Sri Lanka’s four largest banks have collectively recorded more than Rs. 150 billion in after-tax profits for the nine months ending September 2026, driven largely by strong loan growth.
State-owned Bank of Ceylon (BOC) led with an after-tax profit of Rs. 58.7 billion, followed by Commercial Bank of Ceylon with Rs. 52.16 billion, Sampath Bank with Rs. 24.6 billion and Nations Trust Bank (NTB) with Rs. 20 billion.
NTB recorded the highest profit growth among the banks, with earnings increasing 34%, while Sampath Bank reported a 15% increase.
Strong lending growth boosted earnings across the private banks, with Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank and NTB recording significant increases in their loan portfolios.
However, rapid credit expansion also increased impairment provisions, operating expenses and pressure on capital ratios. Commercial Bank and Sampath Bank reported higher operating costs, while both BOC and Sampath Bank have taken steps to strengthen their capital positions through debenture issues.
