GUYANA · BANKING
Demerara Bank Limited (DBL), a commercial bank based in Georgetown, Guyana’s capital, reported profit after tax of G$9.82 billion (about US$47 million) for the year ended Wednesday 30 September 2026. That is up 16.8% from G$8.41 billion (about US$40 million) in 2025, in results made public on Sunday 8 November 2026.
Guyana’s economy is expanding quickly on offshore oil, and bank lending to businesses and households follows that growth. This article converts Guyanese dollars (G$) at about G$209 per US$, the mid-market rate on 9 November 2026, and our Guyana news hub carries wider coverage.
Key Facts
- Who: Demerara Bank Limited, a commercial bank in Georgetown, Guyana’s capital.
- Profit: Profit after tax G$9.82 billion (about US$47 million), up 16.8% in the year to 30 September 2026.
- Growth: Loans up 26% to G$158.51 billion (about US$758 million); deposits up 27.6%.
- Assets: Total group assets (the bank and its subsidiaries) reached G$307.36 billion (about US$1.47 billion), up 26.8%.
- Loan quality: Zero non-performing loans (loans where borrowers stopped paying) for the fifth consecutive year.
Guyana’s Demerara Bank grew profit, loans and deposits at double-digit rates in the year to September and reports no bad loans for a fifth year.
Earnings and Dividend
Profit before tax rose about 21% to G$13.36 billion (about US$64 million), from G$11.07 billion the year before. Profit after tax grew more slowly, by 16.8%, to G$9.82 billion (about US$47 million).
The board met on Wednesday 21 October 2026 and recommended a final dividend, the last payment of the year, of G$3.75 per share (under 2 US cents). The total for the year, including a G$1.00 interim payment already made, is G$4.75 per share (just over 2 US cents), up 18.8% from G$4.00 (about 2 US cents) paid in 2025.
Lending and Deposits Growth
Loans and advances reached G$158.51 billion (about US$758 million), up 26% from G$126.02 billion (about US$603 million). That is an increase of G$32.49 billion (about US$155 million) in one year.
The bank says industry lending outside DBL grew about 15% this year, against 26% for DBL. Customer deposits rose 27.6% to G$265.53 billion (about US$1.27 billion), from G$208.15 billion (about US$996 million) in 2025.
In Plain English
Non-performing loan: A loan where the borrower has stopped paying.
Return on average assets: Annual profit as a share of everything the bank owns, averaged over the year.
Profit after tax: What the bank keeps once it has paid its corporate taxes.
Assets, Returns and Loan Quality
Total group assets rose 26.8% to G$307.36 billion (about US$1.47 billion), passing G$300 billion (about US$1.44 billion) for the first time, the bank says. Return on average assets was 3.6%.
The bank reports zero non-performing loans for the fifth consecutive year. Those are loans where borrowers have stopped paying.
For background on the country behind these numbers, see our Guyana economy guide. Our Guyana explainer covers the oil boom and the politics.
What It Means for You
For US investors, the results are a data point on how quickly one Guyanese bank is growing alongside the oil-driven economy. The facts we have cover a single lender, so they say little about the wider banking sector.
Energy watchers can read the lending figures as one sign that Guyana’s oil-driven growth is feeding into credit for businesses and households. The bank’s own comparison, 26% growth against about 15% for the rest of the industry, is worth tracking in future results.
What Is Not Known
We have not seen the full audited statements or the bank’s own release, and its website had not posted the results when we checked on 9 November 2026. The figures come from the bank’s published results as carried by Guyanese media.
The industry growth comparison is the bank’s own statement, and we cannot confirm it independently. A breakdown of profit by income line is not in the figures we have.
Guyana’s lending market is growing fast, and DBL says it is growing faster than its peers. The next annual results will show whether that gap holds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much profit did Demerara Bank make?
Profit after tax was G$9.82 billion (about US$47 million) for the year ended Wednesday 30 September 2026. That is up 16.8% from 2025.
How fast is its lending growing?
Loans and advances rose 26% to G$158.51 billion (about US$758 million). The bank says industry lending outside DBL grew about 15%.
Does Demerara Bank have bad loans?
It reports zero non-performing loans, meaning loans where borrowers have stopped paying, for the fifth consecutive year.
What dividend did the bank propose?
The board recommended a final dividend of G$3.75 per share (under 2 US cents), subject to shareholder approval. With the G$1.00 interim payment, the total for the year is G$4.75 per share (just over 2 US cents), up 18.8%.
Sources: Demerara Bank Limited results for the year ended 30 September 2026, as reported in Guyanese media on 8 November 2026; Guyana Stock Exchange (the Georgetown exchange where the bank’s shares are listed), notice of the 21 October 2026 board meeting and dividend, guyanastockexchangeinc.com; exchange rate of about G$209 per US$ (mid-market, 9 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error