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Bank and financial institutions reported net profit of Rs 9.37bn in the first month of the current fiscal year. This is 7.77 percent lower than the same period of the previous fiscal year when BFIs posted total net profit of Rs 10.16bn. According to the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), commercial banks alone posted net profit of Rs 8.38bn in Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August), or 89.33 percent of total net profit of BFIs, in the review period. Development banks and financial companies reported net profits of Rs 820m and Rs 180m, respectively, in the first month of 2025/26.

BFIs had reported a total net profit of Rs 78.8bn in 2024/25. Meanwhile, total deposits in BFIs fell by Rs 63bn and loans by Rs 18bn in mid-August compared to mid-July. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, deposits had declined by Rs 57bn while credit had expanded by Rs 3bn. 

The central bank further added that non-banking assets of banks went up to Rs 50.56bn in mid-July. Among commercial banks, Global IME Bank reported the highest net profit of Rs 784.5m in the first month of 2025/26, followed by Nabil Bank at Rs 716.4m and Nepal Investment Mega Bank (NIMB) at Rs 634.2m. State-owned banks, Rastriya Banijya Bank and Nepal Bank Ltd, took the next two spots with net profits of Rs 558.3m and Rs 552.7m, respectively.

According to the central bank, Prime Commercial Bank was next with a net profit of Rs 505m, followed by Kumari Bank (Rs 492.4m) and Everest Bank (Rs 483.9m). Similarly, NMB Bank posted a net profit of Rs 466.8m, Himalayan Bank Rs 408.9m, Siddhartha Bank Rs 401.4m and Laxmi Sunrise Bank Rs 394.5m.

Likewise, Sanima Bank reported a net profit of Rs 390.3m, followed by NIC Asia (Rs 319.4m), Prabhu Bank (Rs 302.3m), Citizens Bank (Rs 272.5m) and Standard Chartered Bank Rs 271.6m. Machhapuchchhre Bank posted a net profit of Rs 265.2m in the review month, while Nepal SBI Bank and Agricultural Development Bank Ltd earned net profits of Rs 158.9m and Rs 3.8m, respectively.

Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Dr Biswonath Poudel has stressed the urgency of political stability, investment-friendly environment and morale boost of the private sector to revive the national economy.

He clarified that reform in the economic system is needed to protect entrepreneurs. 

While welcoming the new working committee of the Society of Economic Journalists of Nepal (SEJON) on Thursday, NRB Governor Poudel mentioned that the problem had surfaced due to unclear law. In his view, legal clarity helps resolve the problems while negotiating the present difficult time. 

He reminded the media persons over the risk of dissemination of wrong information and messages. All should be aware of it, the Governor added.

"There won't be a resource crunch for the reconstruction of structures damaged during the Gen-Z protests. Although a huge financial resource is needed for the reconstruction, improvement in governance and administrative efficiency is prerequisite," Dr Pauel underlined. 

Moreover, there is no option before the government but to boost the morale of the private sector as there was massive damage to commercial buildings during the Gen-Z protests. "Our priority should also be attracting the foreign investment by creating an environment conducive to investment in the country," he said, assuring that it would not take time to revive the national economy and make it vibrant in some years we acted in collaboration.

Share trading has closed for today after NEPSE – the benchmark index of share transactions in the stock market dropped by six percent. 

The market had started plummeting immediately after the commencement of stock trading. 

Within two minutes of the market resumption, the NEPSE index had dropped by four percent. The first negative circuit was applied within a short time. 

After the closure of the share market for 20 minutes and its subsequent reopening, the second circuit was triggered at 11:23 am. At that time, the market had declined by five percent. 

Following the second circuit, trading was suspended again for 40 minutes. When NEPSE opened the market again at 12:04 pm, the index had invariably dropped by six percent. 

The trading was closed following the third circuit. According to NEPSE, the index dropped by 160.33 points to 2,511.91. 

Total trading volume recorded in the limited time was Rs 728.72 million. The stock market that remained closed due to adverse situations in the country in the wake of the Gen Z protests on September 8-9 had opened today.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 900 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 215, 200 per tola today.

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 30 and is being traded at Rs 2, 520 per tola.