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| - British state-owned bank NatWest, formerly known as the Royal Bank of Scotland, said Friday that it rebounded into third-quarter profit on lower charges and impairments, and despite "challenging" virus-hit trade. Profit after taxation stood at £61 million ($79 million, 68 million euros) in the three months to the end of September, after a year-earlier net loss of £315 million sparked by compensation for mis-selling credit insurance. However, revenues declined by 16.5 percent in the reporting period to £2.4 billion. NatWest noted the "continued significant economic uncertainty" but added that it expected total annual impairments to be "at the lower end" of its forecast range of between £3.5 billion and £4.5 billion. "These results demonstrate the resilience of our underlying business and the strength of our balance sheet in the face of significant continued uncertainty," said chief executive Alison Rose. "Our sector-leading capital position, strong levels of liquidity and intelligent and consistent approach to risk mean we can continue to provide our customers and communities with the support they need." Rose warned however that overall impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the group's performance remains uncertain. And she cautioned that tighter restrictions and the withdrawal of some government stimulus would lead to more challenging trade. "Although impairments were relatively low in the quarter and we have seen some positive trends across our customer base, the full impact of Covid-19 remains very unclear," Rose said. "Challenging times lie ahead, especially as the current government support schemes come to an end and as new Covid-19 related restrictions are introduced. "We continue to deliver well against our strategy, building a bank that champions potential and has the capability to grow." Rose was appointed around one year ago, becoming the first female CEO of a major UK lender. As Royal Bank of Scotland was synonymous with the 2008 global financial crisis, having received the world's biggest bank bailout, Rose swiftly changed the name to Natwest, a bank brand under the RBS umbrella. rfj/spm
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