NSE-listed HF Group Plc has officially rebranded to HFCB Group Plc effective 22 May 2026, marking the latest phase in a sweeping corporate transformation tied to one of the Nairobi Securities Exchange’s more notable recoveries in recent years.
The transition, which received shareholder approval during a September 2024 general meeting and was later formalised through a Certificate of Change of Name issued by the Registrar of Companies, extends across the wider group structure. Its banking subsidiary will now operate as HFCB Bank Kenya, replacing the former HFC Limited identity.
The rebrand comes in the wake of the lender’s elevation to Tier II banking status during FY2025, underscoring a strategic shift away from its historical dependence on mortgage financing. The institution, originally listed on the NSE in 1992 as Housing Finance Limited, has spent several years repositioning itself into a broader commercial banking player.
Over six decades, the institution has undergone three major identity shifts: Housing Finance in 1965, HF Group in 2015, and now HFCB Group in 2026.
Financially, the turnaround has been striking. Group profit before tax surged 250% to KSh 1.609 billion in FY2025 from KSh 460 million the previous year. The banking subsidiary posted KSh 1.208 billion in pre-tax profit, representing a 463% increase from KSh 214 million recorded in FY2024.
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Total income climbed 48% to KSh 6.170 billion, supported largely by an additional KSh 11.2 billion invested in government securities and a KSh 3.7 billion expansion in performing loans.
The lender’s balance sheet composition has also shifted significantly. Non-mortgage lending now accounts for 35.6% of the total loan book, up sharply from just 4.4% in December 2020, as the group steadily reduces its long-standing exposure to the real estate sector.
Looking ahead, management projects group profit before tax of KSh 2.486 billion for FY2026, implying anticipated growth of 54% from FY2025 levels. HFCB Bank Kenya is expected to contribute KSh 1.750 billion, while property subsidiary HFDI and bancassurance arm HFBI are forecast to deliver KSh 598 million and KSh 153 million respectively.
The bigger question now is whether HFCB can maintain that momentum as it expands further into SME and commercial banking amid easing interest rates and intensifying competition for deposits from larger Tier I lenders. The branding may be new, but investors will ultimately judge whether the institution itself has evolved enough to justify the transformation.
