Sunday, Apr 22, 2012

(This story was originally published Thursday.)

DUBAI (Zawya Dow Jones)--Doha Bank (DHBK.DO), Qatar's fifth-largest bank by market value, said Thursday its first-quarter net profit rose 7.4% on the year to 390 million Qatari riyals ($107.1 million), beating most analyst expectations.

Global Investment House had predicted its net profit at QAR321 million, while Beltone Financial had penciled in a QAR352 million effort.

Earnings per share amounted to QAR1.89 in the first quarter, compared with QAR1.86 a year earlier, the lender said in a statement posted on the Doha bourse website. It didn't provide any other details.

Doha Bank shares closed 0.8% lower at QAR60.40 Wednesday.

-By Nikhil Lohade, Dow Jones Newswires; +9714 446-1694; nikhil.lohade@dowjones.com

Copyright (c) 2012 Dow Jones & Co.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

22-04-12 0335GMT