Jon Ihle: Bank of Ireland profits confirm lenders are on easy street

ECB rate hikes add rocket fuel to KBC mortgage acquisitions

The pop in the numbers has little to do with anything the bank is doing under chief executive Myles O’Grady. Photo: Naoise Culhane

Jon Ihle

Bank of Ireland’s bumper first quarter and bullish outlook for the year owe almost everything to the European Central Bank (ECB) and KBC.