SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, March 27 (Reuters) - Bank of Communications, one of China's major five state-owned banks, reported on Friday a 2.2% rise in net profit last year.
Net profit reached 95.622 billion yuan ($13.84 billion), above the 93.75 billion yuan median of 18 analyst estimates compiled by LSEG.
Chinese banks have been struggling with record-low levels of profit margins amid a slowing economy and rising geopolitical tensions.
Net interest margin - a gauge of profitability - was 1.2% at the end of December, flat compared with the end of September.
The bank's non-performing loan ratio was 1.28% at end-December compared with 1.26% three months earlier.
($1 = 6.9103 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Reporting by Ziyi Tang, Engen Tham and Selena Li; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Muralikumar Anantharaman
Source: Reuters