Growth in deposits, expansion of the loan portfolio, and stronger capital positions shaped the performance of the International Banking Center (IBC) as of August 2026. The IBC maintained a solid financial position, supported by regulatory liquidity and solvency indicators that remained above established requirements.
The results, presented in the Banking Activity Report (IAB) as of August 2026, published by the Superintendency of Banks of Panama (SBP), reflect favorable trends in the main balance sheet components and financial intermediation, with growth in deposits and credit activity accompanied by stronger capital positions.
IBC deposits reached USD 120,889.1 million, representing year-over-year growth of 6.83%, or an increase of USD 7,731.0 million compared with August 2025.
By component, external deposits increased 9.87% to USD 50,548.2 million, while local deposits grew 4.75% to USD 70,340.9 million. The stronger growth in external deposits increased their share of total deposits from 40.7% to 41.8%.
The net loan portfolio reached USD 104,468.3 million, representing year-over-year growth of 4.87%, or an increase of USD 4,855.3 million. The local loan portfolio stood at USD 64,250.5 million, up 2.26%, while the external loan portfolio reached USD 40,217.7 million, up 9.33%.
New credit extended totaled USD 17,855 million, an increase of approximately 4% compared with the same period in 2025. In August alone, new credit totaled USD 2,497 million, up 26% from August of the previous year.
The performance of both components highlights IBC’s regional reach, as the external component accounted for approximately 71% of the growth in the net loan portfolio.
The results also show a positive relationship between deposits and the net loan portfolio. Because deposits grew faster than credit, the ratio of the net loan portfolio to deposits declined from approximately 88.0% in August 2025 to 86.4% in August 2026, reflecting faster growth in the deposit base than in the loan portfolio.
Meanwhile, total IBC assets reached USD 169,433.4 million, representing year-over-year growth of 6.80%. This expansion was driven primarily by net investments in securities, which increased 20.95% to USD 40,725.2 million and accounted for
approximately 65% of total asset growth. The net loan portfolio also contributed to this expansion, while net liquid assets declined 7.43%.
Prudential indicators continued to reflect the strength of the banking system. The Legal Liquidity Ratio of the National Banking System stood at 57.02%, compared with 56.79% in August 2025, while the liquidity ratio of the National Banking System increased from 51.51% to 55.02%. Both indicators remained well above the regulatory minimum of 30%. The Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), as of June 2026, stood at 15.72%, compared with 15.84% one year earlier, remaining above the regulatory minimum of 8% and applicable additional requirements.
Regarding financial performance, IBC’s net income reached USD 1,972.9 million, representing year-over-year growth of 0.32%. Operating performance showed stronger momentum: net interest income increased 4.37%, operating income rose 10.67%, and profit before provisions grew 5.93% to approximately USD 2,468.0 million.
Generally, the report’s results reflect the IBC’s ability to sustain active financial intermediation and meet the financing needs of the markets it serves, amid favorable trends in its main financial and prudential indicators.
For more information on the results presented in this report, visit the Statistics section of the Superintendency of Banks of Panama’s website.
