Al-Rajhi, Riyad Bank net profits up in Q4

Two major Saudi lenders, Al-Rajhi Bank and Riyad Bank, posted higher fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, but missed analyst expectations. The Kingdom's biggest Islamic lender, Al-Rajhi, posted a 13.9 percent rise in its fourth-quarter net profit, as it made SR1.899 billion ($506.3 million) in the three months ending Dec. 31. Seven analysts surveyed by Reuters expected Al-Rajhi to post an average of SR1.914 billion for the fourth-quarter. "The reason for the rise in profits for the twelve months ending Dec. 31 is the increase in returns from operating income," Al-Rajhi said in a bourse statement. Operating income for the fourth-quarter rose by 16 percent to SR3.3 billion, while earnings from financing investments during the quarter increased 3.4 percent to SR2.29 billion. Riyad Bank posted a 1.8 percent higher quarterly net profit of SR778 million, it said in a bourse statement. Analysts surveyed by Reuters expected the bank to post an average of SR801.6 million. "The increase in income for the fourth-quarter ... is mainly attributed to the rise in the bank's gross operating income," the lender said in a bourse statement. Operating income increased 11.2 percent to SR1.65 million compared to a year earlier. Net income from special commissions for the period increased 3.9 percent to SR1.1 billion.