Fidelity Bank Secures Fresh NGX Extension to Delay H1 2026 Results

Fidelity Bank Plc has secured a further extension from Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) for the publication of its audited financial statements for the half-year ended June 30, 2026, as the lender awaits outstanding regulatory approvals.

The bank disclosed the development in a regulatory filing signed by its Company Secretary, Ezinwa Unuigboje, and dated October 5, 2026.

The latest approval represents a further delay in the release of the bank’s H1 2026 audited results after an earlier extension had moved the publication deadline to September 30, 2026.

Fidelity Bank said the additional extension became necessary because the required regulatory approvals for the financial statements had not yet been obtained.

The lender assured shareholders, investors and other stakeholders that the audited accounts would be published immediately after the necessary regulatory clearance is received.

The bank, however, did not disclose a new deadline or specific date for the publication of the H1 results.

Trading Restrictions Remain in Force

Fidelity Bank also confirmed that its closed trading window remains in effect following the delay in publishing its financial statements.

The restriction applies to directors, senior management personnel and other insiders who are subject to the bank’s dealing restrictions.

According to the lender, the trading window will remain closed until 24 hours after the publication of both its H1 2026 audited financial statements and its unaudited financial statements for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026.

The move is in line with the bank’s obligation to prevent insiders from trading in its shares while material financial information remains unpublished.

Second Extension for H1 Results

The latest approval follows an earlier extension secured by Fidelity Bank in August, when NGX granted the lender permission to postpone the filing of its H1 2026 audited accounts until September 30.

At the time, the bank attributed the delay to the ongoing process of finalising its audit for the period.

With the September 30 deadline now passed, the fresh extension marks the second postponement of the publication of the lender’s half-year audited results.

Q1 Earnings Show Strong Growth

The delay comes against the backdrop of strong earnings reported by Fidelity Bank in the first quarter of 2026.

The bank recorded gross earnings of N434.95 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2026, representing a 37.9 per cent increase from N315.42 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

Interest income increased by 22.8 per cent year-on-year to N314.48 billion, compared with N256.10 billion in Q1 2025, reflecting growth in the bank’s lending and investment activities.

Fidelity Bank also reported a profit before tax of N92.48 billion during the quarter.

Net interest income stood at N180.97 billion, providing a significant contribution to the bank’s first-quarter earnings performance.

Investors and other stakeholders are now awaiting the delayed half-year results for a clearer assessment of the bank’s financial performance during the first six months of 2026.

The bank has said it will publish the audited statements once the outstanding regulatory approvals are obtained.