Nordea reported a stronger-than-expected Q4 result, driven mainly by solid net interest income and fee income growth. The bank’s earnings exceeded forecasts by about 5%, and it guided for a return on equity above 15% in 2025.
Net interest income declined more slowly than expected, as loan volume growth and hedging measures offset rising deposit costs. Net fee income increased due to strong performance in asset management. Expenses were in line with expectations, and loan losses were lower than estimated.
Earnings per share were €0.32, and the proposed dividend was €0.94. Nordea expects strong profitability in 2025, focusing primarily on revenue growth.
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Nordea published a stronger Q4 result than we expected, which was explained by net interest income decreasing less than forecasted and strongly developed commission income. The forecast changes are moderate, although we revised our estimates for net interest income slightly downward. In light of the relatively stable earnings outlook, we believe the share valuation remains attractive, but we lower our recommendation to Accumulate (was Buy) following the recent share price increase. Our target price remains unchanged at EUR 12.5.
