Samba Financial Group, Saudi Arabia's second-biggest lender by market value, said on Monday third-quarter profit fell 7.5 percent and blamed a decline in brokerage fees for a bad performance this year.

The bank made a net profit of 1.2 billion riyals ($320 million) in the three months to September 30, down from 1.3 billion riyals a year earlier.

Samba's earnings were in line with analysts' forecasts for the third-quarter which ranged from 1.05 billion riyals to 1.38 billion riyals, according to a Reuters survey last month.

Meanwhile, Banque Saudi Fransi, Saudi Arabia's fifth largest lender by market value, posted an 11.6 percent rise in third-quarter net profit after a surge in loans.

Saudi Fransi, which is 31.1 percent owned by France's Credit Agricole, made a net profit of 729 million riyals ($194.4 million) in the three months to Sept. 30 against 653.1 million riyals in the year earlier period, it said in a statement. -Reuters