Lenders see net 2016 profit growth

Commercial bank earnings increase by 3.54 percent year-on-year, says CBRC

The net profit growth in 2016 of Chinese commercial banks increased 1.11 percentage points year-on-year as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2016, while the nonperforming loan ratio dropped slightly after a continuous rise since the first quarter of 2012, according to data released by the national banking regulator on Wednesday.

Commercial banks posted net profit totaling 1.65 trillion yuan ($240 billion) by the end of the fourth quarter, up 3.54 percent from a year earlier.