MADRID, April 29 (Reuters) - Spain's Banco Popular posted on Friday a 2.6 percent rise in first quarter net profitfrom a year earlier, as lower revenues were offset by lessprovisions for bad loans.
The country's sixth-largest lender in terms of total assetsreported net profit of 93.8 million euros ($106.83 million),just above analysts' forecasts in a Reuters poll of 91 millioneuros.
Net interest income, a measure of earnings on loans minusdeposit costs, was 551 million euros, down 1.9 percent from ayear ago.
The bank also said its acquisition on Thursday of Barclays consumer payments business in Spain and Portugal wouldboost earning per share by 4 percent in 2017. ($1 = 0.8780 euros) (Reporting by Angus Berwick; Editing by Jesus Aguado)