June 30 (Reuters) – Chile’s banking sector profit for the January-May period rose 53.3 percent from a year earlier on greater loans and interest margins, the Banking and Financial Institutions Superintendency said on Wednesday.
Financials
Bank earnings totaled 690.117 billion pesos ($1.297 billion) in the first five months of 2010. However earnings fell 9.3 percent in May compared to April due to lower returns from financial operations, and higher operating costs and provisions.
Santander Chile (SAN.N)(STG.SN), Chile’s largest bank, posted a net profit of 206.676 billion pesos ($388 million) in the period. The superintendency did not provide a year-ago figure.
The country’s No. 2 bank, Banco de Chile CHI.SN, earned 170.163 billion pesos ($320 million) in the five-month period, the superintendency said. ($1=532 pesos at end-May) (Reporting by Antonio de la Jara; Editing by Brad Haynes)
