NatWest earned a pretax profit of 4 billion pounds ($5.45 billion) for the 2021 calendar year, a bounce back from a -351 million pound loss in 2020.
British banks have benefited from a rebound in consumer spending, smaller than expected loan defaults and a solid housing market since the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NatWest also announced a dividend of 7.5 pence per share and a 750 million pound share repurchase.
However, analysts are concerned that inflation at near 30-year highs poses a risk to household incomes and threatens the recovery.
“We are acutely aware of the challenges that many people, families and businesses continue to face up and down the country and are working alongside our customers to provide the support they need,” said NatWest Chief Executive Alison Rose.
The bank lowered its annual cost-cutting target to 3% from 4% for each of the next two years, owing to inflation pressures and reinvestment. Nevertheless, it achieved its 4% cost-cutting target for 2021.