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Introduction & Market Context
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS) presented its second quarter and first half 2025 results on August 6, 2025, highlighting strong profit growth and commercial momentum. The Italian bank continues to position itself as "A Clear and Simple Commercial Bank, Combining Technology With Human Touch" as it navigates a period of potential transformation with the ongoing Mediobanca (OTC:MDIBY) offer.
The presentation comes amid a period of consolidation in the European banking sector, with BMPS demonstrating resilience through strong capital ratios and improved asset quality metrics. The bank’s performance reflects its strategic focus on expanding core banking operations while maintaining cost discipline.
Executive Summary
Monte dei Paschi reported impressive financial results for both Q2 and H1 2025, with significant year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter improvements across key metrics. The bank’s net profit reached €479 million in Q2 2025, up 15.7% quarter-over-quarter, while H1 2025 net profit stood at €892 million, representing a 21.4% increase year-over-year.
As shown in the following executive summary from the presentation:
The bank’s commercial performance was particularly strong, with wealth management gross inflows increasing by 19% year-over-year, new retail mortgages granted at €3.5 billion (2.5x year-over-year), and new consumer finance up 20% year-over-year. This robust commercial activity was accompanied by improvements in asset quality, with the cost of risk declining to 43 basis points in H1 2025.
Quarterly Performance Highlights
The second quarter of 2025 saw Monte dei Paschi achieve significant growth in its net profit, which increased by 15.7% compared to the previous quarter. This growth was driven by higher revenues and effective cost management.
The quarterly net profit evolution is illustrated in the following chart:
The bank’s net operating profit also showed strong quarter-over-quarter growth of 9.1%, reaching €488 million in Q2 2025. This improvement was supported by higher revenues, increased net fee income, and lower cost of risk.
The gross operating profit for Q2 2025 stood at €576 million, representing a 7.6% increase from the previous quarter. This growth was primarily driven by higher revenues and effective cost management, with the cost-to-income ratio improving from 47% to 45% quarter-over-quarter.
Detailed Financial Analysis
Monte dei Paschi’s commercial performance in the first half of 2025 demonstrated the strength of its banking network, with total commercial savings increasing by €4 billion year-to-date. The bank saw significant growth across various business lines, as illustrated in the following chart:
Net interest income showed a modest increase of 1.5% quarter-over-quarter, reaching €551 million in Q2 2025, driven by loan volume expansion. However, on a year-over-year basis, net interest income declined by 6.7% due to declining interest rates, which were only partially offset by effective cost management.
The bank’s fee and commission income continued to grow, with total fees reaching €405 million in Q2 2025, up 1.7% quarter-over-quarter. This growth was primarily driven by commercial banking fees, which increased by 9.9% quarter-over-quarter. On a yearly basis, total fees grew by 9.1% to €803 million, with wealth management and advisory fees increasing by 13.8%.
Operating costs remained well-controlled, with a slight decrease of 0.3% quarter-over-quarter to €471 million in Q2 2025. On a yearly basis, operating costs increased by 2.0% to €943 million, primarily due to labor contract renewals and increases in the variable remuneration pool.
Asset Quality and Capital Position
Monte dei Paschi continued to improve its asset quality metrics in the first half of 2025. The gross non-performing exposure (NPE) stock decreased by €0.5 billion, with disposals accounting for €0.3 billion of this reduction. As a result, the gross NPE ratio improved to 3.7% on a pro forma basis, while the net NPE ratio stood at 2.0%.
The following chart illustrates the evolution of the bank’s gross NPE stock:
The bank maintained a strong capital position, with a CET1 ratio (fully loaded) stable at 19.6% and a buffer on Tier 1 ratio at 840 basis points. This solid capital base provides the bank with significant flexibility for future growth and potential shareholder returns.
The bank’s capital position is summarized in the following slide:
Monte dei Paschi also performed well in the 2025 EBA EU-Wide Stress Test, demonstrating its resilience under adverse scenarios. The results positioned the bank favorably compared to the Italian banking sector average.
Strategic Initiatives
A significant development for Monte dei Paschi is the ongoing offer from Mediobanca. The presentation provided an update on this strategic initiative, highlighting potential benefits including synergies and enhanced capital generation.
The following slide outlines key aspects of the Mediobanca offer:
The potential combination with Mediobanca represents a transformative opportunity for Monte dei Paschi, potentially creating a stronger, more diversified banking entity with enhanced competitive positioning in the Italian market.
Forward-Looking Statements
Looking ahead, Monte dei Paschi emphasized its strong financial position and the potential benefits of the Mediobanca offer. The bank highlighted its unparalleled financial position, with synergy and capital generation benefits expected from the potential combination.
The bank’s comprehensive income statement provides a detailed view of its financial performance and serves as a foundation for future projections:
Monte dei Paschi’s solid performance in the first half of 2025, combined with its strong capital position and improving asset quality, positions the bank well for continued growth. The potential Mediobanca transaction adds an additional strategic dimension that could further enhance the bank’s market position and shareholder value.
The bank’s focus on combining technology with a human touch, along with its clear commercial banking strategy, continues to drive its performance in a competitive banking landscape. With strong growth in key business areas such as wealth management and retail mortgages, Monte dei Paschi appears well-positioned to capitalize on market opportunities while maintaining its solid financial foundation.
Full presentation:
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