JERUSALEM, Nov 21 (Reuters) -
* First International Bank of Israel (FIBI), the country’s fifth-largest bank by assets, on Wednesday reported a 4.4 percent growth in third-quarter net profit and said it would pay a 100 million shekel dividend.
* FIBI posted quarterly net profit of 212 million shekels ($57 million), compared with 203 million a year earlier. It was forecast to earn 220 million shekels in a Reuters poll of analysts.
* Excluding one-time items, FIBI reported net profit of 178 million shekels versus 171 million in the same period last year.
* Its Tier 1 capital ratio was 10.39 percent at the end of September, up from 10.38 percent at the end of 2017.
* Net interest income rose to 634 million shekels from 565 million a year earlier while expenses from credit losses were up to 49 million shekels from 9 million.
* ($1 = 3.7338 shekels) (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Tova Cohen)
