Chinese bank's profit rises 31% to new record

China Construction Bank Corp., the world's second-largest lender by market value, said first-half profit jumped 31 per cent to a record as credit demand climbed. Net income rose to 92.8 billion yuan (Dh53.3 billion), or 0.37 yuan a share, from 70.7 billion yuan, or 0.3 yuan, a year earlier, the Beijing-based lender said in a statement to the Shanghai stock exchange Sunday. Profit almost matched the 91.5 billion yuan median estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Construction Bank joined smaller rival Bank of Communications Co. in reporting record first-half profit as demand for loans climbed in the world's second-largest economy. Lending profitability also improved after China raised interest rates three times this year. Still, the lender's Hong Kong- listed shares lost about a quarter of their market value this year on investors' concerns that defaults may climb.