Bank Muscat, Oman's largest lender, posted a 26.6 per cent decrease in its fourth-quarter net profit on Thursday, missing analysts' estimates.

The bank made a profit of RO36.5 million ($94.8 million) in the three months to December 31 compared with RO49.7 million in the year-ago period, it said in a statement to the Muscat bourse.

EFG Hermes had forecast a fourth-quarter profit of RO39.20 million while Gulf Baader Capital Markets had expected RO40.89 million.

Net profit in 2014 was RO163.2 million, up 7.3 per cent from the previous year.

Loans and advances rose 9.9 per cent year-on-year to RO6.75 billion at the end of December, while deposits increased 16.4 per cent to RO6.63 billion. - Reuters