Banks in Greece and Cyprus are accelerating lending, with credit expansion expected to approach or exceed €15 billion this year. Reported net credit expansion in the first quarter reached €4.7 billion, with Piraeus Bank posting €1.3 billion and a loan portfolio of €38.6 billion, Eurobank €1.1 billion and the National Bank of Greece €500 million. Institutional targets for 2026 include Eurobank €3.8 billion, Alpha Bank €3.5 billion, and €3 billion each at NBG and Piraeus, while smaller lenders target around €1.1–€1.2 billion. UBS data showed business loans up 10.9% year‑on‑year in March and non-performing loans at 3.3% in Q4 2025, down 30 basis points.

Despite strong lending growth, combined first‑quarter net profits for major banks were €1.12 billion, a slight 0.27% year‑on‑year decline. Net interest income rose marginally to €1.93 billion and fee income grew 20% to €590 million. For 2025, listed banks reported total post‑tax profits of €5.458 billion, with NPL stock reduced to €5.7 billion, a 5.2% fall from December 2024.