Erste Shares Slip on Cautious Outlook as Bank Touts Dividend

Erste Group Bank AG shares slipped on Thursday after the company announced an outlook that was in line with analyst estimates, tempering expectations after closing a €7 billion ($8.3 billion) acquisition in Poland that will allow the lender return to regular shareholder payouts.

The Austrian lender said in a statement Thursday that it sees net income below €4 billion in 2026, largely in line with the €3.9 billion average estimate in a Bloomberg survey. That’s will help the bank absorb one-off costs from consolidating Banco Santander SA’s Polish businesses.