MILAN (Reuters) -Italy’s BPER said on Thursday it expected 2025 revenue to reach around 6.4 billion euros ($7.46 billion) after third-quarter net profit beat expectations, as the country’s fourth-largest bank reaped the first benefits of its recent acquisition of regional peer Banca Popolare di Sondrio.
The results to end-September are the first to include a full quarter’s contribution from Popolare di Sondrio after BPER completed its 5.4-billion-euro cash-and-share offer in July, a defensive move to cement its position amid accelerating consolidation in Italy’s banking sector.
In August, BPER raised its revenue guidance, excluding Sondrio, to around 5.5 billion euros from 5.4 billion euros.
On Wednesday, the boards of both banks approved a full merger, expected to be completed by the second half of April 2026 and in which Popolare di Sondrio shareholders will receive 1.45 BPER shares for each share held.
($1 = 0.8575 euros)
(Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro, editing by Giulia Segreti)
