Italy's BPER Banca posts double-digit net profit growth

November 5 (Reuters) - BPER Banca, Italy's fifth-largest bank, posted on Thursday a double-digit increase in adjusted net profit for the first nine months of the year, as it looks to benefit from Intesa Sanpaolo's bid for Monte dei Paschi (MPS).

MPS shareholders rejected CEO Lovaglio's plan to fend off Intesa's offer last month, which if successful would see main investor Unipol merging BPER with 635 MPS branches, taking over most of the Siena lender's central operation and its historic brand.

• BPER's adjusted net profit in the nine-month period grew to €2.01 billion ($2.26 billion), up 16.4% year-on-year

• Its net interest income (NII) for the third quarter stood at 1.16 billion, up almost 8% from the same period in 2025, boosted by rising interest rates

• It will distribute a €0.33 per share interim dividend on its 2026 results, totalling €694 million

• The bank slightly improved its 2026 guidance, now targeting cost of risk below 35 basis points and CET1 ratio above 14.5%

($1 = 0.8880 euros)

(Reporting by Enrico Sciacovelli, editing by Alvise Armellini)