Banque Saudi Fransi, a lender part-owned by Credit Agricole, posted a 11.6 percent rise in fourth-quarter net profit on Wednesday, beating analysts' forecasts.

The bank made a profit of SR950 million ($253.2 million) in the three months ending December 31, compared with SR851 million  in the same period a year earlier, it said in a bourse statement.

Seven analysts surveyed by Reuters had on average forecast the bank would make a quarterly profit of 891.8 million riyals.  - Reuters