(Yicai Global) Oct. 31 -- China Construction Bank Corp.'s [SHA:601939;HKG:0939] net profits for the first three quarters rose 3.91 percent annually to CNY202.27 billion (USD30.6 billion), according to the lender's third quarter report, published yesterday.

Net profit attributable to shareholders climbed 3.82 percent to CNY201.24 billion.

China Securities Finance Corp. Ltd. has been notably increasing its shares in the bank. It purchased 44 million A-shares in the third quarter, putting its total at 2.664 billion shares, or a 1.07-percent stake in the firm. The investor sold off 102 million A-shares in Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. [SHA:601288;HKG:1288] in the period, cutting its holding to 5.843 billion shares, or 1.8 percent of the company.

China Construction Bank's core indicators: total assets, asset quality, profitability and capital adequacy ratio, all performed well. As of the end of the third quarter, the lender's total assets totaled CNY22.05 trillion, up CNY1.09 trillion, or 5.2 percent. Total loans tallied up at nearly CNY20.35 trillion, rising CNY971 billion, or 5.01 percent, the report showed.

The bank's net interest spread in the quarter fell to 2.03 percent, down 0.06 percentage points from a year earlier, while net interest margin dipped 0.1 point to 2.16 percent.

It accrued CNY190.9 billion in non-performing loans over the first nine months, at a ratio of 1.5 percent, down 0.02 point on the year. Its provisioning coverage ratio stood at 162.91 percent, up by 12.55 percentage points from the end of last year.

The lender's total capital ratio, tier-1 ratio and tier-1 common capital ratio were 14.67 percent, 12.99 percent and 12.84 percent, respectively.

The bank also saw solid growth in its intermediary business in the third quarter. As of the end of the period, net income from fees and commissions climbed by 1.45 percent to CNY93.65 billion.

China Securities Finance is a specialized securities institution set up by the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges and China Securities Depository and Clearing Corp. Ltd. with consent from the State Council, China's cabinet. It was approved by China Securities Regulatory Commission.