The France-headquartered group recently issued its first-quarter 2025 financial results, with a mostly positive set of figures for its wealth management organisation.

BNP Paribas said its wealth management arm increased its revenues in the first quarter of 2025 by 10.7 per cent from a year earlier. At €757 million ($856.9 million), pre-tax income rose sharply, up 36.1 per cent on a year earlier.

Assets under management rose from a mix of net asset inflows – €9.4 billion ($10.6 billion) – notably in Asia and in the commercial and personal banking field. Transaction fees rose sharply in all geographies, and deposits held up, particularly in dollars.

Total revenues amounted to €1.496 billion, rising by 6.6 per cent from a year earlier; in wealth management, revenues rose by 10.7 per cent, and asset management rose by 5.9 per cent. Operating expenses – €907 million – rose by 2.7 per cent in support of growth and development, the French banking group said in a statement late last month. 

Net income for the entire BNP Paribas group slipped 4.9 per cent year-on-year to €2.951 billion; operating costs rose 4 per cent, and net banking income increased by 3.8 per cent.

Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, group CEO, referred to recent moves by countries such as Germany to ramp up defence and infrastructure spending amid changing geopolitics: “We are perfectly positioned to support this new investment cycle which should materialise in the medium term.”

“We confirm our 2024 to 2026 trajectory, driven by the strength of our diversified model and our resilience in the face of economic cycles,” he added.

At the end of March, the bank had a Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 12.4 per cent, well above regulatory requirements, the bank said.

For 2025, BNP Paribas said it was on track for a return on tangible equity of 11.5 per cent and 12 per cent for the following year. It expects a compound annual growth rate in earnings per share of above 8 per cent for 2024 to 2026.