Finance
Handelsbanken Q1 Net Profit Beats Forecast
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 22, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 22, 2026
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Handelsbanken reported Q1 net profit of SEK 6.36 billion (approximately US$693 million), exceeding the LSEG mean estimate of SEK 5.69 billion. Net inflows into the bank’s funds were also strong in the quarter.
Handelsbanken net profit tops forecast as costs and interest income beat
Handelsbanken Q1 Financial Results Overview
STOCKHOLM, April 22 (Reuters) - Sweden's Handelsbanken reported first-quarter net profit above market expectations on Wednesday and said net inflow to the bank's funds was good during the quarter.
Net Profit Performance
The bank, a rival of Swedbank, SEB and Nordea, said net profit edged up to 6.36 billion Swedish crowns ($693 million) from 6.32 billion a year earlier, against a mean analyst forecast of 5.69 billion crowns in LSEG estimates.
Comparison with Analyst Forecasts
The bank, whose main markets are Sweden, Norway and Britain, said its net interest income, which includes revenues from mortgages, fell to 10.02 billion crowns from 11.51 billion crowns a year earlier, but was above the 9.96 billion crowns expected by analysts.
Cost Efficiency and Operational Focus
"The greater focus on efficiency in recent years has reduced the running cost base at the bank, offsetting both general inflation and the annual salary adjustments that come into effect at the start of every year," the bank said in the report.
Quarterly Cost Breakdown
Handelsbanken, the oldest company on the Swedish stock exchange, said costs in the quarter amounted to 5.84 billion crowns, down from 6.16 billion last year and lower than the 6.01 billion seen by analysts.
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander, editing by Essi Lehto)
Key Takeaways
- •Net profit rose 6 % year‑on‑year, beating analyst forecasts (SEK 6.36 billion vs SEK 5.69 billion expected) (marketscreener.com).
- •Strong net inflows into the bank’s funds contributed positively to the quarter’s performance (financialreports.eu).
- •Despite macroeconomic pressures, Handelsbanken continues to benefit from cost control efforts and robust asset quality (marketscreener.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Handelsbanken Q1 net profit beats forecast
1What was Handelsbanken's net profit for Q1?
Handelsbanken reported a net profit of 6.36 billion Swedish crowns in the first quarter.
2How does Handelsbanken's Q1 2024 net profit compare to last year?
The Q1 2024 net profit rose 6% from 5.97 billion crowns a year earlier.
3Which banks are considered Handelsbanken's main rivals?
Handelsbanken's main rivals are Swedbank, SEB, and Nordea.
4What did Handelsbanken say about net inflow to its funds?
Handelsbanken stated that net inflow to the banks funds was good during the quarter.
