5 Best European Bank Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds

​4. ING Groep N.V. (NYSE:ING)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21

ING Groep N.V. (NYSE:ING) is one of the Best European Bank Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. On May 13, Deutsche Bank raised the firm’s price target on ING Groep N.V. (NYSE:ING) from EUR 29 to EUR 30, while maintaining a Buy rating on the shares.

​The rating follows the company’s fiscal Q1 2026 earnings released on April 30. According to a report by Reuters on the same day, the company’s first-quarter profit came in at 1.56 billion euros, comfortably ahead of analyst forecasts of 1.43 billion euros and roughly 100 million euros higher than the same period last year. The profit growth was driven by a 13% growth in fee income, higher customer trading activity, and a growth of 7% to 4.06 billion euros in commercial net interest income.

​Analysts at UBS suggest the commercial net interest income for the bank is expected to pick up again in 2026 and 2027. Looking ahead, ING Groep N.V. (NYSE:ING) confirmed its outlook for this year and next, though CEO Van Rijswijk offered a measured tone on interest rates. While potential rate hikes linked to Iran war inflation risks could boost lending income, he cautioned that gains in commercial income would likely be offset by weaker hedging and treasury results elsewhere.

​ING Groep N.V. (NYSE:ING) is a financial services company. It provides banking, investment, and asset management services to individuals, businesses, and institutions. Its offerings include savings and current accounts, mortgages, consumer and business lending, payments, and corporate finance services across retail and wholesale banking segments.