Core Viewpoint - Société Générale announced an increase in investor dividends and raised its profitability guidance, leading to an 8.5% surge in its stock price, reaching the highest level since 2008 [1] Financial Performance - The bank reported a second-quarter net profit of €1.45 billion, exceeding analyst expectations [1] - The tangible equity return rate is expected to be around 9% for the year, up from the previous forecast of over 8% [1] Shareholder Returns - Société Générale plans to buy back €1 billion (approximately $1.1 billion) in shares and distribute an interim cash dividend [1] - The first interim dividend will be €0.61 per share, scheduled for distribution in October [1]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint is that Société Générale has announced an increase in investor dividends and raised its profitability guidance, leading to a record high stock price since the financial crisis [1] - The bank plans to repurchase €1 billion (approximately $1.1 billion) in shares and distribute an interim cash dividend of €0.61 per share, payable in October [1] - In the second quarter, the bank reported a net profit of €1.45 billion, exceeding analyst expectations [1] Group 2 - Société Générale expects a tangible equity return on equity (a common measure of profitability) of around 9% for the year, up from a previous expectation of over 8% [1] - Following the announcement, the company's stock price surged by 8.5% at one point, reaching its highest level since 2008, trading at €56.35 as of 9:06 AM [1] - European bank stocks experienced a general rise following the news [1]

Core Viewpoint - Deutsche Bank has set a target for a post-tax average return on tangible equity (ROTE) of no less than 10% as part of its 2022-2025 "Global Universal Bank" strategy, reflecting significant improvement in its credit status through business restructuring [1] Group 1 - Deutsche Bank has improved its credit status, leading to upgrades from multiple rating agencies [1] - The actual ROTE for the first half of the year reached 11%, demonstrating the feasibility of the set target [1] - Although still lagging behind other major European peers, the target represents a significant enhancement in performance [1]

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" (maintained) [1] Core Views - The company aims to achieve an average tangible equity return of approximately 15% over the three-year period from 2025 to 2027, excluding the impact of notable items. The forecast for net interest income from banking operations in 2025 is approximately $42 billion, with expected credit loss provisions ranging from 30 to 40 basis points of average loans [4][5] - The company plans to maintain a common equity tier 1 capital ratio between 14% and 14.5% and a target payout ratio of 50% for 2025. A share buyback plan of up to $2 billion is expected to be completed before the announcement of Q1 2025 results [4][5] - The company has repurchased a total of $20 billion in shares between 2023 and 2024, representing about 11% of shares outstanding as of the end of 2022 [4][5] Financial Performance Summary - For the fiscal year 2024, total revenue is projected to be $65.9 billion, with a year-on-year growth of -0.3%. The net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders is expected to be $22.9 billion, reflecting a 2.2% increase year-on-year [5][6] - The diluted earnings per share (EPS) for 2024 is estimated at $1.24, with dividends per share projected at $0.87 [5][6] - The company reported a net interest margin of 1.56% for 2024, a decrease of 10 basis points compared to 2023, with net interest income of $43.7 billion, down $4 billion year-on-year [4][5]