NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG) chief executive Alison Rose said the bank delivered a "strong" performance against a tough economic backdrop.
Its interims results showed that attributable profit was steady at £1.89bn, while the return from tangible income was 13.1%.
Overheads, meanwhile, came down rapidly in the six months to 30 June 2022, with the cost-to-income ratio hitting 58.3% compared with 67.6% a year earlier.
Investors will receive a dividend of 3.5p, up 17%, and a special pay-out of 16.8p a share. In total, NatWest is to hand around £2.2bn back to shareholders.
Looking ahead, the group expects income for 2022 as a whole to be £12.5bn and the net interest margin to be 2.7%.
Rose told investors: "NatWest Group delivered a strong performance in the first half of 2022, building on two years of progress against our strategic priorities.”