SocGen shares drop after new strategy flags little growth

Societe Generale’s (SOGN.PA) shares dropped more than 6% in early Monday trade after France’s third-biggest bank said it expected little if any growth in annual sales over the coming years in a keenly-awaited strategic plan from its new CEO.

Slawomir Krupa took over in May, charged with reviving a bank that has slipped behind French leader BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) and some other European rivals amid a costly exit from Russia last year and concerns it is too reliant on volatile investment banking.

“We are negatively surprised by lack of revenue growth, increased capital target, payout & ROTE cut, and by the lack of details,” Jefferies analysts said in a note.

SocGen said it would target a 9-10% return on tangible equity ratio (ROTE) in 2026. It will also pay out 40-50% of reported net income to shareholders in dividends and buybacks from 2024 onwards.

Both targets are slightly below previous pledges that saw ROTE reaching about 10% in 2025 and a payout ratio of 50%.

It also said its new targets were based on annual revenue growth expectations between zero and 2% between 2022 and 2026, but that it would aim to improve its cost-to-income ratio.

A SocGen veteran and former head of its investment bank, Krupa said he would streamline the bank’s activities but didn’t elaborate.

“We will strengthen the group by shaping a simplified business portfolio, while taking the right actions to build-up capital and increase flexibility, structurally improve our operating leverage and maintain our best-in-class risk management”, Krupa said in a statement.

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