Tokyo, Nov. 14 (Jiji Press)--The combined consolidated or unconsolidated net balance at Japan's 73 listed regional banks and banking groups came to 1,124 billion yen in profit in the April-September first half of fiscal 2026, up 34.2 pct from a year before, according to their earnings reports released by Friday.

The regional banking industry enjoyed growth in profits from lending business thanks to rising interest rates.

Of the total, 68, or more than 90 pct, secured net profit increases. Many raised their profit estimates for the full year to March 2027.

Institutions such as Chiba Bank, whose primary service area is Chiba Prefecture, next to Tokyo, and Mebuki Financial Group Inc., the parent of Joyo Bank and Ashikaga Bank, reported record-high group net profits for the first-half period. Joyo Bank operates mainly in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, and Ashikaga Bank in neighboring Tochigi Prefecture.

Chiba Bank reported a net profit of 57 billion yen, up 28.9 pct year on year, and Mebuki Financial logged 59.2 billion yen in net profit, up 35.3 pct.

Tatsuya Kataoka, president of Yokohama Financial Group, the parent of Higashi-Nippon Bank, Bank of Yokohama and Kanagawa Bank, holds a press conference in Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, on Wednesday to announce the Japanese regional banking group's earnings for the April-September first half of fiscal 2026.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]