Ethiopia
The state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) recorded strong profit growth and capital expansion for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, according to
September 5, 2026 971 1
