Societe Generale , France's third-biggest listed bank, posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings onFriday, as a resilient performance from its investment bank offset the steep downturn seen at its French retail division.
SocGen's third-quarter reported group net income came in at 295 million euros ($313.2 million), above the 168 million-euro average of 13 analyst estimates compiled by the company.
The bank has also finalised the merger of its two French retail networks.
NII at the French retail division fell by 27% in the quarter, excluding two regulated savings accounts.
In this context, the 0.4% drop in sales seen at SocGen's investment bank, compares well with some of its European peers.
Persons:
Slawomir Krupa
Organizations:
Generale, BNP, Deutsche Bank, Barclays