UAE's top bank FAB beats third-quarter profit estimates

First Abu Dhabi Bank, the United Arab Emirates' biggest lender by assets, beat third-quarter profit estimates on Friday, helped by factors such as "increased client activity", which boosted revenue.

Net profit rose 5% to 4.46 billion dirhams ($1.21 billion) in the three months ended Sept. 30, from 4.26 billion dirhams a year earlier, topping analysts' mean expectations of 3.97 billion dirhams, according to LSEG data.

Banks in the UAE have, in recent years, benefited from higher interest rates and also profited from the Gulf region's growth plans as governments boost investment to diversify away from oil and tap different income sources.

"Strong business momentum supported by robust economic conditions were reflected in volume growth, rising revenues and diversified income streams," CFO Lars Kramer said in a statement.

The bank, which is 37.9% owned by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, said its operating income rose 18% to 8.2 billion dirhams in the third quarter, with significant growth in both net interest and non-interest income.

Net interest income - the difference between earnings on loans and payouts on deposits - was up 7% to 4.89 billion dirhams in the quarter from a year earlier.

However, net interest margin fell by 7 basis points from the previous quarter to 1.89%, impacted by the UAE central bank's move to cut key interest rates last month, after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut rates by half a percentage point.

Most regional currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar.

FAB said loans, advances and Islamic financing were up 10% to 528 billion dirhams in the first nine months from a year earlier, while customer deposits grew 4% to 820 billion dirhams.

Its total assets grew 4% to 1.2 trillion dirhams as of September end, driven by diversified lending growth and an expansion in the investments portfolio, it added.