KCB Group shares have inched closer to a historic high of Sh100 apiece at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). This follows the release of the banking group’s half year financial results and the declaration of a bumper interim dividend.
A spot check by Bizna Kenya on Thursday showed that at the end of trading at the NSE, KCB shares settled at an average trading price of Sh93 per share with a traded volume of 2.71 million. This was a gain of Sh3.33 percent which was equivalent to Sh3 per share from the previous day’s trading price of Sh90 per share. The shares had touched a high of Sh94 per share and a low of Sh90.25 per share.
With these gains, KCB Group saw its 52 week run on the NSE settle at a high of Sh94 from a low of Sh50 per share. This means that investors who took position on the counter at a low of Sh50 per share one year ago and are still holding onto their shares have gained by as much as Sh43 per share. For instance, before deducting statutory and service charges, an investor who invested Sh250,000 for around 5,000 shares was looking at a gross gain of Sh215,000 in under one year.
This bullish run by KCB shares is being largely influenced by the banking group’s financials. For instance, the bank declared that during the first six months of the current financial year, net profit increased by 15 percent to Sh36.1 billion from the Sh31.5 billion net profit that was recorded in the same period the previous year.
This net profit was derived from a profit before tax of Sh49.3 billion which represented an increase of 20.8 percent driven by strong income growth and cost management. This performance saw the lender recommend an interim dividend of Sh3 per share. This dividend will be paid out on or about November 10 this year. This will be the second year that the bank is rewarding its shareholders with high dividends.
In the full year results released in March of this year, the bank proposed to pay a final dividend of Sh3 per share. This dividend meant that for the full year 2025, KCB Group had paid out a total of Sh7 per share to shareholders.
“The business across markets remains resilient despite the tough operating environment in key markets like Kenya. Despite this, we have placed our customers at the fore, to ensure we meet their needs in a timely manner,” said KCB Group Finance Director Lawrence Kimathi.
During the first six months of this year, customer loans increased by 13.3 percent to Sh1.24 trillion while customer deposits went up by 15.1 percent to Sh1.7 trillion. In the same period the previous year, customer loans and advances stood at Sh1.1 trillion while customer deposits were Sh1.5 trillion.
According to Mr. Kimathi, the bulk of deposits in the first half of 2026 came from current accounts which accounted for 15 percent growth. The banking group’s total assets went up by 16.8 percent to settle at Sh2.3 trillion in the first six months of the financial year.
Total income went up by 9.5 percent to Sh108.1 billion. In the same period, the lender’s stock of gross non-performing loans (NPLs) reduced by Sh17.3 billion to close at Sh203.8 billion from Sh221.1 billion that was recorded in the same period the previous financial year.
“Our strong half-year performance reflects the resilience of KCB Group’s diversified business model, the strength of our regional footprint, and the confidence our customers continue to place in us,” said KCB Group chief executive officer Paul Russo.
See More: How educated is KCB CEO Paul Russo? See his education and career profile
“Despite a tough operating environment, we remain committed to supporting businesses and households, accelerating digital transformation and creating long-term sustainable value for our shareholders and the communities which we serve.”
