Commercial Bank International Maintained a Buy as FAB Notes 'Strong' Q2

06:54 AM EDT, 08/05/2026 (MT Newswires) -- FAB Securities reiterated its investment view on Commercial Bank International (ADX:CBI) as it took note of the lender's second-quarter results. "We maintained our BUY rating on CBI with a target price of AED 1.05. CBI delivered a strong 2Q26, with net profit more than doubling to AED 95 Mn from AED 43 Mn in 2Q25, supported by healthy core income growth and higher impairment reversals. Loans and advances grew 10.2% YTD, supported by strong wholesale funding growth and a modest increase in retail funding, partly offset by lower Islamic financing. We expect the Bank to continue expanding both its wholesale and retail funding base over the forecast period," analysts wrote in a first look note published Tuesday. Thanks to a rise in net-funded, fee and commission incomes, the bank's net profit in the second quarter came in at 95 million Emirati dirhams, higher than FAB's 55 million-dirham forecast. Total operating income was 148 million dirhams, compared with the research firm's estimate of 172 million dirhams. "The lower interest rates continue to pressure margins, but the CBI's improving asset quality, healthy loan growth, strong fee income generation and robust profitability position the Bank well for the remainder of 2026," the research firm said.