SEOUL, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Shinhan Financial Group, South Korea's biggest financial services firm, on Tuesday reported a 52 percent jump in quarterly profit on rebounding interest margins and lower bad loan charges.
Shinhan, in which France's BNP Paribas held a 8 percent stake as of end-June, earned 491.3 billion won ($417.2 million) in the quarter ended September, against 323.3 billion won a year ago and 439.7 billion won in the second quarter.
The results topped an average forecast by analysts for 372.1 billion won, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Its net interest margin, a key profitability measure, increased by 28 basis points to 3.05 percent from the second quarter, as it replaced high-yielding deposit products maturing in the third quarter with lower-yielding products.
There are growing expectations for a rise in policy rates to lift lenders' interest margins further, as government stimulus packages come to an end and signs of asset price bubbles emerge.
($1=1177.5 Won)
(Reporting by Kim Yeon-hee; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)

((yeonhee.kim@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 3704 5646; Reuters Messaging: yeonhee.kim.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: SHINHAN/RESULTS (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to newsfeedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)

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