Factoring grows by more than 20%, Real Estate Leasing rebounds and Renting fleet expands in the first half of 2026

Confirming surpasses Factoring in production; Renting and Equipment and Vehicle Leasing record lower production, while the Renting fleet continues to grow.

The Portuguese Association of Leasing, Factoring and Renting (ALF) has released production figures for the first half of 2026 for the three sectors it represents: Factoring, Leasing (Equipment, Vehicles and Real Estate) and Renting.

The data reveal contrasting trends: Factoring records strong growth, Real Estate Leasing reverses the decline seen in the previous year, while Equipment and Vehicle Leasing and Renting production fall compared with the same period last year.

Key indicators

• Factoring – Receivables purchased: €28.8 billion
  Year-on-year change: +20.6%

• Equipment and Vehicle Leasing – Total production: €1.1 billion
  Year-on-year change: -6.2%

• Real Estate Leasing – Total production: €412 million
  Year-on-year change: +15.1%

• Renting – Total production: €499 million (18,014 vehicles)
  Year-on-year change: -6.3%

Factoring recorded €28.8 billion in receivables purchased, compared with €23.9 billion in the first half of 2025. Confirming was the main driver of growth, with €14.4 billion in receivables purchased (+30.6%), accounting for more than half of the sector's activity. Domestic Factoring grew by 11.9% to €11.1 billion, while international Factoring increased by 12.0% to €3.3 billion.

Within international Factoring, export Factoring rose by 9.4% to €3 billion, while import Factoring increased by 45.1% to €317 million. The outstanding credit portfolio reached €11.1 billion (+8.1%), while total receivables under management amounted to €12.3 billion (+8.5%).

In the public healthcare sector, €3.3 billion in receivables were purchased, representing a 6.5% increase compared with the same period last year.

Equipment and Vehicle Leasing production totalled €1.1 billion, down 6.2% year-on-year. By vehicle category, heavy vehicles grew by 9.4% in value to €294 million, while light vehicles declined by 4.5% to €456 million.

Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids accounted for 43.9% of all light vehicles financed through Leasing, up from 35.4% a year earlier. Electric vehicle financing increased by 27%, while plug-in hybrid financing rose by 10%.

In Real Estate Leasing, production reached €412 million (+15.1%), compared with €358 million in 2025, reversing the 19% decline recorded in the previous year. Companies and public entities accounted for 98.5% of the total value. By property type, residential properties stood out at €126 million (+14.3%), while industrial properties reached €68 million (+63.4%). Commercial properties declined by 23.2% to €118 million. Combined, the two Leasing segments financed investments worth €1.5 billion, slightly below (-1.1%) the level recorded in the first half of 2025.

In Renting, 18,014 new light vehicles were contracted, 7.3% fewer than in 2025, representing an investment of €499 million (-6.3%). However, the total fleet managed by Renting companies grew by 6.8% to 149,788 vehicles in circulation, with a value of €3.3 billion (+9.9%).

Zero-emission electric vehicles already account for 28.4% of vehicles acquired through Renting, an increase of 3.3 percentage points compared with the same period in 2025. Zero-emission vehicles now represent 21.6% of the managed fleet.

“The first half of 2026 reveals a sector characterised by contrasting trends. Factoring and Confirming are strengthening their role in corporate cash flow management, and Real Estate Leasing is recovering. Meanwhile, Equipment and Vehicle Leasing and Renting, despite a more challenging market environment, continue to play an important role in financing the economy and accelerating the transition towards lower-emission mobility,” says Luís Augusto, Chairman of the ALF Board.

According to Leaseurope's 2025 Annual Statistical Report, new Leasing and Renting production in the European market reached €464 billion in 2025, representing growth of 3.2%. The Mediterranean cluster, which includes Portugal, grew by 7.0%. In Portugal, Leasing and Renting financed 20% of investment in equipment and 4% of investment in real estate, the highest rate among the countries reporting data for the latter segment.