MADRID (Reuters) - Bailed-out Spanish lender Bankia reported a drop in net lending revenues in the third quarter, reflecting pressure from low interest rates that is eroding margins and taking its toll on bank earnings across the country.
Lower charges against loan losses helped to counter weaker revenue and Bankia said net profit was roughly flat from a year ago at 300 million euros (214.79 million pounds). Analysts polled by Reuters had expected profit to come in at 292 million euros for the July to September period.
Bankia, which needed a state rescue in 2012 after it was crippled by soured property loans, has recovered dramatically and is well on course to meeting its 2015 profitability targets.
It is still majority owned by the government, which is expected to step up efforts to sell off its stake next year.
But like its Spanish rivals, it is suffering from a prolonged period of low interest rates and intense competition to make loans as the domestic economy recovers.
Bankia's net interest income (NII), or earnings from loans minus deposit costs, was 688 million euros in the July to September quarter, down over 6 percent from a year earlier. NII was also down just over 1 percent from the previous three months.
"In the coming quarters, being a very efficient bank and having lower provisions will be key to facing an environment in which low interest rates are pressuring income," Chairman Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri said in a statement.
Bankia said it had also begun to remove clauses from its home loans which shield it from interest rate falls, known as mortgage floor clauses. These had helped Spanish banks protect their earnings, but have been unpopular with consumers.
The bank's return on equity, a measure of profitability, stood at 9.9 percent in the third quarter, close to its year-end target of 10 percent. Core capital levels improved as well, to 11.73 percent under the strictest "fully-loaded" criteria and putting Bankia above many peers.
Shares were very slightly down by 0.1 percent in early trading, in line with a falling IBEX index of blue chip companies.