KeyCorp posts 28% EPS growth in first half of 2026, reaffirms buyback plans

KeyCorp, the Cleveland-based regional bank holding company, told investors in a presentation dated September 25, 2026 that its diluted earnings per share for the first half of the year reached $0.88, a 28% increase from the same period a year earlier. The bank paired the disclosure with a reaffirmation of its full-year 2026 financial outlook.

Alongside the earnings update, KeyCorp confirmed it still intends to repurchase at least $1.3 billion worth of its own shares during 2026, signaling continued confidence in its capital position even as regional banks broadly have faced continued questions this year over commercial real estate exposure and net interest margin pressure from the rate environment.

The 28% year-over-year increase in first-half EPS represents a meaningful improvement pace for a regional bank of KeyCorp’s size, though the company’s presentation did not break out the specific drivers — such as loan growth, fee income, or credit-cost normalization — behind the increase in the portion of the disclosure reported. KeyCorp is scheduled to report full third-quarter results in the coming weeks, which will show whether the first-half pace continued into the back half of the year.